South Dakota State is a team that will go into the 2021-2022 season rather quiet, but could gradually get louder as the season progresses. I don't know if head coach Damion Hahn gets the credit he deserves in turning his wrestlers around and getting serious improvements out of them. Overall I see the Jackrabbits with 6 to 7 NCAA qualifiers, up to 3 All Americans and one with a real shot at ending his season NCAA runner-up. In the BIG 12, can see two conference champions and one conference runner-up.
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| 141 Clay Carlson Sophomore Record: 71-30 NCAA: 21'8th BIG 12: 20'5th, 21'4th |
Here's a guy that went from being one match away from NCAA qualification as a freshman to finishing as an NCAA All American in the "free be" year. And honestly, he really came out of nowhere in earning his NCAA medal. What impressed me most about Carlson was his 11-4 handling of Real Woods of Stanford. Was that simply a bad match for Woods, or is Carlson capable of more outstanding performances like that? In the BIG 12, he's dropped two close 3-2 matches to Dom Demas of Oklahoma. He improves as much between 2021 and 2022, as he did between 2020 and 2021, that's a winnable match, thus putting him in the running for a conference title.
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| 149 Zach Price Sophomore Record: 53-30 NCAA: 21'R12 BIG 12: 20'DNP, 21'5th |
Another wrestler who made vast improvements from 2020 to 2021 is Zach Price. From a losing record where he didn't place at the BIG 12's to a winning record where he took 5th last season. I question how well he's going to do up two weight classes from 133, but trust Hahn's judgment. Anxious to see how 149 lbs treats him.
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| 165 Tanner Cook Sophomore NCAA: 20'NQ BIG 12: 20'3rd |
Cook has some impressive wins thus far in his career. A 17-8 major decision over Luke Weber of North Dakota State, he stuck 2019 BIG 12 champion Chase Straw of Iowa State twice. He also owns a 6:11 fall over Austin Yant of Northern Iowa. With that said, I see Cook finishing about 4th in the BIG 12 this season with Keegan O'Toole of Missouri, Demetrius Romero of Utah Valley and Travis Wittlake of Oklahoma State all in his bracket.
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| 174 Cade DeVos Freshman Record: 36-15 NCAA: 21'NQ BIG 12: 21'4th MIDLANDS: 20'8th |
Another wrestler moving up two weight classes this season will be Cade DeVos. At this point all I know is that 174 is a lot different environment than 157. Hard to say how DeVos adjust up two weights, but still feel at the end of it, he'll at least be top 33.
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| 184 Cade King Sophomore Record: 19-29 |
Obviously not sold that King makes this year's NCAA tournament but Hahn has gotten vast improvements out of some of his other wrestlers, why not King? While competing at 174, he showed some promise in some of his losses and he did defeat Oklahoma's Anthony Mantanona 7-5. Giving him a begger's chance at this point.
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| 197 Tanner Sloan Sophomore Record: 62-12 NCAA: 20'NQ, 21'R12 BIG 12: 20'2nd, 21'6th MIDLANDS: 19'2nd CKLV: 20'R12 |
I can see this being a standout year for Sloan. Really in both the NCAA and in the BIG 12, the only one I can't see him getting past is A.J. Ferrari of Oklahoma State. He's 0-2 against the Cowboy having lost 5-0 & having been pinned at the 3:25 mark. Everyone else, Sloan either already has beaten or he can beat. A tech fall over Owen Pentz of North Dakota State 16-1, he defeated Wyoming's Stephen Buchanan 6-3 & he's currently 3-1 over all Vs Oklahoma's Jake Woodley. I can see Runner-up finishes at both the BIG 12's and NCAA's for Sloan.
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| HWT A.J. Nevills Junior Record: 60-22 NCAA: 18'NQ, 19'NQ BIG 12: 18'2nd, 19'2nd MIDLANDS: 19'4th |
Fresno State transfer (may I say again how lowly I think of Terry Tumey) A.J. Nevills will be a very nice addition to the Jackrabbit lineup. With wins over All Americans Tate Orndorff of Ohio State and Cohlton Schultz of Arizona State, it's safe to say that he himself is All American material. Within the BIG 12, he has victories over Carter Isley of Northern Iowa, Brandon Metz of North Dakota State and Brian Andrews of Wyoming. Not to mention he defeated 2021 BIG 12 champion Gannon Gremmel of Iowa State twice. He's definitely a contender for a conference title.
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125 - DNQ
133 - DNQ
141 - All American
149 - NQ
157 - DNQ
165 - NQ
174 - NQ
184 - On the edge of Qualifiation
197 - 2nd
HWT - All American
If this is how it turns out, pretty good showing, especially considering how young of a team Hahn has here. Not a single senior on the squad, with 5 sophomores and 1 freshman. Could be a bright future for Jackrabbit wrestling.
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