Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational 125 lbs Preview (12/3-4/2021)

 

It's debatable I suppose, but man if it isn't the toughest tournament in NCAA Division I wrestling next to the NCAA Division I tournament itself, it is one of them. Matter of fact it is so competitive that I will argue that one's accomplishments within it ought to be as celebrated as is any other achievement. When you read about wrestlers, their biographies always include how they did at the NCAA's and how they did at their conference tournaments.  I think it ought to include how they did at Cliff Keen Las Vegas.  You place at this tournament, it illustrates that you were good. A medal from this tournament means something.  It might not be as prestigious as an All American plaque, but display it on wall, because it is something to be proud of.  

As I gathered notes and information to preview the tournament, I realized that if I wrote this all up in one post, I was going to have a novella on my hands. Therefore I decided rather than post something that was going to take an hour to read, I'd be better off previewing this tournament one weight class at a time.    

And holy cow is 125 lbs going to be good this year!   

FIVE returning place-winners! This includes a former CKLV champion and CKLV runner-up.  11 ranked wrestlers, including 5 in the top 10.  We're talking a very competitive bracket. 

Princeton's Patrick Glory has clearly established himself as the #2 wrestler in the nation.  He'll get the #1 seed here and rightly so. He's earned it through both ranking and result.  It'll be Hell keeping that distinction though. A possible semi-final between should be #2 seed Schroder and should be #3 seed LaMont could determine Glory's opponent in the finals. LaMont came out of nowhere making a name for himself three seasons ago when he won a CKLV title in 2018.  Schroder arguably the best wrestler at 125 lbs yet to All American, was runner-up here in 2020.   

That's to say if that even happens. The unpredictable but never boring Patrick Mckee of Minnesota is in this bracket. Take one look at his resume and you soon realize he takes the term, "Anything can happen" to a whole new level.  Can I see him coming in here and placing very high? Yes, without a doubt.  Can I see him coming in here and not placing? Yes, without a doubt.  The inconsistency and parity of a wrestler like McKee leaves you with nothing better to do than throw your hands up in the air and shrug your shoulders. With him there is no predicting, all you can do is sit back and watch. 

Which leads me to an assortment of other things that could happen. Oklahoma's Joey Prata has been looking to make a name for himself, and this would be the place to do it.  A good showing here will rocket him up the rankings.  I'll say the same for Northwestern's Michael DeAugustino as well as for Michigan's Jack Medley.  DeAugustino has slipped a little over time & doesn't quite hold the prestige that he once did.  He wrestles well here, it'll be as if he never left. 

Malik Heinselman of Ohio State I am anxious to see compete.  So far watching him this season, he looks to me as if he's made some tremendous improvements.  We'll see how far those strides actually are against the better competition that he will face here. 

Lastly I'll say that CKLV has always been that before the new year tournament where we get to see where everyone stands and the wrestling world gets introduced to few new names that previously flew under the radar.  Unranked wrestlers who find themselves onto the award stand.  These include Greg Diakomihalis of Cornell, Beau Bayless of Harvard and Tanner Jordan of South Dakota State as far as I'm concerned.  

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