This is going to look different than my 2022 CKLV Previews for 125 through 184. I was NOT expecting preseeds to come out as early as what they did. I'm used to night before, give me no time to sit down, study them, think them over....So it was a pleasant surprise to see them this morning. These types of previews usually take me about and hour a piece to write, so it's not realistic that I was going to try and write these all up two days before the event. However, I still hadn't written up 197 or HWT yet, hence why they reflect the actual seeds.
So for 197 & HWT, Picture Guide ='s
Ranking & Name
School Name
CKLV Finish last season
WHAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY SEEDED
NOTE - I'm going to take it that Bernie Truax of Cal Poly is not competing this tournament. There's no way that you'd come in ranked #5 in the nation, a two time NCAA DI All American & not be seeded. They just wouldn't do that even if you were new to the weight class. It's also obvious that Stephen Buchanan of Wyoming last year's CKLV champ is missing from the bracket. Not surprising considering that news came out recently that he is in the transfer portal and will be looking for a new home. What is surprising as well as depressing is that Thomas Penola of Purdue is not listed in the preseeds. This has to mean he's not competing. This really disappoints me. I think Penola who was 3rd last season could have really opened up some eyes this tournament. I consider him a would have been title contender. He has wins over Gavin Hoffman of Ohio State & Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State. Lastly also surprised to see no Jacob Cardenas of Cornell. Surely if he were wrestling here, he'd be seeded right? He's ranked #22 & he has victories over Jake Koser of Navy, Evan Bockman of Utah Valley and Andy Smith of Virginia Tech.
Now for some thoughts....
I'm perfectly cool with Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State being the *1 seed. He has the highest ranking & with all the parity, it makes sense. He owns a win over Hoffman 6-1.
*2 Isaac Trumble North Carolina State is most certainly going to give Sloan a run for his money although he'll have his work cut out for him himself if seeds hold with *3 Hoffman. I've been saying throughout these previews that it is a very real possibility that someone could finish better at the NCAA's than what they do here. Hoffman is living, walking, breathing proof as he finished R12 here last season, and then earned 6th place All American honors. Among his victories, a 4-3 decision of Sloan.
*4 Kordell Norfleet of Arizona State would be doing himself a huge favor if he were to come in here and win this tournament. The hopeful to become the PAC-12's first & only five time conference champion has yet to earn All American honors in his illustrious career. A title here would propel him up in the rankings, thus helping him to earn a valuable high seed at the NCAA's. With this competition, much easier said than done.
*5 Tanner Harvey of American is someone I am extraordinarily impressed with. He's been out the past two seasons with injuries but watching him compete thus far this year, you'd never know it. He's 9-1 so far, with an impressive 8-4 victory over Evan Bockman of Utah Valley.
I don't agree with *6 Silias Allred & *7 Trey Rogers of Hofstra being ahead of *8 Bockman. Both Allred and Bockman have victories over Jake Koser of Navy. Personally I would have went with Bockman at *6, Silias at *7 & Rogers at *8. Another variable to factor in here, Bockman was 8th here last year + he took Hoffman to a 6-4 s.v. decision.
*9 Andy Smith of Virginia Tech, always tough hasn't faced much of the competition here, a 4-1 loss to Hoffman.
*10 is exactly where Koser belongs, it's where I would have put him too.
Now, to those that weren't seeded....
Tyler Bagoly of Clarion could very well pose a problem to anyone he steps onto the mat with. I spoke of Penola earlier & Bagoly owns a first period 1:07 fall against the Boilermaker. Another unseeded guy to watch out for here is Cody Mulligan of Edinboro.
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