2023 Southern Scuffle Preview = 165 lbs

 

Of all the outstanding tournaments taking place this weekend, this is the premier weight class.  We are talking THREE NCAA DI champions here. Between the three, a combined record of 196-9. It's a very real possibility that this year's NCAA DI champ might not win the Scuffle.  This also includes two returning Scuffle champions, with 5 returning place-winners in all.  T to the O to the U to the G to the H!! Tough!! 

#1
Keegan O'Toole
Missouri 

Until proven otherwise, Keegan O'Toole is #1.  The 2022 NCAA champion has a career record of 52-1 as he enters the Southern Scuffle having also won last year's tournament.  Among his victories a 6-5 decision over Shane Griffith, a 15-8 decision over Mikey Caliendo, a 13-4 major over Brevin Cassella & a 2:49 fall over Will Formato. 

#2
Shane Griffith
Stanford 

Hot on O'Toole's tail will be 2021 NCAA champion Shane Griffith. The Cardinal who single handedly saved the Cardinal wrestling program from the avarice of Bernard Muir, is coming here to reclaim his place as both the #1 wrestler in the nation & a Southern Scuffle champion (champ in 20' & 3rd in 19').  He owns both a 3-2 decision & a 9-1 major over R.J. Mosley. 

#3
David Carr
Iowa State 

 We're not done yet.... We also have another 2021 NCAA champion competing here in David Carr.  The Cyclone carries a 75-2 career record as he looks to upend both Griffith & O'Toole for a Southern Scuffle title.  Among his victories he has beaten Wyatt Sheets of Oklahoma State every time he's stepped on the mat with him. 14-6, 8-4, 5-2, 6-4 & 12-3 scores.  He also owns an 11-1 major over Tyler Brennan. 

#12
Mikey Caliendo
North Dakota State 

I'm gonna wager to say that gold, silver & bronze are up for grabs, & finishing 4th here will be the top goal for everyone else in the bracket. Among the strongest of candidates, Mikey Caliendo of North Dakota State.  Among his victories of note an 11-10 decision as well as a 5-2 decision over Andrew Sparks. 

#20
Andrew Sparks
Minnesota 

He's already got the Sparks, just needs to start the fire.  The Golden Gopher if very capable of landing in the 4th place spot this tournament.  Owns a 5-4 victory over Wyatt Sheets. 

#21
Wyatt Sheets
Oklahoma State 

If Forrest Gump were a real person & he were a collegiate wrestling fan, I'd say that Wyatt Sheets is likely to be his favorite wrestler. Like a box of chocolates, when it comes to Wyatt Sheets, you just never know what you're gonna get. My initial reaction is that no is gonna come close to the top three in this weight class but a little voice in the back of my head won't keep it's mouth shut. You give me Sheets on his best day, & I'll give you a guy that will give anyone a match.  He was 3rd here in 2020. 

#26
Will Formato
Appalachian State 

You say For-Matt-toe  I say For-Mate-oh, let's call the whole thing...a very tough wrestler from Appalachian State.  Will Formato was 4th here last season & will contender for spot on the award stand once again.  With wins over Brennan (8-6 s.v.) & Hunter Mays (6-1) what will really be interesting is to see how his feud with Mosley develops.  He has defeated the Runnin' Bulldog four times 2-1 t.b., 3-2, 5-3 & 2-1 but he's also lost a couple of times to him as well. 

#29
R.J. Mosley
Gardner Webb 

The Bulldog was 7th at last year's championships & will be a contender for medal number two this tournament. As alluded to earlier, he has quite the feud going on with Formato. In their back and forth, he's defeated the Mountaineer 5-2 & 9-4. 

Among the unranked? 

U.R. 
Tyler Brennan
Little Rock 

Everything about Tyler Brennan making the top 8 this Southern Scuffle would be positive. Positive for our most "southern" DI wrestling team. Positive for the state of Texas (Brennan is from Texas). Positive for southern wrestling altogether.  The Trojan has been R12 twice thus far in previous Scuffles. 

U.R.
Brevin Cassella
Binghamton 

Looking for a top 12/8 spot here at the Scuffle will be the always tough Brevin Cassella. 

U.R. 
Cooper Noehre 

Among the young talent here at the Scuffle who could very well end up top 8, look towards Cooper Noehre. 

U.R. 
Hunter Mays
Rider 

Another tough freshman, this one a true freshman who could do very well this tournament is Hunter Mays. The Bronco owns a 6-5 decision over Noehre. 

2023 Southern Scuffle Preview = 157 lbs

 

 We have two returning champions here at 157 among 7 ranked wrestlers. Four returning Southern Scuffle place-winners in all, with the Scuffle's only wrestler who is looking to become a four time place-winner. 

#3
Kendall Coleman
Purdue 

Kendall Coleman's entire career he's always been "right there" but not "quite there."  Even as a freshman year's ago against the higher ranked competition he seemed to always lose by a point or two. Taking so and so into overtime or someone else into a tiebreaker. Now he is the highest ranked wrestler going into a tournament & he could likely be the *1 seed. Can the Boilermaker hold off two returning Scuffle champs & a 3rd placer in order to walk out champion? Against the competition he owns an 8-6 s.v. over Jared Franek & a 7-2 decision over Lincoln Heck. 

#4
Jared Franek
North Dakota State

One of the best wrestlers in the nation yet to All American, Jared Franek enters the Southern Scuffle a returning champion from last season. He was also 7th in 2020. The biggest advantage the Bison has against the competition is that he knows how to win hard fought, close matches.  He owns a 2-1 tiebreaker over Brayton Lee as well as 4-2, 6-4 & a 2-1 tiebreaker over Jarrett Jacques. 

#8
Kaden Gfeller
Oklahoma State 

Here's the guy to look out for at 157 lbs.  The Cowboy may be one of the most inconsistent wrestlers in the nation, but he is also the only wrestler this Scuffle who will be going for this fourth medal.  A runner-up in 2020, he won Scuffle titles back to back in 18' & 19'.  As he already owns a 2-0 victory over Lee, it is a high probability that we could see him in another final. 

#11
Brayton Lee
Minnesota 

As he continues to shake off the rust from a nasty injury last season, we have yet to see Brayton Lee at his best. That could very well change this tournament.  The Golden Gopher knows how to win & once he's 100% again, he'll remind us of that.  Among his victories of note, a 6-4 s.v. over Franek, both a 2-1 & 3-2 victory over Coleman and both a 4-1 & 6-3 victory over Jarrett Jacques.  I'd call him a title contender. 

#13
Jarrett Jacques
Missouri 

Jarrett Jacques has towed the line for quite some time & there is little to no reason why he can't come into this Scuffle & be the weight class's hope for a darkhorse champion. He'd have to pull off some major upsets in the quarters, semis & finals, but the Tiger is very capable of it.  He's defeated Franek 5-2 in the past. He also owns a 6-2 victory over Michael North & he finished 3rd here last season. 

#17 
Daniel Cardenas
Stanford 

It's hard for me not to take a shot at Bernard Muir, when yet again here is a talent on the Cardinal wrestling team likely to bring home a medal from one of our toughest in-season tournaments.  Daniel Cardenas will be among some incredibly stiff competition, but he can find a place on the award stand. No doubt about it. 

#18
Michael North
Maryland 

There have been a lot of positive steps at Maryland & in my praise of the program, let me go a step further. A lot of programs improve from a recruiting point of view. They start getting better & better recruits & that's how they build their teams.  Maryland is doing that, but they are also building and improving upon the talent they already have. Now that's something to point out.  Michael North was 5-16 last season. 5-16!!  The year before that he was 0-5!!  This year he's 7-1, & he's found himself ranked with the top twenty.  Talk about a turn around! Not only that, but he's a legit contender for a top 8 showing at the Southern Scuffle.  Coach Clemsen sure got a lot of grief & criticism when things weren't going all that great in Terrapin country. Now that they are, may JT#1 given recognition. 

U.R. 
Jason Kraisser
Iowa State

Here's a guy that could very well pull off a few upsets this tournament. Jason Kraisser was 7th here in 2020, & could very well end up with medal number two by tournament's end. 

U.R.
Tommy Askey
Appalachian State 

The young Mountaineer has already pulled off a few upsets this season & he earned himself an 8th place finish at CKLV when he wasn't expected to place. He could very well do the same thing here at the Scuffle. 

U.R.
Lincoln Heck
Chattanooga 

Lincoln Heck probably won't go into this tournament with a high seed, but wrestling on his home mats in front of his home crowd, one thing is for certain. You know in every match that he's in, he'll go out there and give em...well...Heck!! 

2023 Southern Scuffle Preview = 149 lbs

 

We have eight ranked wrestlers, among six returning Southern Scuffle place-winners, including a champion. This weight class will also feature perhaps the most talented freshman in the nation. 

#3
Paniro Johnson
Iowa State 

While there is an assortment of young talent in NCAA DI wrestling right now, I'd argue with conviction, that among the very best is Paniro Johnson. The sensational freshman has but one loss this season & it was a sudden victory loss to three time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell. Among his victories, wins over both Austin Gomez of Wisconsin & Max Murin of Iowa. Normally it is the youth looking to knock off the experience, but in this case it is the experience who goes in the underdog to youth. Johnson will have a target on his back. 

#8
Jonathan Millner
Appalachian State 

4th at the 2020 Southern Scuffle, Jonathan Millner looks to make this year's finals and take a crack at Paniro. Among his victories over the competition, a 4-1 decision over Noah Castillo & a 9-1 major decision over Quinn Kinner. 

#9
Brock Mauller
Missouri 

Back off of a redshirt, the Southern Scuffle was the only competition Brock Mauller competed in last season. He took a 5th place finish. Among his victories of note, a 7-4 decision over Jonathan Millner, a 4-2 decision over Michael Blockhus & a 3-1 decision over Kellyn March. 

#14
Michael Blockhus 
Minnesota 

Another tough contender in this bracket, Michael Blockus owns both a 2-1 & 4:26 fall over March, a 6-4 sudden victory over Chris Sandoval & a 3-1 decision over Victor Voinovich. 

#16
Jaden Abas
Stanford 

Here's who I'm most anxious to watch at 149 lbs this Scuffle.  The 22'-23' season hasn't started off the best for Jaden Abas, but I don't find that much of a concern. It's nothing new for the Cardinal to start off a little slow, maybe suffer some early season losses before he kicks it into high gear and really gets going. Let's not forget, he won a Southern Scuffle title in 2020.  Let's also not forget he owns a 5-3 decision over Millner & a 9-4 decision over Blockhus. For the record, also a 7-4 decision over Sandoval. He may not go in with the best seed, but I'd still call him a title contender. 

#18
Ethen Miller
Maryland 

The freshman finished one match shy of earning a medal at last year's Scuffle during his redshirt. Ethen Miller will look to finish top 8 this year. 

#21
Victor Voinovich
Oklahoma State 

Another tough freshman in this bracket, Victor Voinovich was 3rd here last season during his redshirt. A wrestler who competes a full seven minutes with an incredible gas tank, Voinovich has both a 3-2 victory over Castillo & a 4-1 victory over Sandoval. 

#30
Noah Castillo
Chattanooga 

Wrestling on his own home mats in front of a home crowd, Noah Castillo will look to earn a top 8 finish this Scuffle. 

As to the unranked talent? 

U.R.
Quinn Kinner
Rider 

I'd be on my toes & ready to go if I had to face Quinn Kinner this tournament.  The 2022 MAC champ was 7th here last season & will be a threat to anyone he steps on the mat with. 

U.R.
Chris Sandoval
Northern Colorado 

Another unranked wrestler to watch this tournament is Chris Sandoval. He has close matches with many of those in this bracket that could potentially be turned into wins & he was 5th here a year ago. 

U.R.
Kellyn March
North Dakota State 

March has yet to have a real defining moment in his collegiate career, although he is more than capable of one. He's good enough to be top 8 this tournament & definitely good enough to be top 12. 

Soldier Salute Preview

 

In a tournament's inaugural season you never know quite what to expect. My thinking here & I'll explain in detail, is that Iowa is going to have their varsity starters here & their backups/redshirts at the Midlands. I think this for two reasons. A, it makes the most sense. The goal here is to create a tournament that is a huge draw, put behinds into seats. You're gonna do that by showcasing the Spencer Lees & the Tony Cassioppis. I suppose anything is possible but when hosting a tournament, it makes a lot more sense to me to have your stars their, than it does to send them to Chicago. B, on Iowa's official schedule, Soldier Salute is listed. I think it's the same deal for Northern Iowa, for similar reasons. Again, this is a hypothesis. I do hope I'm right though. If for nothing else, because I'm gonna be there. 

When I analyze a tournament, I'm always trying to figure out who the place-winners might be.  I've asked around & no one seems to know how many place-winners this tournament will have. My initial guess with the number of teams that I know are going to be there, would be six. I don't see them giving out as many as eight, but I could see as few as four. 

My other thought is that the Soldier Salute has the potential to be the premier women's collegiate wrestling tournament. I would love to see that happen.  

125 lbs 

Spencer Lee is going to slice through this bracket as if it were tinfoil.  He'll pin, tech and major his way through this tournament without giving up a single offensive point. The real question is, who will be his finals opponent? (Assuming this is bracket style & not round robin).   My initial guess would be Army freshman Ethan Berginc who is having himself an outstanding rookie season. 13-1 on the season, he already owns a win over All American Brandon Kaylor of Oregon State.  With that said, it wouldn't surprise me to see Tanner Jordan upset Berginc and find himself in the finals. The Jackrabbit has his ups and downs, but can certainly be tough when he wants to be.  Other place-winners I would predict to be Columbia's Nick Babin & Wyoming's Garrett Ricks. 

133 lbs 

Very confident that the final here will be between Kyle Biscoglia & Brody Teske. A match that I look very forward to.  Both of these guys have had moments where they've looked outstanding.  Biscoglia wrestled the best he's ever wrestled at CKLV a couple of weeks ago. He wrestled like that this tournament, he's going to be tough to beat. Teske has equally looked just as sharp at certain times during his career. You get both of these guys at their best, the 133 lbs final is gonna be one to watch.  I look for the battle for 3rd to be between Richard Treanor and Angelo Rini. 

141 lbs 

If seeds reflect rankings, we're looking at some very good semi-final match-ups & some rather good quarter-final matchups too. Real Woods is highly favored to win this bracket, although I can see him being challenged. He owns an 11-4 victory over Clay Carlson, who on paper should meet Cael Happel in what should prove to be an excellent semi-final. Happel leads the series two to one, with a 4-1 & 8-6 decision, as Carlson owns an 11-4 decision.  I'd imagine that Josh Koderhandt & Matt Kazimir might meet in the quarter finals. Koderhandt who has a loss by fall in 6:22 to Carlson, owns a 12-5 decision over Job Greenwood. Kazimir owns a 10-6 decision over Greenwood & a 12-1 major over Julian Sanchez. Sanchez, ironically enough wrestled Carlson to a tight 7-4 decision. Another wrestler in this bracket to look out for if Wyoming sends more than one here (and if that's allowed here...) is Darren Green

149 lbs 

I've made it clear in many post that I feel three time NCAA R12'er Max Murin is one of the best wrestlers in the nation yet to All American. Yet, it won't be any easier this year than what it has been in year's past. If he wants to win his first & only Solider Salute, he better be on his toes, because Colin Realbuto has been looking real good as of late. The Panther had one heck of a weekend knocking off both Ohio State's Sammy Sasso & North Carolina State's Jackson Arrington.  I believe our battle for 3rd here will be between Army's Thomas Deck & Wyoming's Chase Zollman. 

157 lbs 

Very competitive weight class featuring seven ranked wrestlers. Should see great wrestling in this bracket from the get go.  Jacob Wright with ranking & experience is the favorite, giving the Cowboys a hope for a champion. He owns a 5-4 decision over Derek Holschlag.  Cobe Siebrecht who has been a pleasant surprise for the Hawkeyes this season hopes to keep a title home & propel himself up in the rankings. He owns an 8-0 major decision over Nathan Lukez. Andrew Cerniglia hasn't faced any of the competition here yet, but his other showings prove that he'll be a contender. Holschlag himself owns an 8-6 decision over Lukez as well as a 4-0 victory over Selwyn Porter. Swensen has a 3-1 decision over Holschlag & an 8-7 decision over Alvan. Alvan could very well end up the one to watch out for this tournament. As he adjust to collegiate wrestling, the PAN-AMERICAN medalist silently keeps getting better and better. He pulled off a 7th place finish at CKLV with some nice victories. Porter also has it within him to pull off a few upsets. Although he hasn't wrestled his best as of late, he is an NCAA qualifier & can be tough. 

165 lbs 

If you don't believe in spontaneous combustion, stand near Coach Doug Schwab when the best of collegiate wrestling within the state of Iowa is discussed. People go on and on about the long tradition of Iowa & how they're right back in the mix to challenge for the NCAA team title. They'll talk of Kevin Dresser & how the Cyclones of Iowa State are brick by brick building back the winning foundations of yesteryear when Dr. Harold Nichols ran the show. You'll see the steam build up in Schwab's eyes & the smoke come out his ears. He is hell bent on people thinking, talking & feeling Northern Iowa wrestling every bit as much as they do Iowa & Iowa State. He's coming in here looking to bring home a multitude of champions & Austin Yant is one of them.  The Panther looks to meet Patrick Kennedy in what should prove to be a fantastic final.  While the two have never met, their one like is Josh Ogunsanya, who Yant defeated 9-2 & who Kennedy defeated 22-9.  Yant also owns a 13-0 major over Val Park. While both Yant & Kennedy look to make the Soldier Salute final, depending on seeding, who ever meets Tanner Cook along the way, should not dare overlook the Jackrabbit. Cooks goes into every match as if he's going to win it & he'll put you on your back and stick you if you aren't prepared. That's exactly what he did to Carson Kharchla of Ohio State in the CKLV semi-finals. For the record, he does own a 6:11 fall over Yant as well.  Ogunsanya didn't look pretty against Yant or Kennedy, but he's still a threat to place. As are both Park & Dalton Harkins. Ogunsanya owns a 13-5 major over Park. A guy to keep an eye on here is Cole Moody.  I have no idea why he's been wrestling as poorly as he has been as of late, but if he can find himself and get back on track, he's a very tough competitor. He owns a 6-3 decision over Yant as well as a 13-3 major over Cook. The other time he wrestled Cook, he gave him a very good 12-10 match. 

174 lbs

A weight class featuring five ranked wrestlers, I see 174 lbs being a very fun bracket. Most of these guys have never seen one another before although Lance Runyon owns a 5-1 victory over Hayden Hastings & Cade DeVos has defeated Hastings twice by scores of 5-2 & 7-4.  The likely final here is Runyon Vs Brands, although it could as easily be DeVos in the finals.  Army's Ben Pasiuk has proven himself to be a good tournament wrestler & Columbia's Lennox Wolak has pulled off a few huge upsets already this season. Lastly, I could see The Citadel's Ben Haubert having a good tournament. 

184 lbs 

The way Parker Keckeisen has been wrestling lately, it's hard to imagine him getting beat, but out of the handful of losses the Panther does have, one of them is against Abe Assad. It was by a score of 6-5.  If the Hawkeye were to knock off the Panther once again, the Xtreme Arena would come unglued. I'd wager to say it would be the loudest the black & gold faithful got this tournament Much, much easier said than done.  I think the race for 3rd will be a real one. Cade King is the favorite as he has the highest ranking & he does own a 9-4 decision over David Key. Key, I feel is one of the most disrespected & overlooked wrestlers in the nation, as he is not ranked. He owns a 9-4 victory over Sam AbdulRazzaq, as well as a 10-1 major over Zach Brown. If indeed the Soldier Salute places the top 6 per weight, Quayin  Short will also be within the fight. 

197 lbs 

99.99% positive the final we'll see here is Jacob Warner Vs Tanner Sloan. The last these two met, Sloan took a dominating 19-3 technical fall, but I highly, highly doubt that will be the outcome of this match.  For 4th place, look to NCAA's best of the unranked, Tyler Mousaw. While the Keydet seems to always linger just outside the top 33 rankings, he somehow or another always shows up and does well at tournaments like this. While subject to upset himself, he is a strong candidate to meet Koser in the consolation finals. The last the two met, Koser took a 10-3 decision. 

HWT 

With Tony Cassioppi the heavy favorite, the real story at HWT will be the likely semi-final between Tyrell Gordon and A.J. Nevills. Both of these guys have looked exceptional thus far this season, as both own close victories over the other.  Gordon who recently knocked off Tate Orndorff in action, defeated Nevills 3-1 for 5th place at CKLV. Coincidentally Nevills pulled off a huge upset, defeating NCAA runner-up Cohlton Schultz of Arizona State at the same tournament 5-2.  In turn, Nevills owns a 4-3 victory over Gordon. For what it's worth, he took Cassioppi to a 12-8 decision the last they met.  Now, with all of that noted, it is not dare lost on me that Grady Griess is looking pretty hot this season. A 17-3 record, he took Nevills to the wire in an 8-6 match. No doubt about it, be it Gordon or Nevills, either way the Midshipman spells serious challenge. Look to Griess' backup Ryan Catka (if he enters this tournament or for that matter if he's even allowd to) to be a strong candidate for 5th. 

2023 Southern Scuffle Preview = 141 lbs

 

We have 9 ranked in this weight class that returns two Southern Scuffle runner-ups who could very well meet in this year's finals. Let's take a look. 

#3
Andrew Alirez
Northern Colorado 

Andrew Alirez set the precedent when he upended #1 ranked Cole Matthews of Pittsburgh at the NWCA All-Star Classic 4-2. The Bear has finishes of 2nd & 3rd so far in his Southern Scuffle appearances & with a bronze & a silver already within his possession now is the time to go for gold. Against his top challenger, Allan Hart he is 2-0 defeating the Tiger twice by two point decisions, 6-4 & 3-1 s.v. He also owns a 4-0 win over Dylan Droegemueller. 

#4
Allan Hart
Missouri 

Owner of a Scuffle silver himself, Allan Hart is another title contender.  He owns a 9-2 decision over Angelo Martinoni & he's had his way with Droegemueller every time he's stepped on the mat with him.  An 8-3 decision & a 14-1 major decision, he pinned the Jackrabbit in 26 seconds the last the two met.

#3
Jake Bergeland
Minnesota 

Another title contender here is Golden Gopher Jake Bergeland. A 2:35 fall over Alirez on his resume, he also owns a 6-2 decision over Droegemueller & he's majored Martinoni twice by scores of 9-1 & 9-0. 

#11
Dylan Droegemueller
North Dakota State

His struggles with Hart make it difficult to see him making the Scuffle finals, but with his strong skills & abilities especially from the top position, seeing him in the consolation finals is a very real possibility. Really don't see him upsetting anyone, but I don't see him getting upset either. Every once in a while a wrestler will actually finish where they're seeded. How bout that? I predict that for Dylan Droegemueller. 

#12
Casey Swiderski
Iowa State 

The young Cyclone is a big part of the landscaping going on in Ames & what a time to really prove himself here at the Midlands. I would say at this point he's predicted to be on the award stand, somewhere in the middle. Now would be the time to pull off a huge upset & finish somewhere near the top. Iowa State is transitioning from a program that develops guys & sees them improve, to a program that they're already THERE as soon as they arrive. Now's a great time to make a statement. 

#16
Parker Filius
Purdue

With as strong as his season ended last year, I was expecting Parker Filius to put on his running shoes and just take off on a dead sprint this season. That hasn't happened yet. He's suffered some losses, including a headscratcher. While he wrestled well at CKLV, with a 7th place finish, I was expecting him to contend for the title. I still think he can do that here.  The fact that he owns a 7-3 decision over Hart tells me he can do that here. For the record he also owns a 9-6 decision over McKenzie Bell. 

#28
Carter Young 
Oklahoma State 

Here's a guy that could jump many spaces in the rankings by the time the Southern Scuffle is said and done. Cowboys often have a tendency to ride off into the sunset once the dust settles & Carter Young is no different. A 5-1 decision over Berge on his belt, I'd call him as good as a darkhorse finalist. 

#32
Jason Miranda
Stanford 

Stanford has quite a few place-winner candidates this tournament & I would love to see all those who bring home a medal, take it and drop it on Bernard Muir's door. That man has as much business being an athletic director as Freddy Krueger has babysitting. I digress. Miranda is most certainly a contender for a top 8 finish this Scuffle. He owns an 11-1 major decision over Heath Gonyer. 

The best of the unranked talent? 

U.R. 
Zach Price 
Gardner Webb 

Place your bets Bob Barker & Rod Roddy cause the Price, Zach Price that is may very well be right by the end of the Scuffle. The Runnin' Bulldog with an 8-2 record has somehow or another been forgotten by just about every ranking committee out there. This is a guy that nearly made All American in 2021. No matter, he'll be remembered soon enough. He owns a 6:25 fall over Hart. 

U.R.
McKenzie Bell
Rider 

As inconsistent as he may be, you can't overlook the fact that McKenzie Bell has both an 8-6 decision over Hart & a 9-6 decision over Filius. The Bell, make that McKenzie Bell may very well toll for those he is about to face. 

U.R. 
Angelo Martinoni
Bakersfield 

Angelo Martinoni has shown to be very tough at various times throughout his career. He's gonna have to work extremely hard in order to crack the top 8 here, but I do think a top 12 finish is most certainly within his grasp. 

U.R. 
Heath Gonyer
Appalachian State 

At first glance Heath Gonyer doesn't seem a likely candidate to be within the top 12 here, but these are the types of tournaments that favor him. He performs well in such situations. He nearly placed top 8 here last season.