2010-11 Big Ten Wrestling Preview

Well the season is just around the corner and we have already posted our preseason rankings. We now start our conference by conference preview. We are hoping to get them all out prior to the dual season starting. This is part of our expanded coverage we are hoping to provide all of you this year. Also, look for more live blogs from TOM covering some of the best duals this year. As the season looms closer check out the calendar on TOM s news page for a complete schedule of the live blogs that will be offered.

We start the conference previews with the Big Ten. The Big Ten has a new look really (speaking of new looks though remember Nebraska will join the conference next season), there was a lot of turnover in line-ups and an astounding number of new comers. We will lay out our team analysis, prediction, rankings and other data. We will say this right up front. There are a ton of “what if’s” and “maybe’s” this year. Although we will make predictions, keep in mind there are a lot of unknowns going into this season.

Lets get started; first we will look at the numbers, then the individuals and wrap it up with the team overviews.

The Numbers

Returning National Champs: 2
Returning All-Americans: 14
Number of weights with zero All-Americans: 2
Number of first year starters: 35
Number of freshman starters: 29
* We point out the first year starters and freshman here just to give you and idea of how many changes has occurred.

Returning Big Ten Champions (2010)

• 141 – Mike Thorn (MN)
• 165 – Andrew Howe (WI)
• 197 – Trevor Brandvold (WI)

Key Duals and Dates in the Big Ten

• 11/21/11 – Penn State vs. Rutgers @ Binghamton
• 12/3/10 – Iowa @ Iowa State
• 12/3/ -12/4/10 – Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite
• 12/5/10 – Oklahoma State @ Minnesota
• 12/29 – 12/30/10 – Midlands
• 1/8/ – 1/9/11 – National Duals
• 1/16/11 – Iowa @ Oklahoma State
• 1/30/11 – Iowa @ Penn State
• 1/30/11 – Wisconsin @ Minnesota
• 2/13/11 – Penn State @ Minnesota
• 2/18/11 – Wisconsin @ Penn State
• 2/20/11 – Iowa @ Minnesota
• 3/5 – 3/6/11 – Big 10 Championships @ Northwestern
• 3/17 – 3/19/11 – NCAA Championships @ Philadelphia

Weight-by-Weight Preview

125
1	Matt McDonough	Iowa
2	Brandon Precin	Northwestern
3	Zach Sanders	Minnesota
4	Cashé Quiroga	Purdue
5	Logan Steiber	Ohio State
6	Sean Boyle	Michigan
7	Eric Olanowski	Michigan State
8	Tom Kelliher	Wisconsin
9	Sam White	Illinois
10	* Frank Martellotti	Penn State
11	Justin Brooks	Indiana

125 appears to be the toughest weight at the Big 10 with 4 returning AA and 1 National Champ. The early and obvious favorite here is Iowa’s McDonough who seemed unstoppable last year and will look to repeat last season’s results. Brandon Precin from Northwestern returns from a red-shirt year and looks to make a statement in his final year. Precin is a tough customer and should pose a solid challenge for our top wrestler. Not to be left out is Minnesota’s Zach Sanders, he has been an All-American each of his first two years and can not be counted out. Purdue will open up their lineup with Cashe Quiroga, a light-weight with heavy hands who surpassed expectations as a true freshman becoming an AA, after another year in the room look for him to repeat his inaugural experience. Brad Pataky of Penn State looks to make it over the hump as well and can not be taken lightly, at press time it has been reported that Brad has suffered a knee injury (We have removed him from the preview). However, as the extent of the injury isn‘t known at this time, we at TOM certainly hope that it doesn’t end his competitive career. Finally the wild card is freshman Logan Steiber of Ohio State. We all know the accolades that he brings to the table and the Buckeye faithful have high hopes. We do not think he should be left out of the conversation of who can win this weight. He has some road blocks in front of him, but keep your eyes on him as the season progresses. The excitement will start in the quarters of the Big 10 Championships.

TOM’s conference tournament predictions

1. Matt McDonough, IA
2. Logan Steiber, OSU
3. Brandon Precin, NW
4. Zach Sanders, MN

133
1	Tyler Graff	Wisconsin
2	Nate Moore	Iowa
3	Ian Paddock	Ohio State
4	David Thorn	Minnesota
5	Akif Eren	Purdue
6	Sam Sherlock	Penn State
7	Eric Grajales	Michigan
8	B.J. Futrell	Illinois
9	Matt Ortega	Indiana
10	Levi Mele	Northwestern
11	Josh Harper	Michigan State

There is a clear cut favorite here in Wisconsin’s Tyler Graff who is the only returning AA. Graff looked pretty good last season and has a knack for picking up lots of points from his feet; we expect to see Tyler improved overall. The weight is loaded with young guys who will look to earn the top spot. Nate Moore of Iowa looks to enter the line-up full time this year and should provide an immediate challenge to Graff. Moore had a good summer and will try to carry that over into the regular season. Ian Paddock (Ohio State) returns and was an NCAA qualifier last season. We are not sure if he will be ready to contend, but with off season improvement one never knows. Minnesota will have David Thorn (the younger brother of AA Mike Thorn) who they have high expectations for. Make note that this spot is not a given for Thorn who is in a battle with another freshman Bart Reiter. No matter who ends up at this spot the staff has high hopes for both of them. Akif Eren will take the mat for Purdue and his squad will benefit from his wealth of experience.  A couple of young talents that could prove to be in the mix are Penn State’s Sam Sherlock and Michigan’s Eric Grajales. Both were top flight recruits and we are excited to see how they do in a fairly young weight class. Finally, BJ Futrell moves up from 125 for Illinois and could be in the mix at the end of the year.

TOM’s conference tournament predictions

1. Tyler Graff, WI
2. Nate Moore, Iowa
3. David Thorn, MN
4. Ian Paddock, OSU

141
1	Jimmy Kennedy	Illinois
2	Kellen Russell	Michigan
3	Mike Thorn	Minnesota
4	Juan Archuleta	Purdue
5	Andrew Alton	Penn State
6	Colin Palmer	Ohio State
7	Mark Ballweg	Iowa
8	Colin Shober	Northwestern
9	Greg Burke	Wisconsin
10	Dan Osterman	Michigan State
11	Geno Capezio	Indiana

On paper it appears to be a three horse race with one being the slight favorite. Our top 2 wrestlers here are both coming off red-shirt. Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois has high hopes this year, not just in the Big 10 but on the national scene as well. Kennedy is TOM’s preseason #1 as well. He is a 2-time AA who surely improved while utilizing a red-shirt. Looking at the top spot as well is Michigan’s Kellen Russell who is also coming off red-shirt, keep in mind that as a true freshman and sophomore Kellen won Big Tens. Check the team analysis to get a bit more info on Juan Archuleta. Not to be left out of this party is Minnesota’s Mike Thorn. Thorn has high hopes this year and should be right in the equation when it’s all said and done. Penn State will most likely have one of the Alton brothers step on the mat at this weight as a true frosh. No matter which one it is, we would not be shocked to see either make a push. The other guy we suggest you keep an eye out for at this weight is Northwestern’s Colin Shober. Shober was highly recruited and will be thrown into the mix out of the gate.

TOM’s conference tournament predictions

1. Jimmy Kennedy, IL
2. Kellen Russell, MI
3. Mike Thorn, MN
4. Dylan/Andrew Alton, PSU

149
1	Frank Molinaro	Penn State
2	Kurt Kinser	Indiana
3	Andrew Nadhir	Northwestern
4	David Cheza	Michigan State
5	Sean Nemec	Ohio State
6	Danny Zilverberg	Minnesota
7	Dylan Carew	Iowa
8	Cole Schmitt	Wisconsin
9	Eric Terrazas	Illinois
10	Mark Weber	Michigan
11	Sam Patacsil	Purdue

Another weight with what we think has a clear cut favorite entering the season in Penn State’s Frank Molinaro. Although the rumors are flying of a preseason injury, we fully expect him to be back before or very early in the year. Making the weight interesting is Indiana’s Kurt Kinser dropping down from 157 (if so the rest of the field should be drilling against left handed head-locks that are thrown from the bleachers of Assembly Hall). Kinser could make some serious noise here if the weight is not an issue. Andrew Nadhir of Northwestern will look to improve on a good year last season as will Michigan State’s David Cheza and Ohio State’s Sean Nemac. We think there are two young guys you should really keep an eye out for. The first is Minnesota’s Danny Zilverberg. Zilverberg opened a lot of eyes this summer by knocking off both Alton brothers in back to back matches to capture a Jr. Fila Title. The other guy to watch is Iowa’s Dylan Carew. He has some pretty big shoes to fill, but we expect him to rattle some cages this season.

TOM’s conference tournament predictions

1. Frank Molinaro, PSU
2. Kurt Kinser, IN
3. David Zilverberg, MN
4. Dylan Carew, IA

157
1	Colt Sponseller	Ohio State
2	Paul Young	Indiana
3	David Taylor	Penn State
4	Jason Welch	Northwestern
5	Jake Deitchler	Minnesota
6	Derek St. John	Iowa
7	Colton Salazar	Purdue
8	Jackson Morse	Illinois
9	Brandon Zeerip	Michigan
10	John Prezzia	Wisconsin
11	Sean McMurray	Michigan State

This is one of two weights that returns zero All-Americans. With that said it does not mean that the weight lacks talent. Very much the opposite the weight is wide open and loaded with talent. The front runner heading into the season would logically be Colt Sponseller of Ohio State. He is coming down from 165 where he was the nations #5 seed at the NCAA tournament but failed to reach the podium. Another bona fide stud moving down is Indiana’s Paul Young. Look for these two to try and hold off a slew of young talent. Heading that list is Penn State’s David Taylor. We went out on a limb and selected him as our National Champ come March, but as we all know they wrestle the matches for a reason and he will first have to navigate his way through the Big 10. Then we have a past Big 10 finalist coming off red-shirt in Jason Welch of Northwestern. Welch is very capable and will be making some noise. Now let’s add Olympian Jake Deitchler to the mix. Minnesota fans have been chomping at the bit to see Jake in Maroon and Gold and should finally get their chance; hopefully it will be at the beginning of the season. One would think the fun ends there, but nope. Iowa fans are excited about their freshman as well in the form of Derek St. John. St. John is very talented and can not be left out of this conversation. This discussion cannot be complete without mentioning Colton Salazar who was last season’s number one seed at Big Tens. All in this weight will be a ton of fun to watch this season.

TOM’s conference tournament predictions

1. David Taylor, PSU
2. Derek St. John, IA
3. Colt Sponseller, OSU
4. Jake Deitchler. MN

165
1	Andrew Howe	Wisconsin
2	Cody Yohn	Minnesota
3	Jake Kerr	Iowa
4	Conrad Polz	Illinois
5	Jake Kemerer	Penn State
6	Ryan LeBlanc	Indiana
7	Dan Yates	Michigan
8	Tony Jameson	Ohio State
9	Robert Kellogg	Northwestern
10	Ethan Smith	Purdue
11	Ben Boudro	Michigan State

We do not see returning National Champ Andrew Howe being pushed to hard in this one. Without trying to be to blunt, Howe should dominate this weight class. The battle should be for the remaining spots and is wide open. Minnesota’s Cody Yohn showed improvement last year and should be solid this season. Conrad Polz of Illinois is who we see as the next biggest threat behind Howe. Polz had a good summer and after settling into the weight, should improve upon a pretty solid campaign from last year. We have Jake Kerr in the spot for Iowa at the moment but it will be interesting to see how 165 and 174 play out for the Iowa faithful. There are a few talented rookies in here as well. Penn State’s Jake Kemerer and Michigan’s Dan Yates are both guys you should keep an eye on.

TOM’s conference tournament predictions

1. Andrew Howe, WI
2. Conrad Polz, IL
3. Cody Yohn, MN
4. Jake Kerr, IA

174
1	Jordan Blanton	Illinois
2	Scott Glasser	Minnesota
3	Luke Manuel	Purdue
4	Justin Zeerip	Michigan
5	Ed Ruth	Penn State
6	Ethen Lofthouse	Iowa
7	Ben Jordan	Wisconsin
8	Nick Avery	Indiana
9	Brian Roddy, Jr.	Northwestern
10	Curran Jacobs	Michigan State
11	Nick Heflin	Ohio State

We have one returning AA here in Jordan Blanton of Illinois. He looked good last year and should be able to improve. We expect to see Minnesota’s Scott Glasser and Luke Manuel of Purdue to try and make their own case here. Glasser was greatly improved last season and if he makes a similar stride this year, he should be right there. Manuel continues to improve each year as well and that could make things very interesting as this past season he set the Boilermaker single-season win record with 46 victories. Last year Justin Zeerip of Michigan made an impression on many and we see him making even more of a name for himself this season. There are a pair of freshman to keep an eye out this season as well. Iowa’s Ethen Lofthouse (see comments above at 165 concerning the weight) is coming into his first year with some big wins already under his belt. The expectations for him are high in Iowa City. The other one you may want to watch is Penn State’s Ed Ruth. Ruth is very solid and has all the skills needed to compete at the highest levels. We would not be surprised to see one or both theses guys make some noise come March.

TOM’s conference tournament predictions

1. Jordan Blanton. IL
2. Scott Glasser, MN
3. Ed Ruth, PSU
4. Ethen Lofthouse, IA

184
1	Quentin Wright	Penn State
2	A.J. Kissel	Purdue
3	Grant Gambrall	Iowa
4	Travis Rutt	Wisconsin
5	Eric Cameron	Indiana
6	Kevin Steinhaus	Minnesota
7	Ian Hinton	Michigan State
8	Lee Munster	Northwestern
9	Tony Dallago	Illinois
10	Hunter Collins	Michigan
11	Peter Capone	Ohio State

Another weight where we see a front runner in Penn State’s Quentin Wright. Wright is coming off a red-shirt year and should be ready to make his run come next spring. Another guy coming off red-shirt is A.J. Kissel of Purdue who is looking to improve upon his last few NCAA appearances and notch a few more pins. The bulk of this weight, like many at this year’s Big 10 is wide open as well. Iowa will be going with Grant Gambrall while Minnesota will be introducing Kevin Steinhaus. Time will tell where these two end up. Both are solid wrestlers who should not be over looked. Two others we think may play a role in the end results this year is Wisconsin’s Travis Rutt and Indiana’s Eric Cameron. Both should improve and be formidable this season. Finally, we are interested in seeing how Lee Munster of Northwestern does. Munster is a top recruit that will be asked to contribute right out of the gate.

TOM’s conference tournament predictions

1. Quentin Wright, PSU
2. A.J. Kissel, Purdue
3. Travis Rutt, WI
4. Grant Gambrall, IA

197
1	Trevor Brandvold	Wisconsin
2	Sonny Yohn	Minnesota
3	Anthony Biondo	Michigan
4	Logan Brown	Purdue
5	Luke Lofthouse	Iowa
6	C.J. Magrum	Ohio State
7	Matt Powless	Indiana
8	Clay Steadman	Penn State
9	Mario Gonzalez	Illinois
10	John Schoen	Northwestern
11	Tyler Dickenson	Michigan State

Trevor Brandvold of Wisconsin is the favorite here. He had a great season last year and is one the top guys in the nation at 197. Right behind him is another returning AA in Minnesota’s Sonny Yohn. Last season Yohn made a move up to 197 and it proved to be a very good decision. A year later he may be better prepared for the weight. Two guys are sitting right behind these guys and are capable of making a run. Michigan’s Anthony Biondo had a nice season last year and with some improvement in the off season he should be in AA contention. Purdue’s Logan Brown is another solid guy that is looking to make his 4th straight NCAA appearance and hoping that this, his final year, will end with him on the podium. Iowa’s Luke Lofthouse and C.J. Magrum (OSU) will need to make some improvements to put themselves in the mix here. Time will tell if they have made the improvements needed.

TOM’s conference tournament predictions

1. Trevor Brandvold, WI
2. Sonny Yohn, MN
3. Anthony Biondo, MI
4. Logan Brown, Purdue

285
1	Ben Berhow	Minnesota
2	Cameron Wade	Penn State
3	Blake Rasing	Iowa
4	Eric Bugenhagen	Wisconsin
5	Rick Alcala	Inidana
6	Ben Apland	Michigan
7	Ben Kuhar	Northwestern
8	Johnny Hiles	Ohio State
9	Roger Vukobratovich	Purdue
10	Pat Walker	Illionois
11	Steve Andrus	Michigan State

Our second weight where we have no returning All-Americans. Another weight that could be anyone’s. For now we think there are 5 guys with a good shot of capturing a Big 10 Title. Minnesota’s Ben Berhow has showed improvement each year and fell just short of AA honors last season. Cameron Wade of Penn State has also showed steady improvement and must be considered here as well. Iowa adds another new face to the mix with Blake Rasing who like many Hawks before him, could surprise some people. Wisconsin’s Eric Bugenhagen, other then having a cool name, is a solid heavyweight that could find his way to finals as well. Finally there is a new face for the Hoosiers in transfer Rick Alcala, he should fit in well with this group of big men.

TOM’s conference tournament predictions

1. Ben Berhow, MN
2. Cameron Wade, PSU
3. Rick Alcala, IN
4. Blake Rasing, IA

Now we will look at the Team Picture. As we stated earlier, these are prediction and we will be very direct and state that this year things are wide open. There are at least four teams with a legit shot at winning the title this year. So we are basing our prediction on our best, albeit educated, guess.

1	Minnesota
2	Penn State
3	Iowa
4	Ohio State
5	Wisconsin
6	Purdue
7	Michigan
8	Northwestern
9	Indiana
10	Illinois
11	Michigan State

Team Overviews

Minnesota Golden Gophers
12-5 (Overall) and 7-1 (Big Ten)

New Faces:

• Joel Bauman – MN – 197 – Fr – (2 x State Champion)
• Brandon Bigelbach – MN – 125/33 – Fr – (State 3rd)
• Chris Dardanes – IL – 133 – Fr – (State Champion)
• Nick Dardanes – IL – 141/49 – Fr – (2 x State Champion)
• Randy Hanson – AK – 133 – Fr – (3 x State Champion)
• Corey Hodowanic – WI – 125 – Fr – (State Champion)
• Jacob Kaufman – OR – 165 – Fr – (3 x State Runner-up)
• Seth Lange – SD – 141 – Fr – (4 x State Champion)
• Drew Lexvold – MN – 141 – Fr – (2 x State Champion)
• Dylan Ness – MN – 157 – Fr – (State Champion, Triple Crown Winner)
• Scott Schiller – ND – 197 – Fr – (3 x State Champion)

Off Redshirt:

• Tom Giaimo – 133
• Danny Zilverberg – 149
• Jake Deitchler – 157
• Jake Filkins – 197
• Jake Kettler – HWT
• Tony Nelson – HWT
• Alec Ortiz – 165
• Bart Reiter – 141
• Pat Smith -149
• Kevin Steinhaus – 174
• David Thorn – 133

Projected Lineup for Minnesota

Minnesota
125	Zach Sanders	Jr
133	David Thorn / Bart Reiter	Fr
141	Mike Thorn	Sr
149	Danny Zilverberg	Fr
157	Jake Deitchler	Fr
165	Cody Yohn	So
174	Scott Glasser	Sr
184	Kevin Steinhaus / Kaleb Young	Fr
197	Sonny Yohn	Jr
285	Ben Berhow	Sr

One thing we noticed right away is that Minnesota has 22 freshman or red-shirt freshman on the roster. Half of their starting line up will be sophomores or freshman. They are young and talented. They also have some pretty good depth with the exception of 125. Like many of the teams in the Big Ten this year a lot will hinge upon the success of their young wrestlers. It is our belief that freshman will determine who wins the Big Ten title this year.

One thing the Gophers need to do this year is stay healthy. In the past few years injuries have had an impact. Minnesota has a team that could contend for both the Big Ten and National Titles. The interesting part is with such a young line-up they could also struggle some. Look for a battle at 133 for the starting spot between Thorn and Reiter. We most likely will see both in the line-up throughout the year. It will also be interesting to see if Deitchler will be ready to go at the start of the season. Minnesota fans are eager to see the home town favorite take the mat. We expect him to be there by mid-season at the latest.

We also would not be surprised to see red-shirt freshman Tony Nelson see time in the line-up at some point. Minnesota has had a dry spell with AA at heavyweight and will look to change that this season. Last year in an interview with TOM Head Coach J Robinson stated that “We have always done well at that weight and who ever steps up will get the nod.” This was in reference to TOM asking about the stockpiling of talent at the weight. All in all the Gophers seem poised to make a run this year. They are loaded with talent and have some pretty good depth to their line-up this season.

TOM’s Outlook: Well we see the Gophers most likely having 3 finalists. That may not sound great, but we do see them getting upwards of 9 guys in the top 4. That will make them tough to beat from a team point standpoint. Some questions that need to be answered are: Will Deitchler be healthy and in the line-up? Will Zilverberg replicate what he did this summer? Will whoever ends up at 133 live up to expectations? Those three things will tell us where the gophers end up.

Penn State Nittany Lions
13-6 (Overall) and 5-3 (Big Ten)

New Faces & Off Red-shirt:

Jon Gingrich	HWT	FR	PA
Cameron Kelley	125	FR	NY
Nate Morgan	125	FR	NE
Tom Reynolds	133	FR	NJ
Sam Sherlock	133	FR	PA
Kyle Moran	141	FR	PA
David Church	149	FR	PA
Jim Vollrath	157	FR	PA
Brandon Phillips	174	FR	MD
Nick Ruggear	197	FR	PA
Frank Martellotti	125/133	FR	PA
Seth Beitz	133/141	FR	PA
Andrew Alton	141/149	FR	PA
Dylan Alton	141/149	FR	PA
Dirk Cowburn	165/174	FR	PA
Thomas Gorman	165/174	FR	NY
Andrew Church	174/184	FR	PA
Ed Ruth	174/184	FR	PA
David Taylor	157/165	FR	PA
Quentin Wright	184	SO
Jake Kemerer	165	FR	PA

Projected Lineup:

Penn State
125	Frank Martellotti / Caschera / Morgan	Fr
133	Sam Sherlock / Pearsall	Fr
141	Alton’s / Lynch	Fr
149	Frank Molinaro	Jr
157	David Taylor	Fr
165	Jake Kemerer	Fr
174	Ed Ruth	Fr
184	Quentin Wright	So
197	Clay Steadman / Ruggear	Jr
285	Cameron Wade	Jr

Much like Minnesota above Penn State is loaded with young talent. They return two All-Americans in Molinaro and Wright. Both are favorites to win the Big Ten and are both considered to be contenders for the National Title. Maybe one of the most anticipated guys in the nation David Taylor will look to make an immediate impact for the Nittany Lions. Taylor the nation’s top recruit in 2009 has all the skills to make a run as a red-shirt freshman.

Penn State will face a solid Rutgers team early in the year and should give us a better feel for where they are at. 141 appears to be a battle and we anticipate one of the Alton brothers to get the nod. That weight may take some time to solidify though. Sam Sherlock is coming off an injury but is very talented and could make some noise, but will first have to earn/win the spot from Pearsall. We expect to see some big things from Ruth and think come March he will be a serious contender.

As we stated, and will again before we are done, they key to success for Penn State will be how their young wrestlers develop throughout the season. They are in a very similar position to that of Minnesota and Iowa. Realistically they could have four Big Ten Champs. That’s impressive and if that were the case, you have to consider them one of the favorites at this point. One concern for them this year is that they do lack some depth. This may be the widest open we have seen the Big Ten in years.

TOM’s Outlook: Well we are thinking that PSU should get 3 into the finals this year. But again these are predictions and nothing is set in stone. If they could win all 4 of those they will be tough to beat in the team race. But we all know how the Big Ten Tournament can be full of surprises. One big question that has come up lately is how severe the injuries to Molinaro and Pataky are. It sounds like Frank should be ok, but if Pataky is out that will have a major impact on the Nittany Lions and will be yet another weight where young wrestlers will have to step up. 157-174 are key weights for them as well. All three of them are solid and could have a real impact on the team race.

Iowa Hawkeyes
23-0 (Overall) and 8-0 (Big Ten)

New Faces:
Anthony Baldosaro – NJ – 157 (2 x State Champion)
Jacob Ballweg – IA – 141 (3 x State Champion)
Josh Dziewa – PA – 141 (State Champion)
Mike Evans – PA – 174 (National Prep Champion)
Jeremy Fahler – IL – 174 (State Place Winner)
Walt Gillmor – IA -165 (State runner-up)
Matt Gurule – CO – 125 (2 x State Champion)
Charlie Joseph – MI – 133 (All-state)
Michael Kelly – IA – 157/65 (State Champion)
Nick Moore – IA – 157/65 (4 x State Champion, Career record 183-1)
Ethan Owens – VA – 141 (2 x State Champion)
Bobby Telford – DE – HWT (2 x State Champion)

Off Redshirt:

Dylan Carew – 149
Joe DuCharme – 165
Tomas Lira – 184
Ethen Lofthouse – 174
Tony Ramos – 125
Derek St. John – 157
Nick Trizzino – 133/41

Projected Lineup (*At the time of print Iowa had not responded with projected line-up)

Iowa
125	Matt McDonough	So
133	Nate Moore	So
141	Mark Ballweg	So
149	Dylan Carew	Fr
157	Derek St. John	Fr
165	Jake Kerr	Sr
174	Ethen Lofthouse	Fr
184	Grant Gambrall	So
197	Luke Lofthouse	Sr
285	Blake Rasing	Jr

At some point we may start sounding like a broken record. But much like the two teams above, the Hawks are young and talented. The defending Big Ten and NCAA Champs return just one AA (who happens to also be a National Champion) in McDonough. We fully expect to see the hawks in the mix come March. As stated McDonough leads the way here. A lot will depend on how some of the new comers perform, as is the case with most teams. There are pretty high hopes for St. John and Ethen Lofthouse. St. John should be considered a threat to win this weight in the Big Ten as well and the NCAA’s. Big Ten fans will be treated to what should amount to a fun 4 year rival Between him and Penn State’s Taylor.

Lofthouse is also one talented young man and needs to be viewed as a top contender at 174. The stage is also set for yet another 4 year rivalry between him and Ed Ruth also of Penn State. We think that Iowa’s success depends a lot on the rest of the squad. 133 as of now we are projecting Nate Moore as the starter here, but that could change with Clark in the wings and some talented guys sitting at 125 currently. Another talented freshman projected to be in the line up is Dylan Carew. A solid year by him will help the Hawks case for sure. There are a pair of Seniors in the line up and they will need to step up there game for the Hawks to be in contention at the big show. Senior Luke Lofthouse will need to step things up. The other Senior is Jake Kerr. Kerr will look to make some noise in a fairly wide open weight. After Howe it is really anyone’s game.

TOM’s Outlook: Like we have said we think the title comes down to three teams. The Hawks are just as capable as any of getting it done. The performance of Kerr and Lofthouse could be what makes or breaks them and as we stated in the weight class breakdowns it is possible to see these two trade places. As of right now we see them with 3 finalist and possibly 4. That may be enough to make a run at another title.

Wisconsin Badgers
8-10 (Overall) and 4-4 (Big Ten)

New Faces:
Luke Belair – MN
Matt Cavallaris – IL – 125 (State Place winner)
Frank Cousins – MN – 165 (State Champion)
Ben Cox – MN – 165 (State runner up)
Alex Giplin – TX – 125 (State Place Winner)
Tommy Glenn – MN -141
Harrison Courtland – TX
Dylan Iczkowski –WI (State Champion)
Sebastien Levin – NY – 285 (State Place winner)
Timmy McCall – NC – 184 (State Champion)
Shane McQuade – WI – 125 (State Champion)
Max Poikonen– MN
Alex Yde – WI (State place winner)

Off Redshirt:

Danny Arnel – 141
Derrick Borlie – 197
Jimmy Duffy – 157
Shawn Perry – 157
John Prezzia – 157
Cole Tobin – HWT
Kalvin York – 149/157

Projected Lineup for Wisconsin

125	Tom Kelliher	So
133	Tyler Graff	So
141	Greg Burke	Sr
149	Cole Schmitt	So
157	John Prezzia	Fr
165	Andrew Howe	Jr
174	Ben Jordan	Jr
184	Travis Rutt	Jr
197	Trevor Brandvold	Sr
285	Eric Bugenhagen	Sr

The Badgers are built for tournaments. The have 3 big guns that all good find themselves atop the podium at both The Big Tens and Nationals. That alone makes the a player at the big events. They have a good mix of upper and lower classmen as well. The Badgers will need some of their returning guys to make some steps forward. The three that come to mind here are Schmitt, Rutt and Bugenhagen. If those three show continued improvement throughout the year they will help Wisconsin’s cause for sure. There are some new faces as well that we will have to wait and see where the fit in the big picture.

It only feels appropriate to mention Andrew Howe at this time. A true Junior who went undefeated last season as he won his first National Championship will continue to impress as we get to see an offense that is continually improving to catch up with his hand fighting and positioning. That will translate into Howe putting up bonus points in many of his matches this year, which in turn should make him be one of the favorites for an early season prediction of winning the Hodge.

TOM’s Outlook: With the possibility of 3 finalists and possible champs they should be able to put some points up at tournaments. We are predicting 5 in the top 4 come March. We would not be surprised to see the Badgers surprise some people at the Big Ten’s. We are not sure if they have enough firepower or not specifically in duals.

Purdue Boilermakers
11-10 (Overall) and 2-6 (Big Ten)

New Faces:

Atwood, Braden	197	FR	IN
Boyd, Gage	285	FR	CO
Kissel, Patrick	184	FR	WI
Kunze, Austin	165	FR	IN
Lawrence, Nick	141	FR	OH
Martin, Josh	149	FR	IN
Nelsen, Brandon	125	FR	IN
Norton, Brock	141	FR	IN
Porras, Frankie	149	FR	IN
Robinson, Pat	157	FR	IN
Rohde, Travis	157	FR	SD
Schultz, Dustin	157	FR	IN
Smith, Ethan	165	FR	UT
Stahl, Ryan	157	FR	IN
Surma, Alex	157	FR	IN
Vlahos, Cameron	165	FR	IN
Wiseman, Andy	174	FR	IN

Off Red-shirt:

Dinius, Justin	184
Eppert, Camden	125
Mosier, Kyle	165
White, Alex	285
Kissel, AJ	184

Projected Line-up

125	Cashé Quiroga	So
133	Akif Eren	Sr
141	Juan Archuleta	Sr
149	Sam Patacsil	Sr
157	Colton Salazar	Sr
165	Ethan Smith	Fr
174	Luke Manuel	Sr
184	A.J. Kissel	Jr
197	Logan Brown	Sr
285	Roger Vukobratovich	Sr

Purdue is somewhat the opposite of Wisconsin and seem to be built this year for duals. They have a very solid squad up and down. They have experience and will push all the teams in the conference during the dual season. Kissel returns off red-shirt and Purdue faithful are hoping he takes a big step forward while continuing in his pinning ways. They return the pleasantly unexpected AA Quiroga, who after working with Chris Fleeger for another year should surprise no one when he improves on last season’s performance. Manuel and Brown are not that far away from making their run at the podium either. Salazar had a good season last year, being seeded first at Big Tens, if he is able become more consistent the sky is the limit for this 5th yr Senior. Purdue fans will get to see some new faces at 141 make a claim for the top spot until the Boilers hopefully get to see Juan back in action second semester in hopes he can build upon his 4th place finish at Big Tens last season, it is of note that both of his losses came to Montell Marion at the tournament.

TOM’s Outlook: We see 1 finalist and 3 possible top 4 guys this year. With that said we would not be surprised to see them improve upon our prediction. We see them somewhere in the middle of the pack come March.

Ohio State Buckeyes
18-2 (Overall) and 7-1 (Big Ten)

New Faces & Off Red-shirt: (*At time of print Ohio State had not updated their roster we apologize. They did provide us with their projected line-up though)

Projected Lineup for Ohio State

Ohio State
125	Logan Steiber	Fr
133	Ian Paddock	So
141	Colin Palmer	So
149	Sean Nemec	So
157	Colt Sponseller	Sr
165	Tony Jameson / Josh Demas	So/Fr
174	Nick Heflin	Fr
184	Peter Capone	Fr
197	C.J. Magrum	So
285	Johnny Hiles	Jr

The Buckeyes may be entering a rebuilding year. There are some new faces in the line up and team will be anchored by a trio of guys. Senior Sponseller will look to make a major statement this year. He is coming down in weight and should be a major factor in the spring. The next guy is freshman phenom Steiber who comes into the year with both high hopes and high expectations. We are all pretty excited to see how he does in what looks to be the toughest weight in the conference. Ian Paddock turned in a good season last year and should improve in his second year.

It will be interesting to see how the season unfolds for this squad. They will need some of the young guys to make some big improvements to be able to make any kind of run.

TOM’s Outlook: We see them with 1 maybe 2 finalist this year and 3-4 top guys. They have talent on the team and are very capable of proving us wrong. We will see once the season gets rolling. I think we will have a better idea of where they are at in late January. We also see them in the middle of the pack with a chance of making a run at the top 4.

Michigan Wolverines
4-15 (Overall) and 0-8 (Big Ten)

New Faces:

Ameer Al-Gharib	141	MI
Sean Boyle	125	MA
Eric Grajales	133	FL
Mike Hillock	141	OH
Will Lamping	184	MI
Matt Lyon	149	MI
Grant Pizzo	125	MI
Pete Rendina	141	MI
Gabe Sheena	141	MI
Dan Yates	165	MI
Brandon Zeerip	157	MI

Off Red-shirt:

Ben Apland	Hwt
Mark Boyer	149
Hunter Collins	184
Bret Marsh	125
Kellen Russell	141

Projected Line-up for Michigan

125	Sean Boyle	So
133	Eric Grajales	Fr
141	Kellen Russell	Jr
149	Mark Weber	So
157	Zeerip / Haynes / Johnson	Fr
165	Dan Yates	Fr
174	Justin Zeerip	Jr
184	Hunter Collins	So
197	Anthony Biondo	Sr
285	Ben Apland	So

Like the rest of the conference for the most part the Wolverines are young and talented. It should be interesting to see how some of the young guns perform. Russell a returning AA and two time Big Ten Champ coming off red-shirt will lead the charge along with Biondo who looks to reach a place on the podium. Junior Zeerip opened some eyes last year and will look to continue his improvement as well. Keep an eye on Grajales at 133 as he was a highly recruited guy coming out of High School. Another wrestler in this line up we are interested in watching is new comer Dan Yates at 165.

TOM’s Outlook: Well we see the Wolverines with one maybe two finalist and three or four top 4 guys. If Grajales and Yates have big years Michigan may make a statement. A lot will hinge upon their young guys taking steps in the right direction. Look for them to be somewhere in the middle when the dust clears.

Indiana Hoosiers
16-3 (Overall) and 5-3 (Big Ten)

New Faces:

Dale, Cheney	FR
Duca, Joe	FR
Eck, Korey	FR
Keiffer, Preston	FR
Meisner, Brandon	FR
Morris, Sawyer	FR
Nieman, Ryen	FR
Richey, Mitchell	FR
St. James, Brian	FR
Walsh, Taylor	FR
Zimmer, Zach	FR

Off Red-shirt:

Brooks, Justin	125
Fretwell, Anthony	157
Kriss, Tanner	197
LeBlanc, Ryan	165
Powell, Ross	157

Projected Lineup for Indiana

125	Justin Brooks / Duca / Zimmer	Fr
133	Matt Ortega / Nieman	Jr
141	Capezio, Nieman, Richy	So
149	Kurt Kinser	Sr
157	Paul Young	Sr
165	Ryan LeBlanc	Fr
174	Nick Avery	Sr
184	Eric Cameron	Sr
197	Matt Powless	Jr
285	Rick Alcala	Sr

The news here is Kinser and Young both plan on dropping down a weight. This should be good for them if the weight drop does not hurt them. They will lead a Senior Heavy team. They also land a pretty good big man with the transfer of Alcala from Cal Davis. Alcala could be considered a contender at heavy. Cameron and Powless are both solid wrestlers and should improve upon last season. Many are looking forward to see how red-shirt freshman LeBlanc does in this, his first year in the line-up. If the plan to drop the middle-weights comes to fruition look for this young man to make an impact.. They do have some holes on paper but those are young guys that could change that.

TOM’s Outlook: The Hoosiers could get 3 into the finals but it will be a tough road to do that. We see them with 3-4 guys in the top 4. They are an interesting team in a few aspects. They lack the superstar that they had in previous years, but much like Purdue they have a solid line up. We would not be surprised to see them make some noise.

Illinois Fighting Illini
8-8 (Overall) and 3-5(Big Ten)

New Faces:

Adam Acheson	165	FR	IL
Logan Arlis	141	FR	IL
Jamie Clark	141	FR	OH
Jake Gingerich	157	FR	IL
Nico Jimenez	174	FR	IL
Guy Kirby	149	FR	IL
Jed Lightfoot	141/149	FR	IL
Brendan Mahaney	184	FR	IL
Lashon Mejias	125	FR	IL
Jackson Morse	157	FR	MI
Jordan Sherman	141	FR	IL
Joey Uccardi	149/157	FR	IL

Off Red-shirt:

Mario Gonzalez	197
Nate Millman	149
John Van Duyne	149
Sam White	125
Jimmy Kennedy	141

Projected Lineup for Illinois

125	Sam White	Fr.
133	B.J. Futrell	So
141	Jimmy Kennedy	Sr
149	Eric Terrazas	Jr
157	Jackson Morse	Fr
165	Conrad Polz	So
174	Jordan Blanton	Jr
184	Tony Dallago	Fr
197	Mario Gonzalez	Fr
285	Pat Walker / Martin Smith	So/Jr

The Illini get back Jimmy Kennedy who is has his eyes locked on capping his year off with a National Title. He has a few guys in his supporting cast as well. Look for Jordan Blanton and Conrad Polz to be in the discussions as the year progresses as well. We are interested in seeing how Futrell will do with his move up a weight. Keep an eye on new comers White and Morse. Both are talented young men a could surprise some people by the end of the season.

TOM’s Outlook: We see the Illini with three finalist and they could win all three of those. The issue we have and why they are not much higher in the rankings is that they have to many unknowns after those guys. We are just not sure if they have enough fire power yet to make any type of run. We see them as a bit of a wildcard team this season, but do not be surprised to some blue and orange at the top of the podium.

Northwestern Wildcats
6-12 (Overall) and 1-7 (Big Ten)

New Faces:

Kaleb Friedley	141	FR	MO
Pat Greco	141	FR	IL
Pierce Harger	165	FR	OH
Josh Katz	125	FR	IL
Dylan Marriott	149	FR	MO
Mike McMullan	Hwt.	FR	PA
Lee Munster	184	FR	IL
Alex Polizzi	197	FR	WI
Colin Shober	141	FR	PA

Off Red-shirt:

David Helmer	149/157	RS FR
Jeff Olsen	197	RS FR
Jason Welch	157	RS SO
Brandon Precin	125	RS SR

Projected Lineup for Northwestern

125	Brandon Precin	Sr
133	Levi Mele / Bobby joyce	So/Sr
141	Colin Shober / Kaleb Friedley	Fr
149	Andrew Nadhir	Sr
157	Jason Welch	So
165	Robert Kellogg	Jr
174	Brian Roddy, Jr.	So
184	Lee Munster	Fr
197	John Schoen	Jr
285	Ben Kuhar / Mike McMullan	Jr/Fr

We may not be picking the wildcats to be too high now, but one never knows. They are a bit of a tough one for us to place. The get two big guns back with Precin and Welch. Look for both of these two to make some noise and be right in contention. After those two this squad is full of very young but pretty talented guys. Some of last years top national recruits will most likely see some time this year. Shober and Friedley are both young and very talented and could knock some guys off. They have two very good big men coming in as well in Munster and McMullan. Both could find themselves in pretty good places at the end of the year. Should be a fun team to watch, we are just not sure where they will end up.

TOM’s Outlook: We see them with one finalist and 2-3 guys in the top 4. Like we have said before we may change our mind once the season gets rolling. They have talent, it is just to hard right now to see where that talent stacks up. Do not be surprised if you see one of their young guys make a statement.

Michigan State Spartans
8-8 (Overall) and 2-6 (Big Ten)

New Faces:

Zach Crim	125	FR	MI
Luke Domanski	184	FR	MI
Josh Harper	133	FR	MI
Neil Hyska	184	FR	MI
Nick Kaczanowski	157/165	FR	MI
Brenan Lyon	125	FR	MI
Michael McClure	285	FR	MI
Dan Osterman	133/141	FR	MI
Levi Stace	133	FR	MI

Off Red-shirt:

Grant Ankney	133
Jeremiah Austin	125
Bryant Craft	174
John Hebert	133

Projected Lineup for Michigan State

125	Eric Olanowski	Jr
133	Josh Harper / Trombly	So
141	Dan Osterman	So
149	David Cheza / Watts / Dozier	Jr
157	Jones Jr / Sean McMurray / Cheza / Lamson	Sr
165	Ben Boudro	Sr
174	Curran Jacobs	Jr
184	Ian Hinton	Jr
197	Tyler Dickenson	Jr
285	Steve Andrus / Rizqallah / McClure	So

Well the Spartans are a team with a lot of questions. Almost half of the weights aren’t set in stone. After losing National Champion Franklin Gomez to graduation, look for Cheza , Jones, and Hinton to lead the squad this year as they seek to improve upon last years performance. Anthony Jones is one to watch this season as he continues to improve after dramatically ending last seasons campaign in the round of 12. Ian Hinton had some good wins last season and it stands to reason that he will build upon that, although we are curious to see how the increase in weight will affect his performance. An interesting possibility is that two potential first time starters in RS Fr Josh Harper and true frosh Sean McMurray could join fellow hoosier Hinton in the line-up. Both Harper and McMurray were 3-time state champs from Indiana (an accomplishment they share with Andrew Howe) and it will be interesting to follow their development.

TOM s Outlook : We see the Spartans with a chance from Cheza, Jones, and Hinton to make a case for top 4 in the Big Ten, it will all come down to the work put in over the off-season to see if any can make it come to fruition.