10. The ACC Conference is for real
9. Cornell is a mystery to the wrestling world
Despite having four All-Americans last year and two finalists this year, the Big Red has all the talent in the world, but seems to continually come up short. This is a team that when healthy could compete with any team in the nation, but the keyword is when healthy. The Big Red had their freshmen sensation duo of Mack Lewnes (165) and Mike Grey (133) reach the finals, only to have three starters pull out of the tournament with injuries. Only time will tell whether the Big Red is a pretender or a contender for an NCAA crown.
8. Redshirting is not for everyone
The trend toward letting true freshmen in the lineup is alive and well. In the past, only certain programs would let a wrestler right out of a high school compete for a starting spot. However, many high school seniors are competing and doing well in college opens, which begs the question, if a wrestler is good enough as a freshman, why red-shirt them? Look no further than the two finalists at the Scuffle, Kirk Smith of Boise State and Michael Chaires of Virginia. Chaires lost to fellow freshman Mack Lewnes in the finals, while Smith won the title at 184, defeating several nationally-ranked wrestlers. Although Smith competed unattached, it is rumored Boise State may put him into the lineup in the second part of the season, and why not … he is more than ready.
7. Jayson Ness is a pinner
It was amazing to see the Golden Gopher dominate his weight class at the Scuffle. Ness had six falls with four of them coming in the first period. Ness was awarded the Most Falls Award and would have been a logical choice for Outstanding Wrestler if his teammate, Dustin Schlatter, were not upset in the finals. Ness has such leverage when riding and his half nelson is something fans have not seen since the days of Gene Mills. Although it is early, Ness will be one of the favorites at 125 pounds come March.
6. The Navy dilemma
Ed Prendergast (Photo/Tech-Fall)5. Mack Lewnes is the best freshman in the nation
Lewnes is 22-1 on the season, and has won Reno and Scuffle, but what makes this freshman so tough is his ability to find ways to win. During the Scuffle, Lewnes was able to adapt his style for each of his matches. In the semi's against Jared King, Lewnes used great counter-offense, while in the finals against Michael Chaires of Virginia. Lewnes scored on a late flurry to win the title. Lewnes has yet to match up with anyone in the top 5, but National Duals will hopefully give this freshman a chance to prove doubters wrong.
4. Minnesota will finish the year No. 1
Despite falling early, the Golden Gophers are the best tournament team in the nation, and that's all that matters in March. The Gophers should have run away with the title last year, but stumbled in the later rounds. Even with "King Cole" Konrad gone, the Gophers can rely on the Schlatter brothers, Mack Reiter, Jayson Ness and Roger Kish to bring home Coach Robinson another NCAA title. Minnesota won the team title by 52 points over second-place finisher Edinboro … and that was without the help of two-time All-American Roger Kish, who would have definitely been a favorite at 184 pounds. The Gophers are a senior-led team and while their grasp on the national title may end in the future, it will not happen this season.
3. Most underrated wrestler at the Scuffle: Hudson Taylor
The sophomore redshirt from Maryland dominated his weight class at the 2007 Scuffle after finishing third and fourth in the previous two trips to the Scuffle. Despite being ranked 10th, Taylor is highly underrated. He has tremendous quickness and is powerful with the legs. Taylor has some early-season losses, but with solid workout partners in the room, he should run through the ACC schedule and compete for a high All-American spot in March.
2. UNC Greensboro runs a first-class event
Without getting into whether the Southern Scuffle is better than the Midlands, let me just applaud all the individuals who helped in making this tournament possible. Plenty of fan seating, easy to move around and see bouts, and the racecar parked next to the elevated mat was a nice touch as well. The Scuffle does not have the history that the Midlands does, but make no mistake … it definitely has the competition. In many weight classes, the Scuffle had the tougher bracket. If the Scuffle could draw another big school to its tournament, it could very well be on its way to surpassing the Midlands as the premier holiday college tournament.
1. Mike Roberts will contend for All-American status this season
Roberts came into the tournament unseeded but still an accomplished wrestler. He won a Junior National championship in Fargo and was a conference champion last season, but now he can add something to his resume. Roberts wrestled a brilliant match against No. 2 Darrion Caldwell of NC State, slowing down the entertaining Caldwell and eventually converting a late double-leg shot into a fall to shock the crowd early Saturday morning. Roberts then won three straight hard fought bouts to reach the finals against Dustin Schlatter. Roberts went right after and attacked Schlatter scoring the bout's only takedown. The Boston University wrestler was then able to get out from Schlatter, something that does not occur often. He then was able to prevent Schlatter from scoring late in the third period to gain the tournament title and Most Outstanding Wrestler Award. Roberts does not deserve the No. 1 ranking at 149, because he has some losses that make you scratch your head, but he should appear on the radar screen now and look for him to carry this momentum into the later part of the season.
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