125: No. 4 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) vs. Zeke Moisey (West Virginia)
You can bet against Zeke Moisey, but it’s not recommended. After locking up the cradle on Thomas Gilman the true freshman opted for the “pick him up and turn him over” finish, something that Nathan Tomasello will have to contend with for all seven minutes. Tomasello is built like a manhole cover and with a slick outside single and pass-by he could out-technique Moisey, but that will require stopping the young wrestler’s early aggression.
133: No. 13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) vs. No. 3 Cory Clark (Iowa)
Brewer ran over No. 1 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), 15-3, in the semifinals to prove the adequacy of my pre-tournament predictions and the power of Mark Cody wrestling. Brewer should be the heavy favorite heading into the finals with No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa) whose creative takedown defense led him to the win over Gulibon. If he maintains his offense and staunch score-first Brewer shouldn’t have much issue with Clark’s aggression. If Brewer can get out from bottom and avoid the crowd, he’ll be in the driver’s seat for much of the match.
141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro)
Port will meet Stieber as the Ohio State wrestler looks for his fourth straight title. At their first matchup Stieber looked commanding, though not dominant, in a 6-3 decision. Still, if any wrestler can challenge Stieber, it might be Port who has a trip to a national finals in his back pocket and a win over Hunter Stieber. Still, Logan is too talented in too many positions to bet against, or to even lean against. Look for a five-point spread.
149: No. 1 Drake Houdasheldt (Missouri) vs. No. 3 David Habat (Edinboro)
This isn’t the finals many expected, but in knocking off No. 2 seed Jason Tsirtsis with a second-period takedown, Habat proved he has the juice to make a championship run. He’ll face Houdasheldt who he beat last year at the same tournament and who bested Villalonga 4-0 in the semifinals. Houdasheldt will need to open up early with offense, something that Tsirtsis did as well, but couldn’t finish. Habat is tough to hold down, but Houdasheldt can get the job done if he finds a leg and keeps aggressive. Look for a low-scoring brawl.
157: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. No. 2 Brian Realbuto, (Cornell)
Martinez is on his way to completing a dream freshman season, but to get to the top of the podium he’ll need to knock off Realbuto (Cornell). The Cornell grappler made his way past No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) via injury default but was in control at the time. The pair have never met in folkstyle, but Realbuto owns a freestyle win. That might not translate at the NCAA level, but Realbuto should be taken as Martinez’s most serious competition. Look for him to battle for takedowns, open up the offense and make Martinez feel uncomfortable in scrambles. Look for Martinez to muscle his way out for a period or two, but be in trouble late.
165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 6 Taylor Walsh (Indiana)
Dieringer looked flawless in dispatching Bo Jordan 6-1 in the semifinals. His consistency has been almost unmatched this season and facing a dangerous, but limited Taylor Walsh means that Dieringer is likely to win his second consecutive title. Watch for Walsh to create action from scrambles and always be looking for falls. That’s dangerous against opponents in the 5-20 ranking, but likely ineffective against someone of Dieringer’s composure.
174: No. 2 Matthew Brown (Penn State) vs. No. 8 Tyler Wilps (Pitt)
With only one takedown in their two semifinal wins, Wilps and Brown don’t look on paper to provide excitement. That’s incorrect. This matchup could be the highlight of the night with Brown determined to win his NCAA title and Wilps an opponent with the athleticism and flexibility to make for interesting exchanges. Brown should take this by a takedown and a riding time point, but don’t count Wilps out of the match.
184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. No. 7 Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh)
Neither semifinal included much scoring, but Brown found the only takedown of the round. In the finals it’ll be the fourth meeting of the two this season. Dean is up 3-0 with a win in the EIWA finals two weeks ago, 8-2; a 7-2 victory a few weeks before and 3-1 in SV at the dual meet. With those results it’s easy to assume that Dean will find similar offense and put up similar points, but this is the national finals and that much familiarity could open up opportunities for Brown. Still, look for Dean to feel comfortable and find his first NCAA title.
197: No. 4 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) vs. No. 3 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State)
A rematch of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas semifinals where Gadson prevailed, 3-2, the 197-pounf finals should be one of the most athletic matches of the night. Snyder used several kickouts and a beautiful ankle pick to make it by J’den Cox in the semifinals, while Gadson used several attacks to score, and fend off the late offense of Conner Hartmann. The match should be a tossup with the first to score being the most likely to win. Watch for Gadson to come out strong and try to get Snyder on his heels and forced to defend his right leg.
285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) vs. No. 6 Adam Coon (Michigan)
Advancing to his second NCAA finals, defending champion Gwiazdowski has looked marvelous in his first two days of competition. Coon needed an incredible overtime scramble to edge Mike McMullan with a takedown as time expired. The finals will be a rematch from last year’s Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational where Coon beat Gwiazdowski. Both wrestlers have improved, but how much and where just isn’t known. Gwiz’s attacks have sharpened, Coon has gotten stronger and more agile. That could mean a lot more scrambling and high action than most fans have come to expect from the heavyweights.
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