The Blue Devils: Duke is 10-9 this season in dual meets. In their only team-scored tournament of the year, the Blue Devils took 21st place out of 29 teams at the prestigious Southern Scuffle on Dec. 29 and 30 in Greensboro, N.C.
Duke's most dominating wrestler at any weight this year has been 184-pound redshirt sophomore captain John Barone, who was named the ACC's wrestler of the week on Nov. 27. Barone's 11-second pin of Mike Walsh of Limestone College on Dec. 1 was the fastest fall in Duke history, breaking an 18-year-old school record. He is 32-6 overall and 16-3 in duals in 2007-08 with 13 falls. Barone is 67-22 overall as a Blue Devil, which is good for ninth place on Duke's all-time winning percentage list with a .753 clip. He is tied for third on Duke's single season wins list and is already 19th on the career wins list. He needs three more victories to eclipse the single season wins record with two more regular season dual meets and the ACC Championships to go. Literally every Duke record is under assault this year by the native of Shirley, N.Y.
Kellan McKeon will represent Duke at 125 pounds on Wednesday night. The senior captain is 24-13 this season with three falls and two top-four tournament finishes. He is 11-7 in dual meets.
Redshirt senior captain Bryan Gibson will get the nod at 141 pounds for the Blue Devils. He is 10-6 with four pins this year at 133 and 141 pounds and is 6-4 in duals. Gibson is currently tied for 16th for career wins at Duke with 73.
Redshirt sophomore Michael Degli Obizzi will see action at 149 pounds. Degli Obizzi is 19-8 this season with four pins and has a 41-30 career record as a Blue Devil.
At 157 pounds, sophomore Voris Tejada will start. Tejada boasts a 31-11 mark this year and is 12-2 in dual meets. His 31 wins this season tie him for sixth in school history. Tejada is 50-19 all-time at Duke, good for a winning percentage of .738 that ranks 12th in the Duke record books.
Junior captain Addison Nuding will get the call at 165 pounds against UNC Greensboro. Nuding is 26-8 on the year with two pins and a 13-4 dual record. He holds a 48-35 all-time record at Duke.
Having a solid season is redshirt sophomore Ben Wales at 174 pounds. Wales was named the ACC's wrestler of the week after his 2-0 performance with one pin on Saturday, Feb. 16 against Virginia Tech and VMI. He is 19-13 this season with three pins and a 9-5 dual meet record.
The Opponents: UNC Greensboro is 9-7 this year and 3-1 in the Southern Conference. Like Duke, they have beaten Campbell, VMI, Davidson and Gardner-Webb. Unlike the Blue Devils, the Spartans have defeated Ohio, Virginia Tech and N.C. State, and lost to Liberty. UNC Greensboro tied for 15th place with 45 points in the Southern Scuffle, which is the only tournament it has shared with Duke.
The Spartans boast four upperclassmen who have led them on the mat this season. Senior Daren Burns is ranked No. 13 in the nation at 197 pounds and is 28-6 on the year with seven pins and a 13-3 dual meet record. At 133 pounds, senior Jeff Hedges is the No. 16 ranked wrestler and is 22-9 with three falls and a 13-3 dual showing. Junior Marcus Hannah has been strong at 149 pounds, going 14-6 and 8-3 in duals. As a heavyweight, junior Ryan Hsu has posted a 19-11 record with four pins and a 10-6 dual mark.
Most Recent Meeting: The Blue Devils and Spartans last faced off in Duke's regular season finale on Feb. 17, 2007. UNC Greensboro won that meet, 30-13, in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Nuding recorded a pin that evening at 157 pounds and redshirt junior Aaron Glover picked up a decision at 165 pounds.
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