Gable Steveson and Mason Parris embrace after the Big Ten finals match in 2020 (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)The Big Ten Conference has crowned the last 13 NCAA team champions in wrestling.
And that likely would have continued in 2020.
The top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes rolled to the team title at last year's Big Ten Championships and were heavily favored to win the NCAA team title before the event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Big Ten is as strong as it has ever been heading into this weekend's Big Tens at Penn State. That strength is reflected in the national rankings. Iowa, Penn State and Michigan occupy the top three spots in the country.
It's a loaded tournament with so many great matches expected as we move closer to the NCAA tournament later this month in St. Louis.
Here are some of top storylines to watch for at the Big Ten tournament:
Iowa returns after long layoff
The Hawkeyes have not wrestled since Feb. 7 after its last three duals were not held because of issues with the pandemic.
Iowa is loaded from top-to-bottom. Leading the way is superstar and Hodge Trophy winner Spencer Lee at 125 pounds. He is ranked No. 1 and hasn't been tested this season. Lee will definitely be in contention to make the U.S. Olympic Team in freestyle this year.
The Hawkeyes also feature top-ranked wrestlers in Jaydin Eierman (141), Alex Marinelli (165) and Michael Kemmerer (174).
This could be the year Iowa wins its first NCAA crown since 2010.
Don't forget about Penn State
The Nittany Lions lost superstars Mark Hall and Vincenzo Joseph, but Cael Sanderson has another group of talented wrestlers who are capable of challenging Iowa twice in the next two weeks. Returning stars Roman Bravo-Young (133), Nick Lee (141) and Aaron Brooks (184) are legitimate national title contenders along with a number of standout newcomers.
Gable's run of dominance
How much fun has it been to watch Minnesota big man Gable Steveson? This is someone who could be contending for Olympic gold this summer. He is the total package with size, speed and strength. He has been dominant and his endurance has been superb. He's a dynamic and entertaining wrestler to watch. The Big Ten is very deep in this class and Michigan's second-ranked Mason Parris could present a challenge as could No. 3 Tony Cassioppi of Iowa and No. 6 Greg Kerkvliet of Penn State.
Michigan has superb lineup
The Wolverines are rolling again under Coach Sean Bormet and will make their share of noise in March. In addition to Parris, Michigan is led by Myles Amine (No. 2 nationally at 197) and Mason Parris (No. 2 at heavyweight). Logan Massa is fifth at 174.
The Wolverines won't have second-ranked Stevan Micic at 133. He recently announced, due to an injury and timing, that he won't wrestle in the college postseason.
Micic plans to compete for Serbia in the upcoming Olympics.
Husker power
Veteran Nebraska coach Mark Manning had a loaded team last year that was poised to win an NCAA trophy if not for the pandemic. The Huskers have followed with another superb season. Nebraska is led by top-ranked Eric Schultz at 197. NU's Mikey Labriola is No. 2 at 174 and two-time All-American Chad Red is No. 7 at 141.
Loaded weight classes
All of the weight classes are stacked with studs, but 141 and 197 each have the nation's top three wrestlers. At 141, Iowa's Jaydin Eierman is No. 1, Penn State's Nick Lee is No. 2 and Sebastian Rivera of Rutgers are ranked 1-2-3 in the country. At 197, the top three include Nebraska's Eric Schultz, Michigan's Myles Amine and Iowa's Jacob Warner. The 174 class has five of the top six wrestlers with Iowa's Michael Kemmerer and Nebraska's Mikey Labriola ranked 1-2.
Ohio State's Sammy Sasso is pre-seeded No. 1 at 149 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)Sasso set for another shot
Ohio State's Sammy Sasso would have been in the mix to win NCAAs as a freshman last year at 149. Sasso, No. 2 in the nation, is unbeaten again and ready to make a run at winning Big Tens and NCAAs. He's a dangerous wrestler who is a threat to pin anyone as he showed against Iowa's Max Murin, who is ranked sixth nationally.
And don't forget about …
Northwestern's Ryan Deakin, who also excels in freestyle, tops the national rankings at 157. There also are plenty other teams who can do their share of damage this week. They include No. 11 Minnesota, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 17 Northwestern, No. 18 Rutgers, No. 20 Illinois and No. 24 Purdue. You can't take any opponent lightly at Big Tens.
Expanded coverage
The Big Ten Network is really stepping up as it plans to provide coverage of both days of the league tournament. Shane Sparks was like a kid on Christmas Day when he broke the news on a recent broadcast that they were covering both days. Kudos to Sparky, Jim Gibbons and Tim Johnson for all of their awesome coverage. And most of all to BTN for recognizing the importance of this major event. This is a huge step for providing additional coverage of the sport. The competition on Day 1 is every bit as good as Day 2.
Final note
The Big Tens unfortunately were the last event of the 2019-20 season. Fortunately, that likely won't happen again. Kudos to everyone for battling through missed meets and mat time during the pandemic this season to hopefully have a safe and productive postseason. Looking forward to watching both days of action on BTN. Be sure to tune in and check it out. Can't wait to check it out.
Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now