B1G Wrestling Tournament Seeding Preview (2/6 UPDATE)

These seedings are based on the year-to-date results and if the B1G tournament were to happen tomorrow. Special thanks to a Friend of the Pants twade for compiling these predictions. Give him a follow on twitter please! @Tim_Keck

The tournament is just a little over a month away, so BHGP is here to put things into perspective and discuss what needs to happen between now and March 8th for Iowa to put themselves in the best position possible to bring home a B1G title.

125

1) Nico Megaludis, JR (PSU) 
2) Thomas Gilman, RS FR (IA)
3) Jesse Delgado, JR (IL) 
4) Ryan Taylor, RS FR (WI) 
5) Tim Lambert, RS FR (NE)
6) Conor Youtsey, RS FR (MI) 
7) Camden Eppert, SR (PU) 
8) Sam Brancale, RS FR (MN) 
9) Nick Roberts, RS FR (OSU)
10) Joe Duca, JR (IN) 
11) Garrison White, SO (NW) 
12) Brenan Lyon, SR (MSU)

Roberts had a tough weekend, losing to both Youtsey and Eppert. Brancale jumps him as well. As far as who will be the guy for the Hawkeyes come tournament time -- your guess is as good as mine. Clark had a great showing in his return to the starting lineup on Friday night, getting a major decisions against an overmatched opponent, but I have a feeling this is far from settled. If Clark gets the nod, I'd slot him as the 3 seed and bump Delgado to the 2 seed.

Remaining Hawkeye Opponents: Youtsey (MI), Taylor (WI)

Whether it Clark or Gilman gets the call for Iowa in those dual meets, these opponents shouldn't be much of a test for them.

133

1) Tony Ramos, SR (IA)
2) Tyler Graff, SR (WI) 
3) Zane Richards, RS FR (IL)
4) Cashe Quiroga, SR (PU)
5) Johnni DiJulius SO (OSU)
6) Jimmy Gulibon, RS FR (PSU)
7) David Thorn, SR (MN) 
8) Rossi Bruno, SO (MI) 
9) Shawn Nagel, SR (NE)
10) Dom Malone, SO (NW) 
11) Chris Caton, FR (IN) 
12) Garth Yenter, RS FR (MSU)

Just like his teammate, DiJulius was another Buckeye with a rough weekend, suffering losses to both Bruno and Quiroga. DiJulius still has the win over Gulibon, so he only falls one spot. Bruno also gets the nod over Nagel after pulling off the upset over DiJulius.

Remaining Hawkeye Opponents: Bruno (MI), Graff (WI)

The matchup against Graff on the 23rd will be circled on the schedule. That match will be Tony's last test before the B1G Tournament.  Graff has been wrestling very well this year, beating David Thorn (MN) 3-2 and battling Joe Colon (UNI) in a 6-3 loss. Tony and Tyler always battle each other tightly but at the end of the day you have to go with history and I do not see Ramos losing the top spot at the Big Ten Tournament.

141

1) Zain Retherferd, FR (PSU) 
2) Logan Stieber, JR (OSU) 
3) Steven Rodrigues, SO (IL) 
4) Josh Dziewa, JR (IA)
5) Chris Dardanes, JR (MN) 
6) Steve Dutton, JR (MI) 
7) Danny Sabatello, SO (PU) 
8) Jesse Thielke, RS FR (WI) 
9) Colton McCrystal, FR (NE) 
10) Pat Greco, JR (NW) 
11) Brian Gibbs, SO (MSU)
12) Trevor Moody, RS FR (IN)

Only change from last week is swapping out Ethan Raley for another Hoosier, Trevor Moody. It sounds like we shouldn't expect to see Raley wrestle the rest of the season.

Remaining Hawkeye Opponents: Dutton (MI), Thielke (WI)

Dziewa's last two opponents shouldn't pose much of a problem for him, either. Dutton has a total of five matches on the year, was tech'd by Stieber and lost to Retherferd by a 7-1 decision.  Dutton will be the better opponent of the two. Look for a close match between them, but given Dziewa's past couple months I think he will get the job done.

149

1) Jake Sueflohn, JR (NE) 
2) Eric Grajales, SR (MI) 
3) Nick Dardanes, JR (MN) 
4) Jason Tsirtsis, RS FR (NW)
5) Brody Grothus, SO (IA)
6) Andrew Alton, JR (PSU) 
7) Ian Paddock, SR (OSU) 
8) Caleb Ervin, SO (IL) 
9) Brandon Nelsen, JR (PU) 
10) Eric Roach, SO (IN) 
11) TJ Ruschell, RS FR (WI) 
12) Nick Trimble, SO (MSU)

After beating Grothus on Friday, Tsirtsis gets the 4 seed and Brody moves down. Paddock loses to Nelsen on Monday night, but it's not impacting these seeds... that's Nelsen's only B1G dual win and he lost to Roach on Friday (on the season Nelsen is 1-2 vs. Roach). Paddock also beat Grajales earlier in the season (though Grajales beat him on Friday night), so 149 seeding stays pretty much the same.

Remaining Hawkeye Opponents: Grajales (MI), Ruschell (WI)

Grothus, on the other hand, will have another big test this weekend.  Grajales apparently finally decided to get in shape and is plowing through the B1G.  Grajales hasn't lost since falling to Mitchell Minotti (Lehigh) back in December.  Grajales has solid wins over Alton, Paddock, Trimble, Dardanes, Ervin, Nelson and Tsirtsis in the B1G. Grothus more than likely will not upset Grajales, but it isn't out of the picture. Grajales is known to fizzle towards the end of the season so one can hope that he has already peaked.

157

1) James Green, JR (NE) 
2) Dylan Ness, JR (MN) 
3) Derek St. John, SR (IA)
4) Dylan Alton, JR (PSU) 
5) Brian Murphy, FR (MI) 
6) Isaac Jordan, RS FR (WI)
7) Taylor Walsh, JR (IN) 
8) Zac Brunson, RS FR (IL) 
9) Doug Welch, SO (PU) 
10) Roger Wildmo, SO (MSU) 
11) Dylan Marriott, SO (NW) 
12) Randy Languis, JR (OSU)

No change from last week. The only notable result was Alton over Murphy on Sunday. Ness and Walsh were scheduled to meet on Sunday, but for whatever reason (maybe Walsh tweaked something in the Purdue dual on Friday night), Indiana sat Walsh and sent out his backup.

Remaining Hawkeye Opponents: Murphy (MI), Jordan (WI)

DSJ has a couple of tough test coming up. Murphy is the one I am the most worried about because he continues to get better. The impressive freshman has only three losses on the year. He lost to James Green in OT 7-5, Brunson 2-0, and recently Dylan Alton 3-1 in overtime. Murphy will be on my dark horse list for not only the B1G Tournament but also the NCAA Championships.  DSJ by no means has an easy road to locking down the #3 seed.

165

1) David Taylor, SR (PSU) 
2) Nick Moore, JR (IA)
3) Dan Yates, SR (MI) 
4) Jackson Morse, JR (IL) 
5) Pierce Harger, JR (NW) 
6) Danny Zilverberg, SR (MN) 
7) Ryan LeBlanc, SR (IN) 
8) Frank Cousins, JR (WI) 
9) Austin Wilson, SO (NE) 
10) Pat Robinson, JR (PU)
11) Joe Grandominico, SR (OSU) 
12) Robert Nash, SR (MSU)

No change from last week.

Remaining Hawkeye Opponents: Yates (MI), Cousins (WI)

Yates looks to be Moore's last big test before the Big Ten Tournament. Yates had a great December/January going 13-2.

174

1) Matt Brown, JR (PSU) 
2) Robert Kokesh, JR (NE) 
3) Mike Evans, JR (IA)
4) Logan Storley, JR (MN) 
5) Tony Dallago, SR (IL) 
6) Mark Martin, SO (OSU) 
7) Lee Munster, JR (NW) 
8) Scott Liegel, SR (WI) 
9) Collin Zeerip, JR (MI) 
10) Patrick Kissel, JR (PU) 
11) Kevin Nash, JR (MSU) 
12) Nate Jackson, RS FR (IN)

No change from last week.

Remaining Hawkeye Opponents: Zeerip (MI), Liegel (WI)

The 'Stache will have the #3 seed locked up. Don't expect many changes at this weight class.

184

1) Ed Ruth, SR (PSU) 
2) Kevin Steinhaus, SR (MN) 
3) Ethen Lofthouse, SR (IA)
4) TJ Dudley, RS FR (NE) 
5) Domenic Abounader, FR (MI) 
6) Kenny Courts, SO (OSU)
7) Jackson Hein, SR (WI) 
8) Luke Sheridan, JR (IN) 
9) Nikko Reyes, RS FR (IL)
10) John Rizqallah, JR (MSU) 
11) Tanner Lynde, RS FR (PU) 
12) Jacob Berkowitz, SO (NW)

Abounader continued his impressive freshman season with a win over Courts on Friday night. Those two swap places.

Remaining Hawkeye Opponents: Abounader (MI), Hein (WI)

Lofthouse getting back on the mat is encouraging. Abounader is hot right now, but Lofthouse is hungry. I don't see Lothouse losing to a freshman on Senior Night.

197

1) Scott Schiller, JR (MN) 
2) Morgan McIntosh, SO (PSU) 
3) Mario Gonzalez, SR (IL) 
4) Nick Heflin, SR (OSU)
5) Braden Atwood, JR (PU) 
6) Nathan Burak, SO (IA)
7) Alex Polizzi, JR (NW)
8) Timmy McCall, JR (WI) 
9) Nick McDiarmid, JR (MSU) 
10) Chris Heald, JR (MI) 
11) Caleb Kolb, SR (NE) 
12) Garret Goldman, SO (IN)

No change from last week.

Remaining Hawkeye Opponents: Heald (MI), McCall (WI)

Burak won't get a chance to improve his seed with matches against Heald or McCall. Burak is going to have his hands full at the B1G Tournament.

HWT

1) Mike McMullan, JR (NW) 
2) Adam Coon, FR (MI)
3) Bobby Telford, JR (IA)
4) Adam Chalfant, SR (IN) 
5) Tony Nelson, SR (MN)
6) Mike McClure, SR (MSU) 
7) Jimmy Lawson, JR (PSU)
8) Conor Medbery, SO (WI) 
9) Collin Jensen, RS FR (NE)
10) Nick Tavanello, RS FR (OSU) 
11) Christopher Lopez, SO (IL) 
12) Alex White, SR (PU)

Nelson lost to Chalfant on Friday (his third-straight loss), so they swap places.  The only other change is bumping McClure up to the 6 seed and swapping places with Lawson.

Remaining Hawkeye Opponents: Coon (MI), Medbery (WI)

Telford looks to avenge his loss from earlier in the season to Coon this week.  With a win there, Telford could make a strong case for the 2 seed at this weight.