With the 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships coming up this weekend, Rivals wrestling analyst Lex Knapp has decided to go one by one in each weight class offering his predictions and a breakdown of the top and bottom halves of the bracket.
With that being said, let's take a look at the 125-pound bracket.
THE TOP SEED -- Nick Suriano (Michigan)
THE DARK HORSE -- No. 3 Pat Glory (Princeton)
THE NITTANY LION – No. 16 Drew Hildebrandt
TOP HALF OF BRACKET.....
As far as who makes it to the finals, the bottom-half is way more intriguing than the top. Former Rutgers National Champion / Penn State Nittany Lion, Nick Suriano, is the odds-on favorite to make it to the finals, and the front-runner for the 125-lb crown. However, there are plenty of interesting matches leading to the semi-final that will make this a bracket to keep an eye on. There are seven returning 2021 All-Americans from this weight, and six of them sit in the top-half of the bracket. Early on we can see a Big Ten match-up in the pre-quarters between Devin Schroder and Pat McKee. Schroder defeated McKee earlier in the season, 8 – 3, but McKee made a great run through the Big Ten wrestlebacks, in addition to having a great NCAA tournament in 2021, where he took 3rd. A big question mark on this side of the bracket is Drake Ayala, who is a very tough freshman, but is injured and may not be wrestling up to his full potential due to his health. A potential match-up fans should look forward to is a quarter-final between two returning All-Americans, Killian Cardinale and Brandon Courtney. Courtney, who was the national runner-up last season, has been in the top five on the national rankings for all of 2022. Cardinale finished 7th in 2021, and has been a fixture in the top 10 with a 14-1 record.
BOTTOM HALF OF BRACKET....
As safe of a bet Suriano is to come out of the top-half, a semi-final between Pat Glory and Vito Arujau may be the second safest bet at this weight. Glory and Arujau split a pair of matches this season, with the most recent being a 19 – 6 major decision win for Arujau in the EIWA final. Glory won the first battle, in an 11 – 9 decision at the Princeton – Cornell dual meet. There is no doubt that fans will be anticipating that rubber-match. Of course, there is work to be done before we get there. Wisconsin’s Eric Barnett put together a very nice season, and could make a lot of noise throughout the tournament. A pre-quarter match between Northwestern’s Michael DeAugustino and Oklahoma State’s Travis Mastrogiovani is likely one of the more intriguing early matches here. Glory and Arujau are undoubtedly the two superior wrestlers in this half of the bracket, and despite how tough Barnett, DeAugustino, Mastro, and others are, they will be the two fighting it out for a trip to the finals.
THE NITTANY LION SKINNY
Coach Cael Sanderson was fairly vocal about his criticism of the tournament seeds. At 125 is one instance where he probably is not too happy. Drew Hildebrandt drew the 16th seed, which lines him up for a match with top-seeded Nick Suriano. If Hildebrandt loses to Suriano, he will face a long road to the podium, needing three straight wins to earn All-American status. The path through the wrestle backs is not very favorable either, as Hildebrant could potentially meet Eric Barnett in the blood round. Sometimes, this tournament is not about how good you are, but how good your draw is. In this case, Hildebrandt is a proven All-American talent, but did not get any favors with his draw.
PREDICTIONS.....
1. Suriano (Michigan)
2. Arujau (Cornell)
3. Glory (Princeton)
4. Cardinale (WVU)
5. Courtney (ASU)
6. Barnett (Wisconsin)
7. Schroder (Purdue)
8. DeAugustino (Northwestern)
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