Midlands predictions

[CheeChoo]

anyone have predictions for the DEC 29-30 tourney at Northwestern?
One of the biggest tournaments of the year with some of the big teams around the country and great wrestlers. Who is a LOCK to win?
Who is a dark horse? Who will pull the biggest upset?
What team(s) will compete for the title?

[redskinpride]

Midlands is tough to predict, lots of good unattached wrestlers.

A "lock" would be Nick Simmons from MICH ST. at 125.

Illinois should lock up the team title.

[Achilles]

You mean 133?

[Conquistadors]

Midlands is tough to predict, lots of good unattached wrestlers.

Right, tough to know which post-college wrestlers will participate and which ones will withdraw after a loss.

A "lock" would be Nick Simmons from MICH ST. at 125. There is no such thing as a lock. Highly favored, sure. A lock? No such thing-- just ask the 1980 Soviet hockey team.

Illinois should lock up the team title. Just off the top of my head, I would guess that Iowa State, Iowa, and probably Central Michigan and Michigan will field better tournament teams this year. A top five finish for the Illini will be a good performance this year. I wish Hofstra & Penn were attending this year, as they have at times in the past.

[redskinpride]

Right, tough to know which post-college wrestlers will participate and which ones will withdraw after a loss.

There is no such thing as a lock. Highly favored, sure. A lock? No such thing-- just ask the 1980 Soviet hockey team.

Just off the top of my head, I would guess that Iowa State, Iowa, and probably Central Michigan and Michigan will field better tournament teams this year. A top five finish for the Illini will be a good performance this year. I wish Hofstra & Penn were attending this year, as they have at times in the past.

OK, I grant you there isnt a lock. But I would bet a lot that Simmons wins.

I didnt realize Iowa State was wrestling in it this year. But this is a tourney style, and the Illini use usually have 15 guys at this open, So if they dont win it, they would be top 2.

Iowa is tough (how many times is that been said) but beatable.

It may depends if Dergo (and it seems he is) is being redshirted. He is a horse and could add some valuable points if not wrestling unattached.

Illinois is fielding a YOUNG team, so it will be interesting.

[redskinpride]

You mean 133?

If that where Simmons is wrestling, yes. I stand corrected.

[Danny Burk]

Iowa St always goes.....well, at least since I have been wrestling.

Illinoie can send a lot of guys, but only 10 count. Each team may get multiple wild cards, but only one guy per weight can score for a team.....

[redskinpride]

Thanks, I didnt know that.

[James_Oliva]

It's amazing how thin this tournament has gotten in the last few years. My senior year I started noticing teams that were traditionally always a part of this tournament not attending. Now, it's a shell of it's former self.

The Southern Scuffle out at UNC-Greensboro (another traditional Midlands team) is where the action is these days.

[Achilles]

This tournament used to be tougher than NCAAs in some weight classes. Now i think vegas and the scuffle are tougher tournaments than midlands.

[BARR]

Here are my early predictions (subject to change;) )

125-Franklin Gomez (Mich. St.)
133- Nick Simmons (Mich. St.)
141- Ryan Lang (Northwestern)
149- Josh Churella (Michigan)
157- Mike Poeta (Illinois)
165- Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan)
174- Steve Luke (Michigan)
184- Jake Herbert (Northwestern)
197- Josh Glenn (American)
285- Bode Ogunwole (Harvard)

[cindybradylovesbob]

It will be fun to see Flores and Gomez. Flores has been wrestling pretty well and I am anxious to see how he matches up with Gomez! People will soon see how good Gomez is. He has not gotten enough credit early. Everyone seems to be shocked when he continually beats these upper classmen. I for one am not shocked! But Gabe has been wrestling well so I hope they meet up somewhere.:cool:

[BARR]

It will be fun to see Flores and Gomez. Flores has been wrestling pretty well and I am anxious to see how he matches up with Gomez! People will soon see how good Gomez is. He has not gotten enough credit early. Everyone seems to be shocked when he continually beats these upper classmen. I for one am not shocked! But Gabe has been wrestling well so I hope they meet up somewhere.:cool:

I agree with you on Flores. He was wrestling up a weight last season and did pretty well. He is doing very well so far this season and I wouldn't be surprised if he did beat Gomez. I consider thema toss-up match at this point. I actually like the fact that Flores is flying under the radar. I also wouldn't be surprised if Kennedy makes top 3 at Midlands.:D Illinois may be young and inexperienced, but they have some tough guys in the line-up and they have been wrestling very well to this point. They are inexperienced, but they are talented.

[CheeChoo]

Michigan State has a chance, a very good chance, at having champions at the first three weights.
125 Gomez
133 N. Simmons.
141 A. Simmons.

141 is the only one i'm not to sure of. It definately is a possibility though.
to bad the rest of states lineup isn't as strong.
What about 165 Rocky Cozart (FR)? Will he be over his head or will
he compete with the big boys?

[Achilles]

Cozart has had it rough so far this year, he can compete though however i wouldn't look for him to win this weight.

Has everyone forgotten about Iowa??? or you guys just dont think that anyone will wrestle well from Iowa entering the tournament.

I bet Mourningstar gives poeta a match might even upset him, and id pick Perry to win 165 over Tannenbuam. Also Luedkee or w/e his name is could very well take down his weight class, and Fields vs. Fox will be a great match

[BARR]

Cozart has had it rough so far this year, he can compete though however i wouldn't look for him to win this weight.

Has everyone forgotten about Iowa??? or you guys just dont think that anyone will wrestle well from Iowa entering the tournament.

I bet Mourningstar gives poeta a match might even upset him, and id pick Perry to win 165 over Tannenbuam. Also Luedkee or w/e his name is could very well take down his weight class, and Fields vs. Fox will be a great match

Iowa will definitely be in the mix. Morningstar already has a win over #1 ranked Paulson and will be right there with any 157. If Poeta wins 157 it would be a mild upset. Perry is the favorite to win it at 165, I just think Tann will pull off the upset. Then you have Galanakis at 133 (who is back after a year off and wrestling well), Tsirtsis at 141 (who has wins over Lang and Simmons and when wrestling well can beat anyone), Luedke at 174 (who only has 1 loss to this point in the season). I think Iowa will wrestle well at Midlands, I just don't think they will have any champs.

[Conquistadors]

Michigan State has a chance, a very good chance, at having champions at the first three weights.
125 Gomez
133 N. Simmons.
141 A. Simmons.

What about 165 Rocky Cozart (FR)? Will he be over his head or will
he compete with the big boys?

To put things in perspective, over the weekend Nick Marable, Missouri's back-up at 157 lbs beat Cozart. Marable is good, but not AA material yet.

I think Andy Simmons has been injured the last few weeks, not sure he'll be back in time for Midlands.

[varsitymatman05]

Fields vs. Fox will be a great match

Fields beats him Fox isnt nearly as offensive and in my opinion very overrated.

[BARR]

Fields beats him Fox isnt nearly as offensive and in my opinion very overrated.

When was the last time Fields beat Fox, if ever? I honestly don't know of any, but I do know of at least 3 times where Fox has beaten Fields.

[Achilles]

Idk about fields beating fox, fields has been injured for a long time and Fox is pretty good i dont know what your talking about when you say he isn't offensive. Remember that heavyweight wrestling is a different sport and you dont have to be very offensive to be an offensive heavyweight, but Fox moves very well for someone his size and i would pick Fox over fields but its goign to be a good match (if you consider HWY wrestling to be wrestling)

[varsitymatman05]

I do being a HWT myself and believe me being in their with guys like that I know its a different game but Fox uses his size to his advantage being as compact as he is as does burdorf from NIU same style thats y u saw a 3-2 match back when they had their dual. In college wrestling you cannot be like that.look at the wisconsin meet as soon as Massey got offensive Burdorf went down. Fox deserves to be ranked but top 3 is kind pushin it. He doesnt win midlands either fields, ogunwole or a sleeper takes the title.

[HandControl]

Iowa will definitely be in the mix. Morningstar already has a win over #1 ranked Paulson and will be right there with any 157. If Poeta wins 157 it would be a mild upset. Perry is the favorite to win it at 165, I just think Tann will pull off the upset. Then you have Galanakis at 133 (who is back after a year off and wrestling well), Tsirtsis at 141 (who has wins over Lang and Simmons and when wrestling well can beat anyone), Luedke at 174 (who only has 1 loss to this point in the season). I think Iowa will wrestle well at Midlands, I just don't think they will have any champs.


How about an all Illinois final of Tannenbaum and defending Midlands 165lb champ Baima?

I believe last year it was Baima knocking off Poeta for an all IL final.:D

[BARR]

How about an all Illinois final of Tannenbaum and defending Midlands 165lb champ Baima?

I believe last year it was Baima knocking off Poeta for an all IL final.:D

You are right. Baima beat Poeta in double O.T. Poeta cut Baima to go for the winning takedown instead of trying to ride him out for the 30 seconds. Baima had already ridden Poeta for the 30 seconds, when Baima was on top. Poeta cut Baima when it was Poeta's turn on top and just missed a takedown as time ran out. Baima won 6-5.

I would love to see a Tann vs. Baima final, but like I said I think Perry is the favorite at 165 and Tann or Baima has to knock him off. I like Tann to be the one to knock of Perry and win it all. His shot is not the average 165 pounders shot. He is going to have to be able to get off the bottom though. And that is no easy task especially against a guy like Perry.

165 is one of the best weight classes at Midlands this year. If not the best. Mark Perry (ranked 2nd), Travis Paulson (ranked 4th), Eric Tannenbaum(ranked 5th), Nick Baima (ranked 6th), Johnny Galloway (ranked 10th), Max Dean (ranked 12th), Trevor Stewart (ranked 15th) are all ranked in the top 15. That doesn't even include the rest of the field or post graduates that might show up.

[wrestlingnut]

Tan will probably get the 4th seed. Perry will get first, Paulson 2nd and even though Tan is ranked ahead of Baima as Baima won the Midlands last year at this weight, I can't see them not giving him the nod ahead of Tan and being the 3rd seed. The difference between the 3rd and 4th is graet as that means the 4th would meet Perry in the semis assuming no upsets. If you throw in Hendricks, Patrovich and Pell and that is your NCAA.

Of course you don't have to tell Baima or Poeta what happens at the Midlands is for bragging rights only it is what happens at the end of the year the counts.

[BARR]

Here are my early predictions (subject to change;) )

125-Franklin Gomez (Mich. St.)
133- Nick Simmons (Mich. St.)
141- Ryan Lang (Northwestern)
149- Josh Churella (Michigan)
157- Mike Poeta (Illinois)
165- Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan)
174- Steve Luke (Michigan)
184- Jake Herbert (Northwestern)
197- Josh Glenn (American)
285- Bode Ogunwole (Harvard)

Due to some recent results and changes in who will be there and who won't I have my updated picks....

125- Gabe Flores (Illinois)
133- Nick Simmons (Mich. St.)
141- Ryan Lang (Northwestern)
149- J.P. O'Connor (Harvard)
157- Mike Poeta (Illinois)
165- Mark Perry (Iowa)
174- Donny Reynolds (Illinois)
184- Jake Varner (Iowa St.)
197- Mike Tamillow (Northwestern)
285- Dustin Fox (Northwestern)