WHO: #7 Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-2, 4-1 Big Ten)
WHEN: 7:00 PM CT (Friday, February 7, 2025)
WHERE: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, IA)
TV: BTN (Zach Mackey and Tim Johnson)
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network (Steven Grace, Mark Ironside)
MOBILE: foxsports.com/mobile
ONLINE: foxsports.com/live
FOLLOW: @HawkeyeBeacon | @Hawks_Wrestling | @IowaonBTN
125: #26 Joey Cruz (SO, 12-7) vs #8 Caleb Smith (GR, 14-4)
133: #3 Drake Ayala (JR, 12-1) vs #15 Jacob Van Dee (SO, 10-6) OR Omar Ayoub (FR, 8-1)
141: Cullan Schriever (SR, 4-6) vs #6 Brock Hardy (JR, 16-3) OR Blake Cushing (JR, 10-3)
149: #4 Kyle Parco (SR, 14-1) vs #2 Ridge Lovett (SR, 14-1)
157: Miguel Estrada (FR, 14-3) vs #4 Antrell Taylor (SO, 16-2)
165: #2 Michael Caliendo (JR, 14-1) vs #8 Christopher Minto (rFR, 16-1)
174: #6 Patrick Kennedy (SR, 9-2) vs #14 Lenny Pinto (JR, 16-4) OR Ethan DeLeon (rFR, 19-5)
184: #5 Gabe Arnold (rFR, 12-1) vs #8 Silas Allred (JR, 14-3)
197: #1 Stephen Buchanan (GR, 15-0) vs #20 Camden McDAniel (FR, 14-8)
285: #11 Ben Kueter (rFR, 11-3) vs #21 Harley Andrews (SO, 10-9)
Favored weights for NEB: 125, 141, 157
Nebraska should be a pretty strong favorite at 125, but Cruz has been feisty this year. Hardy will be a big favorite over Schriever and a good bet for bonus points; if it's Cushing, the odds for NEB bonus points go way down. Estrada has been very solid as a true frosh, but he'll certainly be an underdog against Taylor if that's who goes at 157.
Favored weights for IOWA: 133, 165, 174, 197, 285
Ayala will need to get Iowa on the board at 133 (if the dual starts at 125) and bonus points could be in play as well. Minto is a really solid opponent at 165, but Caliendo has looked very good against everyone except Mesenbrink at that weight. Pinto is also very solid at 174, so PK will need to take care of business there. Buchanan has been a hammer for Iowa all year and should have a good shot at bonus points at 197. Like PK at 174, 285 is a take-care-of-business weight for Kueter and Iowa.
Toss-up: 149, 184
Parco-Lovett is probably the match of the night -- and a very likely Big Ten Tournament semifinal preview. Parco has had success against Lovett in the past, though -- he is 2-0 lifetime against him, with both wins coming last year -- a 4-3 win in a dual meet and a 3-1 win at the NCAA Tournament. Both guys are hammers on top so it will be interesting to see their strategy in the second and third periods -- go bottom and try to get an escape/reversal but risk getting ridden/turned? Go on top to try and ride/turn the other guy? Stay neutral?
Arnold-Allred is another tight match. Can Arnold show a bit more from neutral than he did against Jaxon Smith last Sunday? Gabe is tough as nails and has very good defense, but he'll need to be able to score more readily from neutral to go deep in March.
Nebraska's strengths are skewed toward the lighter weights, while Iowa's strengths are skewed towards the upper weights for the most part. It would not be at all surprising if Nebraska leads the dual at the halfway point if things start at 125. Iowa will need to keep it within striking distance and then win their matches in the upper weights where they should have the advantage.
I'll post results in the comments.
WHEN: 7:00 PM CT (Friday, February 7, 2025)
WHERE: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, IA)
TV: BTN (Zach Mackey and Tim Johnson)
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network (Steven Grace, Mark Ironside)
MOBILE: foxsports.com/mobile
ONLINE: foxsports.com/live
FOLLOW: @HawkeyeBeacon | @Hawks_Wrestling | @IowaonBTN
125: #26 Joey Cruz (SO, 12-7) vs #8 Caleb Smith (GR, 14-4)
133: #3 Drake Ayala (JR, 12-1) vs #15 Jacob Van Dee (SO, 10-6) OR Omar Ayoub (FR, 8-1)
141: Cullan Schriever (SR, 4-6) vs #6 Brock Hardy (JR, 16-3) OR Blake Cushing (JR, 10-3)
149: #4 Kyle Parco (SR, 14-1) vs #2 Ridge Lovett (SR, 14-1)
157: Miguel Estrada (FR, 14-3) vs #4 Antrell Taylor (SO, 16-2)
165: #2 Michael Caliendo (JR, 14-1) vs #8 Christopher Minto (rFR, 16-1)
174: #6 Patrick Kennedy (SR, 9-2) vs #14 Lenny Pinto (JR, 16-4) OR Ethan DeLeon (rFR, 19-5)
184: #5 Gabe Arnold (rFR, 12-1) vs #8 Silas Allred (JR, 14-3)
197: #1 Stephen Buchanan (GR, 15-0) vs #20 Camden McDAniel (FR, 14-8)
285: #11 Ben Kueter (rFR, 11-3) vs #21 Harley Andrews (SO, 10-9)
Favored weights for NEB: 125, 141, 157
Nebraska should be a pretty strong favorite at 125, but Cruz has been feisty this year. Hardy will be a big favorite over Schriever and a good bet for bonus points; if it's Cushing, the odds for NEB bonus points go way down. Estrada has been very solid as a true frosh, but he'll certainly be an underdog against Taylor if that's who goes at 157.
Favored weights for IOWA: 133, 165, 174, 197, 285
Ayala will need to get Iowa on the board at 133 (if the dual starts at 125) and bonus points could be in play as well. Minto is a really solid opponent at 165, but Caliendo has looked very good against everyone except Mesenbrink at that weight. Pinto is also very solid at 174, so PK will need to take care of business there. Buchanan has been a hammer for Iowa all year and should have a good shot at bonus points at 197. Like PK at 174, 285 is a take-care-of-business weight for Kueter and Iowa.
Toss-up: 149, 184
Parco-Lovett is probably the match of the night -- and a very likely Big Ten Tournament semifinal preview. Parco has had success against Lovett in the past, though -- he is 2-0 lifetime against him, with both wins coming last year -- a 4-3 win in a dual meet and a 3-1 win at the NCAA Tournament. Both guys are hammers on top so it will be interesting to see their strategy in the second and third periods -- go bottom and try to get an escape/reversal but risk getting ridden/turned? Go on top to try and ride/turn the other guy? Stay neutral?
Arnold-Allred is another tight match. Can Arnold show a bit more from neutral than he did against Jaxon Smith last Sunday? Gabe is tough as nails and has very good defense, but he'll need to be able to score more readily from neutral to go deep in March.
Nebraska's strengths are skewed toward the lighter weights, while Iowa's strengths are skewed towards the upper weights for the most part. It would not be at all surprising if Nebraska leads the dual at the halfway point if things start at 125. Iowa will need to keep it within striking distance and then win their matches in the upper weights where they should have the advantage.
I'll post results in the comments.
