Preview: 2023 NCAA Wrestling Tournament
WHAT: 2023 NCAA Wrestling Tournament
WHEN:
Thursday, March 16
Session I: 11 AM CT (ESPNU)
Session II: 6 PM CT (ESPN)
Friday, March 17
Session III (Quarterfinals): 10 AM CT (ESPNU)
Session IV (Semifinals): 7 PM CT (ESPN)
Saturday, March 18
Session V (Consolation Finals): 10 AM CT (ESPNU)
Session VI (Championship Finals): 6 PM CT (ESPN)
WHERE: BOK Center (Tulsa, OK)
TV: ESPNU/ESPN (see above)
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network (Steven Grace and Mark Ironside) | AM 800 KXIC or YouTube
MOBILE: www.espn.com/app
ONLINE: www.espn.com/watch (ESPN+ -- $)
FOLLOW: @IowaAwesome | @Hawks_Wrestling | @IowaonBTN
The 2023 NCAA Wrestling Tournament gets underway today, down in Tulsa, OK. Iowa, ranked #2 in the country, will be trying to win its 25th national championship, though they face relatively long odds to do so -- Penn State is a heavy favorite to repeat as national champions.
Iowa has a wrestler ranked in the Top 8 at four weights at the tournament, including two #1 seeds.
125: #1 Spencer Lee (RS SR, 16-0)
133: #23 Brody Teske (RS JR, 9-4)
141: #1 Real Woods (SR, 16-0)
149: #8 Max Murin (RS SR, 21-4)
157: #14 Cobe Siebrecht (RS JR, 13-6)
165: #6 Patrick Kennedy (RS SO, 19-3)
174: #11 Nelson Brands (RS SR, 10-6)
184: #12 Abe Assad (JR, 18-4)
197: #14 Jacob Warner (RS SR, 16-6)
285: #4 Tony Cassioppi (SR, 21-3)
Full brackets for each weight are available here.
FIRST ROUND MATCHES
125 - #1 Spencer Lee (RS SR, 16-0) vs. #32 Tanner Jordan (SDSU) (SO 16-14) or #33 Tucker Owens (Air Force) (FR, 24-12)
133 - #23 Brody Teske (RS JR, 9-4) vs. #10 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) (JR, 28-4)
141 - #1 Real Woods (SR, 16-0) vs. #32 Kai Miller (Maryland) (FR, 16-16) or #33 Josh Mason (Bloomsburg) (SR, 23-14)
149 - #8 Max Murin (RS SR, 21-4) vs. #25 Caleb Tyus (SIU-Edwardsville) (SO, 23-7)
157 - #14 Cobe Siebrecht (RS JR, 13-6) vs. #19 Garrett Model (Wisconsin (SR, 16-9)
165 - #6 Patrick Kennedy (RS SO, 19-3) vs. #27 Will Formato (App. State) (SR, 28-8)
174 - #11 Nelson Brands (RS SR, 10-6) vs. #22 Alex Faison (NC State) (SR, 16-7)
184 - #12 Abe Assad (JR, 18-4) vs. #21 Giuseppe Hoose (Buffalo (SR, 20-7)
197 - #14 Jacob Warner (RS SR, 16-6) vs. #19 Cam Caffey (Michigan State) (RS SR, 21-5)
285 - #4 Tony Cassioppi (SR, 21-3) vs. #29 Jaron Smith (Maryland) (RS SR, 13-11)
Most of the Iowa wrestlers have fresh matchups in their round one pairings. The exceptions to that are Siebrecht (who beat Model 3-2 earlier this year), Assad (beat Hoose 22-7 earlier this year), and Warner (4-0 lifetime against Caffey, plus a medical forfeit win; beat him 3-2 in their last meeting, at the Big Ten Tournament).
As mentioned earlier, Penn State is a significant favorite in the team race. Iowa has five wrestlers seeded in the top-8 at their weights including two 1-seeds. Penn State has six wrestlers seeded in the top-8 at their weights, including two 1-seeds, a 2-seed, and a pair of 3-seeds. If Iowa's wrestlers all wrestled to their seeds, they would produce 50 placement points; if Penn State's wrestlers all wrestled to their seeds, they would produce 70 placement points.
Iowa's lower seeds at several weights might give them additional opportunities to out-perform their seeds... but they also have to navigate difficult matchups at multiple weights and will need to produce several upset victories in order to out-perform their seeds. Not impossible -- but not the most likely outcome, either.
The big story for Iowa at this year's NCAA Tournament is really about individual quests for glory. Real Woods is chasing his first national championship (at 141 lbs), but Spencer Lee is pursuing nothing less than wrestling immortality -- his fourth national championship (at 125 lbs). No Iowa wrestler has ever won four NCAA titles and only four men (Pat Smith, Cael Sanderson, Kyle Dake, and Logan Stieber) have ever accomplished the feat, period. (Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis, at 149 lbs, is also bidding to win his fourth national championship this season.)
Lee's Iowa career has already been incredible, but a fourth national championship would cement him as not just an all-time Iowa great, but an all-time great in the sport of wrestling. We'll see how his quest unfolds this weekend.
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