Iowa State is set to compete in the Big 12 Championships this weekend in Tulsa, Okla. Ben Visser and I have put together a weight-by-weight breakdown of our predictions and main thoughts based on the official brackets.
You can locate the full brackets here.
125 – Kysen Terukina
Ben: I like the situation Kysen Terukina is in. He’s beaten the No. 1 seed and he hasn’t looked overmatched in any of his losses. If he has a great weekend, he could be walking out of the BOK Center in Tulsa a Big 12 Champion. If he doesn’t have a great weekend, he’ll still likely be an NCAA Qualifier for the second time. Not bad for a true sophomore.
Jacqueline: Terukina has stepped up huge for the Cyclones this season. He’s racked in some impressive wins over several top-ranked opponents, which includes Killian Cardinale (WVU) who is the No. 1 seed. I believe if he’s been able to stay laser-focused the last two weeks and got his weight management in check there’s no reason why he can’t end up in the finals.
133 – Ramazan Attasauov
BV: 133 pounds also has six allocations like 125 but unlike Terukina, Ramazan Attasauov has looked overmatched in some matches. He’s the No. 5 seed and should qualify, but as the No. 5 seed, he has No. 1 Daton Fix from Oklahoma State on his side of the bracket. So he’ll likely have to deal with adversity and wrestle on the backside of the tournament if he wants to earn an automatic qualifying spot.
JC: I don’t love this draw for Ramazan. If he was located opposite of No. 1 seed Daton Fix (OSU), it might be a different story. He’s had an up and down season so I don’t have any expectations. That isn’t me saying I think he’s going to perform poorly, I believe he’s fully capable of wrestling his way into the six allocations but it won’t be easy. A tournament setting could be somewhere Ramazan could hit that stride it seems he’s been missing.
141 – Ian Parker
B: Ian Parker will qualify for the NCAA Championships barring injury. That being said I don’t love his draw as the No. 1 seed. Assuming everything goes chalk, he’d face Missouri’s Allan Hart in the semifinals. The two didn’t meet when Missouri and Iowa State met two weeks ago because Hart was out with an injury, but Parker lost to Hart last season 7-4. If Hart’s still feeling the effects of his injury, Parker should be able to handle him, but in my eyes, Hart is Parker’s most dangerous opponent if Hart is healthy.
J: Ian Parker embodies the type of wrestler you want to have. He lives, breathes, and sleeps wrestling and this is his last shot at securing another Big 12 title. I want to counter Ben’s thoughts in regards to a healthy Allan Hart with the fact that we have a healthy Ian Parker. Parker shared at weekly availability that he’s feeling great. A healthy body and healthy mind should make for a dangerous Parker.
149 –Jarrett Degen
B: Jarrett Degen is in a bit of an unfortunate situation with just four automatic qualifying spots at 149. As the No. 3 seed, he should be fine, he just can’t afford any hiccups. I like his matchups and believe he has a great shot at making the finals and rematching Oklahoma State’s Kaden Gfeller. Degen and Gfeller went to sudden victory the last time they wrestled in a match that was filled with a ton of scrambles. I’ll take a finals match just like their previous match.
J: Degen is in a similar place as Parker in terms of being in the best shape he has been. This is the first season that Degen has been able to fully practice the entire season without injuries in about four years. Mix that with the same amount of competitive energy to close out his career in a better stance than last year’s fourth-place finish and you’re looking at a guy who can go for the title. If he ends up in the finals against Jaden Gfeller (OSU) in a rematch, I believe Degen is poised to get his revenge after losing in a sudden victory. That match had everyone on the edge of their seat because it truly could’ve gone either way. Degen shared this week he’s been working to change up his strategy to make sure he doesn’t get caught again. There’s something about knowing that this is truly it so I have a feeling we’re going to see the best out of Degen in this tournament.
157 – David Carr
B: David Carr will win this weight (barring injury). His goal is to get as many bonus-point victories as possible to bolster Iowa State’s team score.
J: David Carr ended the season with 50 straight wins and he thrives in a tournament setting where the stage is even bigger. He’ll put on a good show on the big stage that will probably result in multiple bonus-point wins. Carr will become a two-time Big 12 Champion.
165 – Isaac Judge
B: Isaac Judge has an uphill battle ahead of him. He’s the No. 7 seed at a weight that only has four allocations. His uphill battle begins against No. 2 seeded Peyton Hall of West Virginia, who beat Judge 4-3 earlier this year in the dual meet. If Judge is able to reverse that result, he’ll set himself up well to steal a spot and earn an allocation. Lose that first match and he’ll have a tough time.
J: Isaac Judge reminds me of Chase Straw. Both show you they can win big matches but are also pretty good at finding ways to lose them. Unlike Straw who only had a single allocation to wrestle for, Judge has four allocations to his weight. Judge will most likely be facing West Virginia’s No. 2 Peyton Hall. Judge only lost by one point in his match against Hall earlier this season where Hall only had one takedown and a reversal, Judge could win this.
174 – Joel Devine
B: Like Judge, Joel Devine is the No. 7 seed. But unlike Judge, he has eight automatically qualifying spots at his weight. That gives Devine a little wiggle room if he slips up. That being said, considering eight guys earned allocations, it means he’ll be facing tough competition in every match, so he can’t slip up too much.
J: Devine is in a unique spot where 174 pounds has eight allocations so he has a pretty high chance of punching his ticket to nationals but if the conference earned that many allocations that also means there is a lot of tough competition there. He’s looking at facing off against No. 2 Cade DeVos (SDSU). Overall, this weight class is full of young talent and there isn’t a clear-cut winner for me. Devine just needs to trust his instincts. If there we fewer allocations I would be worried but I have trust that Devine can have a decent tournament. When you look back at his losses this season they were never by much with the exception of the pin against West Virginia.
184 – Marcus Coleman
B: Marcus Coleman earned the No. 2 seed. He’s entering this tournament on a two-match losing streak — one of the losses was to the No. 1 seed Parker Keckeisen from UNI. Coleman should be able to right the ship with a first-round win against an overmatched opponent. Last season, Coleman tore through the Big 12 Championships at 197 pounds securing four wins by fall while finishing fourth. Coleman should have every expectation of being a finalist this year while getting a few bonus points along the way.
J: Marcus Coleman woke up this season saying “I am tired of losing”. He earned the No. 2 seed this tournament and after ending the dual season with back-to-back losses, I think he’s going to channel that disappointment to only push himself harder. Coleman has always had all the tools to be a champion. Coleman is one of those guys that has reached a place where if he loses nobody is concerned about the performance he’s going to put on in Tulsa. Dresser once said that Coleman would be great when he realized he was great and I think he has realized that he is. The expectation for Coleman is to be in the finals.
197 – Yonger Bastida
B: Nationally, 197 pounds is a wide-open weight and that’s no different in the Big 12. Any seed 1-6 could reasonably expect to win it. No. 6 seed Owen Pentz from North Dakota State pinned No. 1 seed Stephen Buchanan earlier this year. Iowa State’s Yonger Bastida as the No. 4 seed is on the same side of the bracket as Missouri’s Rocky Elam, who Bastida beat in sudden victory and Buchanan, who Bastida lost to in sudden victory. If Bastida has a good tournament, he’ll find himself in the finals. If not, the weight is so deep that it earned seven allocations and he should still get an automatic qualifying spot.
J: I can’t hide my excitement for this weight class. Not only is Bastida just a monster of an athlete but the field is pretty even. Anyone could realistically end up on the podium and that includes Bastida. With seven allocations, Bastida will be fine qualifying for the NCAA tournament given he earned the No. 4 seed but I think Bastida has a real chance of winning the title. His competitiveness and ever growing confidence will be big when he finds himself potentially facing off against No. 1 Stephen Buchanan (WYO) who defeated him earlier this season. Bastida has shown when he gets a second chance he can make it count.
HWT – Sam Schuyler
B: Iowa State’s Sam Schuyler is set. He earned the No. 3 seed and has a clear path to the semi-finals. The Big 12 earned six allocations at heavyweight and Schuyler should be able to earn one of those automatic qualifying spots.
J: Sam Schuyler came in as a transfer from Buffalo with big shoes to fill after Gannon Gremmel decided to not use his sixth year of eligibility. Schuyler has shown he’s capable of being a staple to the lineup, for example, with his big closeout win against UNI. With the conference earning six allocations and his No. 3 seed, he’ll make the tournament. I do, however, wonder where he’s going to ultimately finish. I think he could end up in the title match with a rematch against No. 1 Wyatt Hendrickson (AF) who pinned Schuyler earlier this year.
