Previewing No. 7 NC State wrestling's home finale against No. 17 Stanford

The Wolfpack closes out its home schedule this weekend, as No. 7 NC State will host No. 17 Stanford Friday night inside Reynolds Coliseum.

With a win over Stanford, NC State would clinch at least a share of the 2025 ACC Dual Championship with a trip to No. 10 Virginia Tech still on the horizon. The Wolfpack enters this weekend the only undefeated squad in ACC action (4-0), while both the Hokies and North Carolina had dropped an ACC dual and sit behind the Pack, and there are no tiebreakers as the ACC gives everybody a trophy with the best record.

A win over Stanford would give NC State a second straight regular season title and sixth in the last eight years overall. The Pack has also won its last 15 ACC duals inside Renolds Coliseum, a streak that dates back to the 2019 season (vs. Pitt 18-16).

The Pack will also be honoring a few of its wrestlers before the dual for Senior Day. Starters Kai Orine, Ed Scott, and Christian Knop are all in their final season of eligibility while Derek Fields does have one year left but this could be his final dual inside Reynolds as well, so it will be worth noting his decision this offseason.

It will be a very long weekend of action for Stanford. Before making the journey to Raleigh, Stanford will be in action Thursday night at Princeton, then travel to NC State for its ACC dual on Friday. Then on Sunday, it’s an ACC battle at Duke.

A familiar face will be returning to Reynolds Coliseum, just in a different shade of red. Former Wolfpack All-American Hayden Hidlay is in his first season as an assistant coach at Stanford, after spending his first year in coaching at North Dakota State last year.

Here is a weight-by-weight look at how the Pack and Cardinal matchup, in a dual which WrestleStat gives Stanford the edge 19-18:

125: No. 3 Vince Robinson or Louis Gill vs. OPEN

Stanford has forfeited every dual this year at 125 pounds. The Cardinal do have Nico Provo on their roster, he was preseason top-10 and the highest ranked ACC wrestler at this weight, but he has not seen action all year. Will NC State make Robinson weigh-in or let Gill cut the weight and get the ACC win? Gill does have one of his five dates left to maintain his redshirt. Would expect the Pack to get the six team points here.

133: No. 13 Kai Orine vs. No. 7 Tyler Knox

This is as close to a must-win for Orine as possible, not just for the team points but for Orine’s individual results. Since dropping back down to 133 pounds before Christmas, Orine is looking for a signature/ranked win, and Knox is the highest ranked foe he will face until the NCAAs. Right now, the two-time defending ACC champion Orine is sitting as the fourth seed for the ACC Championship after dropping an OT battle at UNC last time out. A redshirt-freshman, Knox is 19-3 on the year holding a pair of wins over wrestlers currently ranked second and third in the nation. Before last weekend’s OT loss to No. 19 Connor McGonagle of Virginia Tech (3-0 SV1), Knox had won 11 in a row dating back to December, including a Midlands title.

WrestleStat prediction: Knox 7-6

141: Tyler Tracy vs. No. 21 Jason Miranda

The first bout Stanford will be favored to get bonus points. Miranda is in his fourth season as a starter, each of the last three years at 141 pounds. Sitting at 13-5 on the season, all of Miranda’s losses have been to ranked foes, and he has also not defeated a ranked opponent this year. Miranda is coming off a 9-6 OT loss to No. 10 Sam Latona of Virginia Tech. Stanford also has a date available for uber-recruit Aden Valencia if bonus points are a must.

WrestleStat prediction: Miranda by major dec., 12-3

149: No. 22 Koy Buesgens vs. No. 10 Jordan Abas

Buesgens’ insane schedule continues, as Abas will be his five straight ranked opponent and Buesgens has faced a ranked foe in seven of his last eight matches overall dating back to the Cliff Keen in early December. Buesgens started out 3-0 in ACC action, but his last three conference matches will all be against top-10 foes. Abas is in his sixth year at Stanford, he was a 2021 All-American and an NCAA Qualifier each of the last four years. He can match Buesgens’ strength of schedule, as Abas already has faced 11 ranked foes (5-6).

WrestleStat prediction: Abas 9-5

157: No. 14 Ed Scott vs. No. 28 Grigor Cholakyan

A fifth year vs. a true freshman. The defending ACC champion, Scott is 4-0 in ACC duals this year, with his last two wins both against ranked opponents. Scott is finding his groove as the season goes on, having won eight of his last 10 matches daring back to early November. For the Cardinal, Daniel Cardenas is redshirting this year, he was ranked No. 3 in the preseason after taking fourth at last year’s NCAA Championships at this weight. Cholakyan was the No. 34 overall recruit in his class after winning a California state title, and has stepped into the lineup in his first season on campus. He has won three of his last four matches, downing VT’s back-up last weekend by fall.

WrestleStat prediction: Scott by major dec., 14-4

165: No. 28 Derek Fields vs. No. 13 Hunter Garvin

The winner has the inside track to the No. 1 seed at the upcoming ACC Championship. Fields is aiming for the top seed for the second straight year at the ACCs, sporting a perfect 4-0 mark in conference action thus far, outscoring his foes 34-16. He has won four in a row against ACC opponents, but has dropped eight of his last nine against non-conference foes. Garvin is currently the top ranked ACC wrestler at this weight. He was a 2024 All-American, placing sixth last year in his first season in the lineup. This year, he placed sixth at the Cliff Keen and third at the Midlands. He is riding a six-match winning streak, including impressive ACC wins over No. 19 Nick Hamilton of UVA (4-1) and No. 30 Mac Church of Virginia Tech (11-3) in his last two bouts.

WrestleStat prediction: Garvin 9-4

174: No. 21 Matty Singleton vs. No. 4 Lorenzo Norman

Singleton is looking to get back into the win column after dropping two straight ACC battles to ranked foes by a combined three points. Singleton sits at 2-2 in ACC action thus far, and will be fourth his fourth top-10 opponent of the year. As a redshirt freshman, Norman has stormed out to an 18-1 record this year, his lone loss to No. 3 Dean Hamiti of Oklahoma State (4-3). He was the runner-up at Cliff Keen then came back and won Midlands a couple of weeks later, and comes in with a nine-match winning streak. Norman has missed the last two duals for Stanford, last competing Jan. 26 against Virginia. In his place, freshman Collin Guffey dropped decisions to both Oregon State and Virginia Tech. Norman is expected to get the start after sustaining a facial injury.

WrestleStat prediction: Norman 6-5

184: No. 14 Dylan Fishback vs. Tye Monteiro

One of the matches NC State could be hunting for bonus points, Fishback is coming off his best match of the season – a 14-5 major over No. 22 Gavin Kane of North Carolina – and sits at 3-1 in ACC duals. He will be looking to string together consecutive wins for the first time since late November. Monteiro is 8-8 on the year, last dropping a 14-3 major decision to No. 23 TJ Stewart of Virginia Tech. He is 0-4 against ranked foes this year, three losses were via bonus points.

WrestleStat prediction: Fishback by major decision, 13-3

197: No. 31 Christian Knop vs. No. 22 Nick Stemmet

Two long time veterans with their teams. Knop has dropped two straight, and three of his last four with an even 2-2 mark in ACC matches. Stemmet is a three-time NCAA Qualifier, coming off a top-10 win over No. 8 Andy Smith of Virginia Tech (4-2). He enters with a five-match winning streak.

WrestleStat prediction: Stemmet 8-7

285: No. 4 Isaac Trumble vs. No. 31 Peter Ming.

Trumble is a heavy favorite to get bonus points. He sits atop the ACC standings a perfect 4-0, having gone tech fall, fall, major decision, and fall in conference action thus far. Only three of Trumble’s last 11 matches have gone the entire seven minutes (four tech falls and four falls). Ming is in his fourth season as Stanford’s starting heavyweight. He is having his best season thus far at 11-6, with a pair of ranked wins.

WrestleStat prediction: Trumble by major decision, 15-3