Skip to main content
penn-state logo

3 Penn State wrestling storylines to watch on Day 2 of the NCAA Championships

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•03/17/23•

GregPickel

penn-state-wrestling-cael-sanderson
Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson. (Althouse/BWI)

Penn State wrestling starts Day 2 of the NCAA Championships in a strong position. The Nittany Lions didn’t have a perfect first day at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. But, it was close to it, and one many of their competitors would trade for.

Head coach Cael Sanderson’s side, with 26 team points, Iowa (21.5), Missouri (17.5), Minnesota (16.5), and North Carolina State (16.5) in the team race ahead of session three, which starts with consolation bracket action and also includes the quarterfinals at Noon ET on ESPNU. Then, tonight, session four will feature more wrestlebacks plus the semifinals.

We pick our top three storylines for the day ahead below.

1. Will Penn State secure the team title today?

Penn State starts the day with seven competitors still in the championship bracket. Iowa, though, has the most wrestlers still alive, period, with five in the quarterfinals and five more in the consolation bracket. It’s why the Hawkeyes are still a threat to the Lions. But, it feels like a soft one, at best, unless head coach Tom Brands’ side has a perfect day and Cael Sanderson’s team completely falls apart.

So, to answer our posed question, we’ll say no. But, we would be willing to bet that it is in hand by the time the finals Saturday on Saturday night.

2. How many semifinalists will the Lions have?

First, let’s review the quarterfinal matchups to earn a spot in the semifinals:

133 pounds: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young, Penn State vs. No. 8 Aaron Nagao, Minnesota

141 pounds: No. 6 Beau Bartlett, PSU vs. No. 3 Cole Matthews, Pitt

149 pounds: No. 12 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State vs. No. 20 Graham Rooks, Indiana

157 pounds: No. 2 Levi Haines, PSU vs. No. 7 Bryce Andonian, Virginia Tech

174 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci, Penn State vs. No. 8 Bailee O’Reilly, Minnesota

184 pounds: No. 3 Aaron Brooks, PSU vs. No. 6 Kaleb Romero, Ohio State

285 pounds: No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet, PSU vs. No. 11 Trent Hillger, Wisconsin

Based on seeding, Penn State would be expected to have six semifinalists. Many believe Haines may have the trickiest match of the lot against seventh-ranked Bryce Andonian of Virginia Tech. We certainly agree. However, betting against Haines does not seem like a good idea with the way he has wrestled in both the postseason and in every dual meet match leading up to it.

Bartlett could pull off the upset. It would not be shocking. But, we’ll say six get through to the semis, with the 141-pound Nittany Lion dropping into the consolation bracket.

3. How far will Max Dean go?

If Penn State is going to breeze its way to another NCAA title, it will need Max Dean’s help. The 197-pound senior will not repeat as a national champion after he fell in the second round to Nebraska’s Silas Allred Thursday night. But, he can become a four-time All-American and earn Penn State valuable advancement points by digging in and cruising through the consolation bracket. We’ll see if he can shake off his second loss to the Cornhuskers in three weeks and get rolling right away against Ohio State’s Gavin Hoffman, who he pinned earlier this year.

You may also like