Braeden Davis' injury update, Penn State wrestling timeline to decide starting spot battles: Notes
Penn State wrestling sophomore Braeden Davis pushed through a first period knee injury during Sunday’s season opener with Drexel to beat Kyle Waterman 7-5 in his first bout as a 133-pounder after spending last season at 125. After the match, head coach Cael Sanderson told reporters that Davis finishing the match was a good sign but that “we’ll take care of it and give him the time he needs to get back to full speed if he’s not full speed soon,” per PennLive.
Sanderson held his first news conference since the Lions’ 41-3 victory over the Dragons on Tuesday. He was asked for an update on Davis’ status as the second-year starter continues his time at a bigger weight class. The good news is that he does not have a long-term injury, the 16th-year leader of the Lions said. But it’s unclear if he will compete this weekend at the Army Black Knight Invitational, with Sanderson saying he was “unsure” at this point in time.
“He doesn’t have, like, a long-term, any kind of injury [like] that,” Sanderson said. “But just determining whether it makes sense. Each day is a day that he’s getting better. So we’ll see where we’re at by the time it’s time to leave.”
Davis will not need to wrestle this weekend. Though, the Lions would surely like him to if he’s healthy enough to do so. The Lions’ next dual meet is about three weeks away when it faces Lehigh in Allentown on Dec. 8. And it will certainly prioritize having him ready for that match over this weekend’s tournament if push comes to shove.
Penn State in no rush to make starter decisions
Most of the Penn State wrestling starting lineup is set. But, the Lions must still pick between Tyler Kasak and Alex Facundo at 157 pounds and also between Lucas Cochran and Josh Barr at 197. Sanderson was only asked about the latter spot Tuesday and said it is fluid in terms of a decision timeline.
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“I think it’s fluid,” Sanderson said. “I think it’s just up to the to the guys and how they compete. And then, every time we’re wrestling, you don’t want this to be a tryout every time you wrestle, right? But, you know, unfortunately, that’s just part of the reality of everything that we do. So you want good head-to-head [matches]. Head-to-head matches give you great insight. And then how they’re doing against outside competition.
“Really, a big thing for us in determining your team as we head into March, which we’ve got a long, long time before then, is just, how are they competing? Where are they trending? What kind of enthusiasm are they stepping out there with? Are they trying to get better? Those kinds of things will kind of determine where they’re going to end up. We just try to factor in all things. But it’s definitely not an easy decision.”
The Black Knight Invitational will offer another data point for Sanderson and his staff to consider. A large chunk of the roster will compete in West Point, N.Y., this week, including presumably this quartet battling for spots.
