Penn State wrestling versus Wisconsin: Time and streaming info, starting lineups, more

The top-ranked Penn State wrestling team opens Big Ten competition and the 2023 portion of its schedule Friday night when it travels to No. 13 Wisconsin for a conference showdown in Madison. The Lions finished 2022 a perfect 7-0, while the Badgers carry a 6-1 record into the dual meet.

“We’re just going to go compete,” Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said this week. “That’s a very good team, [and] very good dual meet team.

“[Wisconsin head coach Chris Bono] was one of my coaches, [and] was very impactful to me as a young competitor at Iowa State many years ago. And, so, they’re a tough team, and like we’ve seen the last few years, they’re going to come in and wrestle hard. So, we’re excited.”

Get ready for the match with our preview below.

How to watch, follow Penn State wrestling versus Wisconsin

This is one of only a few Penn State dual meets this year that will be televised. Big Ten Network will carry the match, which starts at 9 p.m. ET. Streaming is also available via a subscription to BTN+.

Longtime Lions radio play-by-play broadcaster Jeff Byers will call the action from matside. Click here to access the free LionVision feed, which will go on the air at 8:40 p.m. ET with the prematch show.

You can also follow along live and chat with other Penn State wrestling fans on Blue-White Illustrated’s The Wrestling Room forum. Access it by clicking here.

Lions-Badgers projected starting lineups

As always, these can change following weigh-ins or even once the meet begins. But, here’s the best guess at the moment, courtesy of the Penn State Athletic match notes:

125 pounds: Gary Steen, Penn State vs. No. 7 Eric Barnett, Wisconsin

133 pounds: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young, PSU vs. No. 20 Taylor LaMont, UW

141 pounds: No. 4 Beau Bartlett, Penn State vs. No. 23 Joseph Zargo, Wisconsin

149 pounds: No. 15 Shayne Van Ness, PSU vs. No. 2 Austin Gomez, UW

157 pounds: No 25. Terrell Barraclough OR Levi Haines, Penn State vs. No. 16 Garrett Model, Wisconsin

165 pounds: No. 16 Alex Facundo, PSU vs. No. 4 Dean Hamiti, UW

174 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci, Penn State vs. Josh Otto, Wisconsin

184 pounds: No. 1 Aaron Brooks, PSU vs. Tyler Dow, UW

197 pounds: No. 4 Max Dean, Penn State vs. No. 12 Braxton Amos, Wisconsin

285 pounds: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet vs. No. 10 Trent Hilger, UW

What will the top bouts be?

This figures to be a fantastic meet, even if the matchups on paper should lead to a comfortable Lions win by the time wrestling concludes.

Penn State redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness and Alex Facundo will be tested again as each faces a top five foe for the second time in as many matches. Both lost tight bouts against Paniero Johnson and David Carr, respectively, of Iowa State last time out. So, we put both back in the spotlight here.

“I think both Shayne and Alex believe and know that they’re real close,” Sanderson said Tuesday. “Just sometimes obviously, with the young kids; first with Shayne, he just hasn’t had a lot of matches right. He was out all year. So, we expect that he’ll continue to improve at a really fast rate.

“Facundo is right there. He’s a very hard worker. Very talented kid. He’s wrestling Carr, who’s a national champ and obviously a very good wrestler. I think we expected that they would be in those matches, but it’s one thing to be in a match and another one to win the match. So we just got to keep getting better and kind of climb and get over that ledge there. It’s a big ledge.”

Other storylines to follow, notes to know

–This is the fourth meeting between Bono and Sanderson. The former was an assistant coach at Iowa State when the latter starred there. Penn State has topped Wisconsin in the three previous matchups since Bono took over the Badgers in 2018.

–What will the Lions do at 157? Terrell Barraclough was banged up, which caused him to sit out the Collegiate Wrestling Duals. Levi Haines filled in and won all three matches in New Orleans. Penn State can wrestle Haines twice more before being forced to decide whether or not it wants to pull his redshirt. What Sanderson decides to do Friday night will be telling.

–Will Aaron Brooks wrestle? He’s been in and out of the lineup as Sanderson has given him and Roman Bravo-Young the freedom to pick and choose their matches before March. If he doesn’t go, expect Donovan Ball to fill in.