The NCAA wrestling tournament is this week, and I thought I’d give something of a bare bone look at what to watch for as wrestling fans from Oklahoma going into the tournament.
1. Our seven Oklahoma kids
Our focus at the core of this site is “Oklahoma” based wrestling. So, even if we’re rooting for both state schools at the tournament, we pay special attention to the local kids at the state schools and spread around the country. A few states have a claim to Spratley, but the other six are raised up Okies who, regardless of which state school you root for, we should all be cheering on this week.
2. Will OU get an All-American?
For what OU is this season, they had a pretty good Big 12 tournament and will send seven to the NCAA tournament. Only one, DJ Parker, is seeded to finish in the top eight and as an All-American. The other closest is Carter Schubert at 12. This would be the first All-American of the Roger Kish era since Stephen Buchannan, and a big step for the program. Seven qualifiers is pretty good. An All-American would be huge for OU here. Also, something to watch is to see where they land as a team. Last year, the National Duals Invitational invited teams based on their NCAA tournament finish. A win here could impact their chances at a bid.
3. Can OSU finish second as a team?
Oklahoma State hasn’t finished second at the NCAA tournament in about ten years. They’ve only finished second twice at the NCAA tournament since their last title in 2006. Second place would be a big step in the David Taylor era towards their eventual goal of challenging Penn State for titles.
4. Jax Forrest
Jax Forrest is something else to watch. I know a lot of people who regularly visit the site are heavily wrapped up in high school wrestling throughout the year, and don’t always get to keep up with college, but this kid is pretty remarkable. He has the #1 seed and a path to score some bonus for the Cowboys, which could do a lot for them in the team race. Expect fireworks anytime he steps on the mat.
5. Ohio State
If you’re an Oklahoma State fan, you might be inclined to root against Penn State. That’s all well and good if that’s something you’d like to do. But they are going to win the team title regardless of whether or not they drop a handful of unexpected matches. The team that Oklahoma State will likely be battling it out for second place with is Ohio State. As you navigate the eight mats at the NCAA Tournament, the team you’ll most be wanting to root against as you hope to see Oklahoma State finish as high as they possibly can on the podium, is Ohio State.
The tournament starts Thursday and can be streamed live on the ESPN family of networks and ESPN+.
If you are local to Stillwater, Iron Monk Brewery will be releasing a new Wyatt Hendrickson branded beer on Monday and will host a watch party during the NCAA Tournament. Sales of the beer help support the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. There will be wrestling giveaways, a silent auction, and other events across the three days of the tournament that will also support the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
