James Hackney
The Sooners are coming off a tough loss to Missouri, and stay on the road to head to Morgantown to take on the Mountaineer’s. West Virginia is having a very solid start to the year, also undefeated with nine ranked wrestlers. Outside of #8 Mosha Schwartz, both teams have ranked wrestlers outside the top ten. A win here however would build a strong conference resume to climb the rankings. As a team West Virginia hasn’t hit any conference opponents, and will be looking to get the upset here to try and establish themselves as a top five team in the conference. Last year the Sooners won a close 18-15 dual, splitting matches but getting bonus points when there was an injury default at 149lbs. Both teams look like they should be better than last year, so this will be a good measuring stick to where they are at.
125lbs: Conrad Hendricksen (6-2) vs #26 Jett Strickenberger (6-0)
Coming off a tough loss to a ranked opponent, Hendricksen gets a better opportunity here. Strickenberger transferred to the Mountaineers after winning a NJCAA national title at 125lbs. He’s got a high motor and is good in all three positions, highlighted by his four bonus point wins this season. He also took out former All-American #14 Brandon Kaylor of Oregon State this year. Hendricksen’s build and style tends to keep him in matches, and I think he can keep this one close as well.
Prediction: Strickenberger Dec. Hendricksen (OU 0 WVU 3)
133lbs: #33 Jace Koelzer (7-2) vs Davin Rhoads (1-2)
In what could be a tight dual, the Sooners will need to try and score bonus points here. This could be their best opportunity as Rhoads is 3-13 as a starter over two years. Last year Koelzer beat him 7-2…
