James Hackney
#3 Oklahoma State (10-0) vs #19 Arizona State (3-4)
Watch Live: ESPN+, February 2nd 7PM CT
The Cowboys have steadily climbed into the top three while staying undefeated and will look to continue that with another tough weekend. Before taking on Missouri on Sunday they’ll face Arizona State at home on Friday. The Sun Devils have been ravaged by injuries this season, missing starters and frequently not having their full lineup. The team is still dangerous individually however, with four wrestlers ranked in the top 12. OK State is heavily favored overall, but if they can snag an upset over any of those rankings it would give them some good momentum late in the season.
125: #20 Troy Spratley (15-4) vs #11 Richie Figueroa (6-2)
Spratley gets another big opportunity this week against Figueroa. A top five ranking earlier in the year has taken a dip due to a loss to Jore Volk and lack of matches with injury but Figueroa is as much of a title contender as anyone at this weight. He was undefeated behind three-time All-American Brandon Courtney last season and a blue chip recruit out of high school. He’ll likely be able to match Spratley’s speed and potentially test his ability on bottom once again. Spratley has won close wins lately and may need to open up more in a match here as Figueroa will be coming forward constantly. 125 is chaotic so there’s no guarantees but I’ll take Spratley to get his biggest win of his career in a tight match.
Prediction: Spratley Dec. Figueroa (OKST 3 ASU 0)
133: #3 Daton Fix (8-0) vs #26 Julian Chlebove (13-5)
Another ASU wrestler who has missed time this season, Chlebove stepped into the lineup for the first time since 2021 this year with Michael McGee graduating. A U23 world team member, this is a match we could see in freestyle in the offseason as well. Chlebove is solid and can keep matches close, but doesn’t have the type of signature win that puts him on the same tier as Fix. I’ll take Fix to get more bonus points with a major decision….
