With the 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships coming up this weekend, Rivals wrestling analyst Lex Knapp has decided to go one by one in each weight class offering his predictions and a breakdown of the top and bottom halves of the bracket.
With that being said, let's take a look at the 149-pound bracket.
THE TOP SEED -- Yianni Diakomilhalis (Cornell)
THE DARK HORSE -- No. 4 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State)
THE SCARLET KNIGHT – No. 12 Michael Van Brill
TOP HALF OF THE BRACKET.....
This is a really intriguing weight class, despite the top seeded Yianni Diakomihalis being an overwhelming front-runner. The 2021 national runner-up, Sammy Sasso, sits at the four seed, and could be viable threat to Yianni in the semis. The fifth seeded Kyle Parco has put together a fantastic season. His lone loss on the year is to the 13th seed, Beau Bartlett, who Parco could see in the quarters if Bartlett pulls the upset over Sasso. As tough as Parco is, I think it is Sasso who makes it to the semi-final with Yianni. Sasso certainly has enough to keep it close, but it is going to take a picture-perfect match to take down Yianni. I like Yianni to cruise to finals out of the top-half, in route to his third career national title.
BOTTOM HALF OF BRACKET.....
The bottom-half off 149-lbs is probably the most fun part of any bracket in this tournament. There are several legitimate contenders to make the finals, with a likely match-up with Yianni D looming. Austin Gomez is arguably the hottest wrestler in this bracket, as he is coming off an incredible performance at the Big Ten tournament. The second seed, Tariq Wilson, is coming in with a perfect 15 – 0 record, and is shooting for his third podium appearance in his career. Wilson is incredibly long for a 149-lber, and is very difficult to wrestle. He is going to cause problems for anyone he faces throughout this tournament. Ridge Lovett of Nebraska comes in at the tenth seed, and could very well surprise people as a double-digit seed, and make his way to the finals if he gets hot. Lovett, however, has a very tough opening round match with Jaden Abas, who is probably the most talented wrestler seeded above 20 in this entire tournament. I think the two and three seeds clash in the finals, where a red-hot Austin Gomez takes out the two seed, Tariq Wilson. Gomez is wrestling lights out, and is tough to bet against right now.
THE SCARLET KNIGHT SKINNY...
Mike Van Brill has come such a long way throughout his career. He was barley getting to the Mendoza line a few years ago, but Van Brill was one of the most reliable wrestlers in Rutgers’ lineup this season. He is a very likable kid, and the Rutgers fan base would love to see MVB go out with a podium appearance. Unfortunately, Van Brill’s path to the podium is not the easiest, as he runs into Kyle Parco in the pre-quarters. Van Brill will have to string together three wins in a row, if he falls to Parco, to find the podium. Is it impossible? Certainly not. Van Brill lets it fly in every match he wrestles, and any one that knows MVB would not be surprised to see him leave Detroit with a trophy.
PREDICTIONS.....
1.Diakomihalis (Cornell)
2. Gomez (Wisconsin)
3. Sasso (Ohio State)
4. Wilson (NC State)
5. Parco (ASU)
6. Andonian (Virginia Tech)
7. Millner (App State)
8. Lovett (Nebraska)
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