The ILLINI Start off the Season in 47 Days at MSU Open

When I posted about the just-announced ILLINI schedule, I knew that there would be teams added to the tournaments. This has already happened as other schools have posted their schedules. I expect that there will be additional teams added in the days to come. 

The first date on the schedule is an example of this. Oklahoma has been added to the participants list for the Michigan State Open. 

MICHIGAN STATE OPEN - November 6, 2021

Team Participants: Michigan State, Oklahoma, Ohio, ILLINOIS, Davenport (DII)

Notable Individuals (wrestlestat.com rankings of Top 50 wrestlers): 125, #11 Rayvon Foley, MSU; #30 Joey Prata, Oklahoma; #47 Justin Cardani, ILLINI; 133, #8 Lucas Byrd, ILLINI, #37 Anthony Madrigal, Oklahoma; #40 Mario Guillen, Ohio; 141, #3 Dom Demas, #10 Dylan Duncan, ILLINI; 149, #10 Mitch Moore, Oklahoma, #20 Mike Carr, ILLINI, #21 Alec Hagan, Ohio; 157, #15 Justin Thomas, Oklahoma; #20 Chase Soldate, MSU; #49 Jordan Slivka, Ohio; 165, #22 Jacob Tucker, MSU; #23 Danny Braunagel, ILLINI; #26, Joseph Grello, Oklahoma; #49 Colt Yinger, Ohio; 174, #17 Caleb Fish, MSU; #46 DJ Shannon; 184, #24 Layne Malczewski; #25 Zac Braunagel, ILLINI; #44 Darien Roberts, Oklahoma; 197, #8 Cameron Caffey; #18 Jake Woodley, Oklahoma, #48 Matt Wroblewski, ILLINI; 285, #23 Josh Heindselman, Oklahoma; #25 Luke Luffman, ILLINI. 

Comments: There are only 47 days until the start of the season. This tournament has provided excellent competition in the past in both Freshman/Sophomore and Open divisions. Looking at some of the past brackets, many additional top names in the sport showed up as unattached wrestlers. Michigan, Ohio State and others have sent unattached contingents through the years. 

This will be a great tournament to get some data about how 157 will shape up for the ILLINI. Have one wrestler attached and the rest unattached, then see how they do. The most fun will be watching the true freshmen take the mat for the first time for the ILLINI, with eyes on Caden Ernd, Dylan Connell, Maximo Renteria and Joey Braunagel. 

The team race will shape up as a good battle between ILLINOIS and Oklahoma, with dark horse Michigan State involved. Ohio has a few good individuals, and Davenport had three or four wrestlers place fourth in their Division II Super Regional, so they will not be a factor in the team race. 

Individual matchups that I'm really looking forward to include an IHSA schoolboy brawl between Jake Tucker and Danny Braunagel, then there's Big Brawny matching up against Layne Malczewski, who is moving up in weight. I also want to see Luke Luffman versus Oklahoma's Josh Heindselman, and I hope that Lucas Byrd gets a shot at revenge against MSU's Jordan Hamdan. 

Headline Matchups: The headline matchups will be between Dylan Duncan (if he returns) and Mikey Carr against their Oklahoma opponents. The result could go a long way to determining the team championship. 

This is the second time the ILLINI will have wrestled at the Michigan State Open. There was no tournament last season because of Covid. The year before that, the ILLINI had 8 placers with DJ Shannon finishing runner-up and Travis Piotrowski with a third-place. The scintillating matches from that day were Zac Braunagel whupping Cam Caffey, and Little Brawny beating Cam Amine. 

And, finally, to close out this post some brother on brother violence. The voodoo that happens at :23 though:

.