The Soon-To-Be ILLINI All Americans

In the previous post, we discussed the ILLINI Wrestling team's two returning All Americans. My prediction is that there will be at least two more AAs this season for a minimum of four (and hopefully more). First, before I get to the actual wrestlers, though, we need to parse a couple of issues. 

FOUR RETURNING ALL AMERICANS.  The ILLINI actually have four returning All Americans! Lucas Byrd and Dylan Duncan both took 5th place at the NCAA Championships last season, and then you have Danny and Zac Braunagel, who both had Honorable Mention AA finishes the year before. This is what that looks like in the official Fighting ILLINI media guide:

We know that Danny had a broken bone near the end of the campaign last year, and I suspect, based on what I've heard, that Zac was also dealing with an injury. 

So, these will be our four ILLINI All Americans? Byrd, Duncan, Little Brawny and Big Brawny? I don't know. You see, it's complicated. 

NEXT YEAR MAY BE THE TOUGHEST EVER.  Because of the free Covid year, you have folks who'll be back for an extra year of eligibility. For example, half of the Iowa team would normally have their union journeyman pipefitter cards and be working on site as apprentices by now. But no, they're back. Of course, the ILLINI will benefit from this as well with studs like Dylan Duncan and Mikey Carr. 

There will be a lot of unhappy opponents who'll wish that Duncan and Carr had retired. 

Additionally, there'll be a number of wrestlers from the EIWA--notably the Ivy schools--who have matured but didn't have to deal with the toll a wrestling season puts on your body during an entire year. That's because they didn't wrestle because of Covid. Those folks had a year to lift weights, stay healthy and grow hairs on their chests. 

That's not going to be a major factor, but it will be at play. What portends well for the ILLINI are the returning All-American wrestlers and those on the cusp. That's why we can be hopeful for more than four AAs.

ON THE CUSP.  The ILLINI have at least three other wrestlers who are "on the cusp" of greatness. It hasn't happened yet for them, but if they're healthy and focused, they can also stand on the podium in March. Let's start with the obvi. 

Mikey Carr.  As Douglas Adams might say, this fellow has a brain the size of a planet. Nobody's gonna out-smart him. He also has a reputation as a focused hard-worker. We know he's strong. The only question is: Will he be healthy enough to finish off his career the way he wants? 

Carr has already won three matches in a single NCAA tournament, so he's seen the Round of 12, missing out on AA status by being on the wrong side of an 8-6 score. Another year, he made it to the Round of 16. He's beaten plenty of All Americans, including his last match last season, defeating the eventual third-place finisher on that fellow's home mat. A healthy Mike Carr will be on that podium. 

Luke Luffman.  We all saw what Luke could do in the triangular with Ohio State and Wisconsin last season. He has beaten AAs. He's done so with style. By all accounts, he's a very hard worker, and he's transformed his body, even though he was already very high on any graph of heavyweight athleticism. Last year, he got his first win in the Big Dance. How much can he improve on that result with another year of seasoning? 

Justin Cardani.  Here's another wrestler who has beaten All Americans in the past--including a national finalist. He has demonstrated an ability to get to legs, and for the most part, excellent mat skills. He came into the lineup very light for the weight, which has helped the ILLINI start many duals, but that fact has probably hampered his progress in tournaments. He's had another year to add weight and strength. Watch out! 

Wroblewski, Shannon/Sizemore, Roberts. These men are all long shots based upon past performance (or in Roberts' case, the unknown), but with Coaches Poeta and Ruth working with them, they will have all the lessons they can take in.