RECAP OF ILLINI versus UNC Dual

 

This may not be up for long given copyright issues, so if you want to see the full match, watch the video. Our good friend Jackie Brower gave the UNC two-piece a thumbs down. Our guy over at Intermat forums ionel gave it a thumbs up. We think that their two-piece is pretty good except for the back, which looks way too 1970s California. 

Also, the bare foot reminds us of Lil Abner, and maybe that's not the impression that North Carolina should seek out. 

If you want to see a short video of highlights, then we've got what wrestlers crave here:

Lucas Byrd did Byrd things with a double under in a 1-1 match that put his previously-undefeated and 15th-ranked opponent, Ethen Oakley, on his back. Lucas earned a major decision. The ILLINI have really embraced Greco. It's great to see! Lucas Byrd made an age group World Team in that style, and you can see he has the chops. 

At 141, Danny Pucino used some of that Italian leprechaun in him to escape multiple times from a very good Jayden Scott. It was in sudden victory that Danny did his thing. He PUCINO'D the poor kid. The fact of the matter is, though, that we got Iowa-ed in North Carolina. Danny Pucino given a stall warning! 

Kannon Webster's opponent #6 Lachlan McNeil got a nice lung timeout because of a timely headgear malfunction in the third period. The match was 1-1 through three with aggressive hand-fighting the name of the game. Webster will frequently slap at a leg or ankle of his opponent. It's like he's lulling his quarry to sleep, much like Edmond Ruth does in slipping in a gentle underhook in the first period. 

I think the ref got the final call right. Kannon sure looked to have the takedown there, and that's the way the rule should be applied, but if there is reaction time even in sudden victory, then the decision was right. McNeil got to his hip really quick there. 

This could be a semifinal match in the NCAA tournament, and Kannon can beat this guy and take him down. 

In Braeden Scoles' match, the announcer said "a hard cross from Scoles, and a penalty going against ILLINOIS." LOL! That was no harder than you see in practice. Braeden had the guy pinned for two seconds, then later for five seconds. (We love to watch the refs move quickly from one side of a pinning combination to the other just so they can't call a pinfall against the home wrestler). Braeden did earn a much needed tech fall for the team. That leaves Scoles with an 8-0 record and still 100% bonus. 

Danny Braunagel simply manhandled Nolan O'Boyle for a 20-3 tech fall. O'Boyle got chippy but then got techy. His brother Zac Braunagel put the match away with a bonus point against Cade Lautt. It was fun to hear the announcer get excited when they rolled through and Zac was on his back for a split second, only to have the Brawlnagel roll right back through and earn the back points. 

Luke Luffman closed out the 24-14 win with constant movement that caused his Very Large Opponent (VLO) to give up a stall point in a 2-1 win.

We are very angry with ACCNX. We couldn't watch the dual live and had to make with the play-by-play.