MIDLANDS PREVIEW, yes, that's what we said, MIDLANDS PREVIEW

 

WHAT:  Midlands Championships

WHERE:  NOW Arena, Hoffman Estates, ILLINOIS

WHEN: Sunday, December 29 at 9:30 Central all day, then Monday, December 30 at 10:30 Central

WHO: 20 full teams (see list below)

TV/STREAMING: BTN+ (subscription service)

WHO'S GOING?

We've now heard and seen multiple sources which indicate that the ILLINI will send a contingent to the Midlands. We've also heard that it will not consist of the starters except for Caelan Riley. That's too bad because the Orange and Blue would win it again this year. 

Still, the team has a lot of wrestlers who have been with the program for a number of years, and it's best to keep them healthy and then peak them in March. 

Apparently, the Midlands is an Invitational, so wrestlers can't show up as unattached. They have to represent the team. That means folks who might not want to use up a red shirt right now will need to stay off the bus. Still, there could be as many as 16 ILLINI who could show up for the team. 

We have no idea how many slots the tournament organizers have set aside for ILLINOIS, and we don't know who might be sick or nicked up right now. So, it will almost certainly be less than the full 16. 

So, except for Caelan Riley, the starters are out. Because Chris Moore, Peter Marinopoulos and Logan Swaw used up a year of eligibility last year, they are not going to make the trip. Look for true Freshmen and those veterans who'll be needed for varsity starts later this season to make up a hungry ILLINI team.

UPDATE: It appears the ILLINI will be sending a pack of 13 hungry wolves to the tournament. 

THE ILLINI MIDLANDS TEAM CHAMPS AND PLACERS

The 1998 ILLINOIS wrestling team finished second out of fifty-three teams. The 2000 team finished second out of fifty-seven. In 2003, it was third out of 50. The 2004 team finished as champions out of sixty-one. In 2005, the ILLINI repeated as champions out of sixty. It was a three-peat in 2006 out of sixty-six teams. The 2013 team finished first out of forty-eight. The 2015 squad finished with a silver out of fifty-nine total teams. In 2020, the Orange & Blue came back with a bronze in the team race. 

On another somewhat related note, there is a storm brewing among a couple of these ILLINI teams. Is the 2005 ILLINOIS team better than the 2012 team? Or, is it the other way around? We had Brian Swaw referee a hot debate over that issue between Brian Glynn (2005) and Jordan Blanton (2012). Impartial observer Coach Mike Poeta opined. It's all here:

THE TEAMS

There are 20 teams listed as Midlands entrants so far. Yet, that list doesn't show the ILLINOIS team even though we know that there will be ILLINI wrestling at the event. So, expect more than 20. The Orange & Blue, at #12 on Wrestlestat.com, would be the highest ranked team at the tournament if the starters were there. 

The other teams and their Wrestlestat.com rankings include: #15 Rutgers, #18 Penn, #22 Pitt, #25 Indiana, #27 Stanford, #32 Cal Poly, #35 Northwestern, #39 Bucknell, #41 George Mason, #43 Cal Baptist, #47 Central Michigan, #48 Princeton, #51 Northern ILLINOIS, #52 Edinboro, #53 Wisconsin, #54 Michigan State, #55 Rider, #60 SIUE, #61 Harvard and #73 Franklin & Marshall. 

The ILLINI most recently beat the fourth-highest rated team on that list in a dual by the score of 34-3. It is also interesting to see Wisconsin and Michigan State way down the list behind teams like Cal Baptist, NIU and Princeton.

UPDATE: We thought there'd be more than 20 men's teams, and that seems to be true. On the Northwestern website, they state that 37 teams will participate, including these B1G schools: "Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers, and Wisconsin." We suspect that Michigan and Ohio State are sending partial squads, like the ILLINI. 

With 13 Orange and Blue wrestlers attending, that means a fun-filled Sunday and Monday for us! Get to see the young guns! 

The tournament doesn't have the star power at the top as in the old days (member berries), but most of the weights have 10+ guys ranked in the top fifty-ish at Wrestlestat.com. We were a corporate sponsor last year.

It's too late to be a sponsor this year, maybe next season.

TOP INDIVIDUALS

The wrestlers expected to show up that are also in the top ten at Wrestlestat.com include: (125) Nicolar Rivera, Dean Peterson, (133) Dylan Shawver, (141) CJ Composto, (149) Jaden Abas, Chance Lamer, (165) Hunter Garvin, (174) Nick Incontrera, Lorenzo Norman and (285) Yaraslau Slavikouski. 

I think there are also potential top ten wrestlers that Wrestlestat.com might be missing out on, including Zeth Romney at 133, Ty Whalen at 149, Mac Stout at 197 and Dayton Pitzer at 285. 

MORE MEMBER BERRIES FOR MIDLANDS DETRACTORS