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Official Husker Locker Blog
2009 Jan 09
WRESTLING: The Best of the Best
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It won’t be hard for Nebraska’s wrestling team to stride confidently onto the mat this weekend for the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals – arguably college wrestling’s premier event, short of the NCAA Championships.
For the past three seasons, the Cornhuskers have been giant killers in the meet, taking underrated teams to the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and knocking out higher-ranked foes from the Big Ten.
In 2006, NU stuck it to No. 6 Iowa and No. 5 Michigan. In 2007, the No. 11 Wolverines were again victims. But Nebraska’s performance in 2008 might have trumped both previous efforts, as the Huskers downed No. 9 Northwestern, No. 1 Penn State and No. 6 Minnesota – then the defending national champions – in successive order before succumbing to No. 2 Iowa in the final.
“We put some emphasis toward it,” Coach Mark Manning said. “When we come back from Christmas break, it’s all about getting ready for National Duals. This is where the best of the best is. We want to be our best here.”
This Saturday, though, the target is more likely to be on the Huskers’ backs.
Nebraska is the fourth seed for the Duals, and ranked fourth nationally, as well. NU probably boasts the best collection of upper weights in the nation, with three wrestlers – Jordan Burroughs (157 pounds), Brandon Browne (174) and Craig Brester (197) - ranked No. 1 or No. 2 by the National Wrestling Coaches’ Association in the their weight class, Three more are ranked in top 20.
The Huskers have already proven they’re built for tournaments with an easy win over a strong field at the Las Vegas Invitational. Now, Nebraska can make a legitimate run at No. 1, should it survive its first two duals to face No. 1 Iowa in the semifinals.
“People will be gunning for us,” Manning said. “We got a lot of naysayers out there. Which is good. Great. We kind of relish that role. I like it. I like that our team has a chip on its shoulder.”
First up: No. 20 Northwestern, in a 9 a.m dual Saturday. The Wildcats feature the nation’s No. 1 wrestler at 184 pounds in senior Jake Herbert. It's a tall task for the Huskers’ fourteenth-ranked Vince Jones, who nevertheless has the athleticism to compete with Herbert.
Jones provided the most exciting memory from last year’s Duals when he pinned the Minnesota’s Roger Kish - then the nation’s No. 2 wrestler - with four seconds left in the match. The Huskers beat the Gophers 24-13, with Jones’ late-match heroics providing a nine-point turnaround (three points for a UM decision switch to six points for Husker pin).
“One of the greatest things in my life,” Jones said. “When you have one of the greatest moments of your life, you wish you could get it back. Usually you don’t get those back. They happen once in a lifetime.”
Now a senior, Jones has had his share of big moments – and an equal share of frustrating losses - since that upset.
“We gotta have Vince be consistent for us,” Manning said. “He shows signs of greatness for us and he shows signs of times when he hasn’t been as intense as he should be.”
Arguably as talented as the undefeated Burroughs – and certainly Nebraska’s resident pin artist – Jones had a disappointing outing in Vegas and said he lost an opportunity to beat Michigan’s Anthony Biondo last weekend.
“I wish I could get those matches back,” Jones said. “I wrestled to his strengths. I should have stuck to my strengths…my strength is making a guy wrestle me. My weakness is against guys who stall. Sometimes a coach’s philosophy is slowing down a match and stuff like that.”
Jones will get his chance against Herbert (16-0), one of two Wildcat wrestlers ranked in the top ten of their weight division.
A win over Northwestern, and Nebraska probably gets to tangle with an old Big 12 friend: Missouri. The fifth-ranked Tigers are one of the few teams that can match up with Huskers’ strong upper weights. Brester, recently named No. 1 at 197, would get another match with Mizzou’s Max Askren. Brester lost his first two matches to Askren last season, but rebounded with a 9-2 victory in the NCAA Championships.
For the past three seasons, the Cornhuskers have been giant killers in the meet, taking underrated teams to the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and knocking out higher-ranked foes from the Big Ten.
In 2006, NU stuck it to No. 6 Iowa and No. 5 Michigan. In 2007, the No. 11 Wolverines were again victims. But Nebraska’s performance in 2008 might have trumped both previous efforts, as the Huskers downed No. 9 Northwestern, No. 1 Penn State and No. 6 Minnesota – then the defending national champions – in successive order before succumbing to No. 2 Iowa in the final.
“We put some emphasis toward it,” Coach Mark Manning said. “When we come back from Christmas break, it’s all about getting ready for National Duals. This is where the best of the best is. We want to be our best here.”
This Saturday, though, the target is more likely to be on the Huskers’ backs.
Nebraska is the fourth seed for the Duals, and ranked fourth nationally, as well. NU probably boasts the best collection of upper weights in the nation, with three wrestlers – Jordan Burroughs (157 pounds), Brandon Browne (174) and Craig Brester (197) - ranked No. 1 or No. 2 by the National Wrestling Coaches’ Association in the their weight class, Three more are ranked in top 20.
The Huskers have already proven they’re built for tournaments with an easy win over a strong field at the Las Vegas Invitational. Now, Nebraska can make a legitimate run at No. 1, should it survive its first two duals to face No. 1 Iowa in the semifinals.
“People will be gunning for us,” Manning said. “We got a lot of naysayers out there. Which is good. Great. We kind of relish that role. I like it. I like that our team has a chip on its shoulder.”
First up: No. 20 Northwestern, in a 9 a.m dual Saturday. The Wildcats feature the nation’s No. 1 wrestler at 184 pounds in senior Jake Herbert. It's a tall task for the Huskers’ fourteenth-ranked Vince Jones, who nevertheless has the athleticism to compete with Herbert.
Jones provided the most exciting memory from last year’s Duals when he pinned the Minnesota’s Roger Kish - then the nation’s No. 2 wrestler - with four seconds left in the match. The Huskers beat the Gophers 24-13, with Jones’ late-match heroics providing a nine-point turnaround (three points for a UM decision switch to six points for Husker pin).
“One of the greatest things in my life,” Jones said. “When you have one of the greatest moments of your life, you wish you could get it back. Usually you don’t get those back. They happen once in a lifetime.”
Now a senior, Jones has had his share of big moments – and an equal share of frustrating losses - since that upset.
“We gotta have Vince be consistent for us,” Manning said. “He shows signs of greatness for us and he shows signs of times when he hasn’t been as intense as he should be.”
Arguably as talented as the undefeated Burroughs – and certainly Nebraska’s resident pin artist – Jones had a disappointing outing in Vegas and said he lost an opportunity to beat Michigan’s Anthony Biondo last weekend.
“I wish I could get those matches back,” Jones said. “I wrestled to his strengths. I should have stuck to my strengths…my strength is making a guy wrestle me. My weakness is against guys who stall. Sometimes a coach’s philosophy is slowing down a match and stuff like that.”
Jones will get his chance against Herbert (16-0), one of two Wildcat wrestlers ranked in the top ten of their weight division.
A win over Northwestern, and Nebraska probably gets to tangle with an old Big 12 friend: Missouri. The fifth-ranked Tigers are one of the few teams that can match up with Huskers’ strong upper weights. Brester, recently named No. 1 at 197, would get another match with Mizzou’s Max Askren. Brester lost his first two matches to Askren last season, but rebounded with a 9-2 victory in the NCAA Championships.
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