NC State Wrestling: New Rankings & Virginia Preview

New Rankings

Get excited! New rankings are here! NC State (10-0) remains in the top-5 of the new NWCA dual team rankings, as they check in at #5. In addition, FloWrestling has released their new set of weight class rankings following last weekend’s action. See where Pack wrestlers check-in below:

• 125 - Camacho #19 (last week: 19)
• 141 - T. Wilson #15 (16)
• 157 - H. Hidlay #2 (2)
• 165 - T. Bullard #13 (13)
• 174 - D. Bullard #14 (18)
• 184 - T. Hidlay #3 (3)
• 197 - Reenan #24 (15)

Virginia Dual

How to Watch: ACC Network Extra

Following a dominant weekend on the road, the Pack returns to Reynolds this Friday at 7PM to host the Virginia Cavaliers. This opens the ACC schedule that will carry the Pack the rest of the way into the postseason.

Virginia is a solid squad, but is really headlined by two elite guys: #2 Jack Mueller & #7 Jay Aiello. The rest of their lineup is so-so, therefore I anticipate our depth and top-to-bottom strength to be too much for the Cavaliers. See projected lineups and my predictions below:

• 125- #19 Jakob Camacho vs. #2 Jack Mueller (Mueller major; 0-4 UVA)
• 133- Jarrett Trombley vs. #24 Louie Hayes (Trombley decision; 3-4 UVA)
• 141- #15 Tariq Wilson vs. Brian Courtney (Wilson decision; 6-4 NCSU)
• 149- AJ Leitten vs. Denton Spencer (Spencer decision; 6-7 UVA)
• 157- #2 Hayden Hidlay vs. Justin McCoy (Hidlay major; 10-7 NCSU)
• 165- #13 Thomas Bullard vs. Sam Martino (Bullard decision; 13-7 NCSU)
• 174- #14 Daniel Bullard vs. Victor Marcelli (Bullard decision; 16-7 NCSU)
• 184- #3 Trent Hilday vs. Michael Battista (Hidlay major; 20-7 NCSU)
• 197- #24 Nick Reenan vs. #7 Jay Aiello (Aiello decision; 20-10 NCSU)
• 285- Deonte Wilson vs. #21 Quinn Miller (Wilson decision; 23-10 NCSU)

Key Matchups

#19 Jakob Camacho vs. #2 Jack Mueller

The 125-pound landscape is pretty much Iowa’s Spencer Lee and then everyone else. The two-time NCAA Champ is a generational talent, and is a heavy favorite to land his third title in as many tries. Pacing the rest of the country, are Princeton’s Pat Glory and Virginia’s Mueller. Camacho had the chance to test himself against #3 Glory a couple weeks ago, but did not dress for the dual for unspecified reasons. Now he gets a shot at last year’s runner-up in this weight class, and I do not think he’ll miss this opportunity. Though Camacho may be slightly outclassed against Mueller in my opinion, he benefits from getting a feel for one of the weight’s elite guys - a guy he’ll have to get through for an ACC title and have to show he can compete with if he wants to earn All-American honors this year. An upset is likely not in the cards for Friday night, but ultimately the experience of battling with an upper echelon 125-pounder will pay dividends for Jakob, come March.

#24 Nick Reenan vs. #7 Jay Aiello

I’m not panicking, you’re panicking...okay maybe we’re all panicking. In my preseason previews, Nick Reenan was a guy that I pegged as a title contender at his new home at 197 pounds. Sure, he was coming off of a torn ACL, but this is a kid who was our country’s #2 at 86kg less than two years ago...as a sophomore in college. And now he is 5-3, possibly one more loss from being unranked, and clearly struggling to catch-up after his delayed start to the season. Up next? A top-10 opponent to open the ACC slate. This feels like a pivotal point in Reenan’s season - will he allow the negative start to his campaign to compound into something bigger and more concerning or will he get off the schneid with his first meaningful win of the year?

Listen to The Skip preview the Virginia dual on your way to Reynolds Friday night. The dual starts at 7. Let’s make it full and loud!