Indiana University Athletics
Wrestling Season Preview - 157-Heavyweight
11/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 4, 2006
With the 2006-07 wrestling season kicking off on Sunday, Nov. 5, with the intra-squad wrestle-offs, IUHOOSIERS.com will take a look at the Hoosiers for the upcoming season. On Friday, Nov. 3, we looked at the weight classes from 125-149 pounds, and on Saturday, Nov. 4, we will look at the weight classes from 157 pounds and up.
157 POUNDS
The 157-pound class features the Hoosiers' top returning wrestler in two-time All-American Brandon Becker. Becker spent much of last season ranked among the top five nationally, and wrapped up his sophomore campaign with a 28-9 record and a third-place finish in the Big Ten Tournament. Becker followed that up by placing sixth at the NCAA Tournament. For the season, he went 13-4 in dual meets, including a 5-3 record in Big Ten duals.
"Brandon Becker is going into his junior year - he's already a two-time All-American and is going into this season ranked third in the polls," Goldman said. "Obviously, he hopes to make a run to become IU's next national champion."
Backing up Becker at 157 will be senior Ryan Pribble, sophomore Elijah Cook and freshman Bryan Beard. Pribble did not wrestle last season, but posted a 5-5 record in 2004-05, including a 4-2 mark at the Missouri Open. Cook was a top athlete at Seeger Memorial High School, finishing fifth in the state at 160 pounds in 2005. Beard joins the team with limited experience, but has the physical tools to contribute for IU this season.
165 POUNDS
At 165, junior Max Dean will be a crucial grappler for the Hoosiers. Dean posted a 26-16 record in 2005-06 and a 10-6 mark in dual meets. In his non-conference affairs, he went a perfect 8-0 to help the Hoosiers go undefeated in non-conference duals last year. Dean became just the 15th Hoosier to reach the 50-win mark in his sophomore season, and he brings a 51-31 career record into his junior year.
"At 165, Max Dean returns after being a national qualifier last year," Goldman said. "He's a great student-athlete who is very dedicated and a hard worker and looks to have a good season."
Dean will be supported by Paul Young at 165. The Bloomington South product brings a strong resume to IU this season after posting a combined record of 99-1 in his final two seasons and winning the Indiana state championship both years.
174 POUNDS
At 174 pounds, two Hoosiers will be battling for the starting spot throughout the season. Marc Bennett returns to the Hoosiers after posting a 12-16 record in 2005-06 and going 8-9 in dual meets. The junior posted seven pins last season and brings experience to the table for Indiana.
"Marc Bennett returns this season and will have a strong challenge from Trevor Perry who was a redshirt freshman last year," Goldman said. "We feel that we can be extremely competitive at that weight."
Perry was a strong competitor for the Hoosiers in his redshirt season, winning his first seven matches of the year, including his march to the 174-pound title at the Eastern Michigan Open. The Davison, Mich., native was a 2005 state champion and a 2004 all-state selection, finishing third in his weight class. Also providing support at 174 will be Nick Avery, who comes to Indiana after wrestling for Foxboro High in Foxboro, Mass.
184 POUNDS
At 184, Justin Curran returns for the Hoosiers after an injury knocked him out of the Big Ten Tournament in 2006. Curran posted a solid 20-14 record for the Hoosiers a year ago, and racked up an 8-8 mark in dual meets. He will look to improve on a 1-7 Big Ten mark in 2006-07.
"Justin is back for another season after an injury during the Big Ten Tournament last year," Goldman said. "He had surgery over the summer and he recovered and will hopefully have a good season."
Providing depth at 184 are freshmen Eric Cameron and Jantzen Minton. Cameron comes to IU after wrestling for Ohio powerhouse Cincinnati Moeller. He was a two-time sectional champion and placed at the state meet both years. Minton placed in the Virginia state tournament his final two years, finishing third in 2005 before taking the title in his senior campaign.
197 POUNDS
The 197-pound class is likely the most versatile for the Hoosiers entering 2006-07. With Brady Richardson's graduation, Indiana has a number of different options at 197, with Josh Buuck, Seth Parker and Nathan Everhart all vying for the starting spot.
"At 197, we have various possibilities with Josh Buuck, who might be able to contribute for us," Goldman said. "We also have a true freshman in Nathan Everhart. We feel Nathan has a tremendous amount of talent that just needs to be developed. There is a chance he might be wrestling in there."
Parker went 1-4 as a redshirt last year in limited action for the Hoosiers. In his time for Harrison High School in Lafayette, Ind., Parker was ranked as high as No. 1 in the state at 171 pounds and was the MVP of his high school team in both 2004 and 2005.
Everhart was a standout athlete at Andrew High School in Orland Park, Ill., placing at the state championships in both his junior and senior seasons. Everhart finished third in the state in 2005 and sixth in 2006.
HEAVYWEIGHT
At heavyweight, the Hoosiers return NCAA qualifier Dave Herman and redshirt freshman Maurice Gunn in 2006-07. Herman had a very solid sophomore campaign, netting a 28-16 record, 10-6 in dual meets, a year ago. Herman posted three pins, two technical falls and four major decisions last season and turned in a seventh-place finish at the Big Ten tourney.
"Dave Herman returns after being a national qualifier last year," Goldman said. "He was ranked high in the country last year and just missed being an All-American. He's backed up by Maurice Gunn, who redshirted last year after being a state placewinner in high school."
Gunn went 8-6 last year as a redshirt, including a third-place finish at the Missouri Open in the freshman/sophomore division. The Indianapolis native registered four pins last year after totaling 36 in his senior year of high school. Gunn went 165-25 in his career at Lawrence North.
SCHEDULE
The Hoosiers will begin and end their 2006-07 season in Michigan, as they begin the year at the Michigan State Open on Nov. 12, 2006. Michigan State will also host the Big Ten Tournament on March 3-4, 2007, and the NCAA Tournament will be held in Auburn Hills, Mich., hosted by the University of Michigan.
"I'm pleased with this year's schedule," Goldman said. "With the number of young athletes on this team, it gives us a number of opportunities to gain experience in order to mature and prepare for the Big Ten and the NCAA Tournaments."
In addition to their trips to Michigan, the Hoosiers will travel to three tournaments throughout the country. IU will head to the Missouri Open on Nov. 19, the Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 1-2, and the Midlands Championship, in Evanston, Ill., on Dec. 29-30.
The highlight of the pre-conference season will likely be the Hoosier Duals, which will be held on Nov. 25, 2006. Indiana will welcome Ohio, Bucknell and Oregon to Bloomington for the lone home meet of the 2006 portion of the IU schedule.
In addition to the always-grueling Big Ten dual meet schedule, the Hoosiers will face a pair of non-conference opponents in dual meets this year. IU travels to Charleston, Ill., for a matchup with Eastern Illinois on Jan. 13, 2007, and will play host to North Carolina State on Feb. 3, 2007.
