Big Ten Preview: Indiana

It's not that we're bad, the other teams are just better

The Hoosiers are coming off one of their better seasons but it may not seem it since they got thoroughly trounced by almost everyone in the Big Ten. Traditionally they are not a powerful wrestling school and I'm sure their motto on the way out is "we'll get 'em in basketball...maybe."  Sadly things aren't looking great for their immediate future.

2011 Team Summary

Indiana had a relatively productive year by qualifying 4 wrestlers for the NCAA's. As fate would have it, 3 of those 4 graduated.

Name: Kurt Kinser

Record: 28 - 10

Status: Graduated

Big Ten place: 3rd

NCAA place: Round of 24

Notable win(s): Beat Andrew Nadhir (NW) to win 3rd at the Big Ten's

Season ended when: Back to back losses to Mario Mason (Rutgers, TB 2-3) and Donnie Corby (CM, 2-3)

Vs PSU: Molinaro beat him 10-3

Name: Paul Young

Record: 27 - 11

Status: Graduated

Big Ten place: 4th

NCAA place: Round of 12

Notable win(s): Beat Jesse Dong (VT) twice

Season ended when: Back to back losses to Bubba Jenkins (ASU, 3-4) and Walter Peppelman (Harvard, 4-6)

Vs PSU: Lost to David Taylor three times (19-2, 14-4, 18-4)

Name: Matt Powless

Record: 39 - 8

Status: Red Shirt Senior

Big Ten place: 3rd

NCAA place: All American 8th

Notable win(s): Beat Sonny Yohn twice (3-2, SV 5-3)

Season ended when: Suffered back to back losses to Luke Lofthouse and Sonny Yohn

Vs PSU: Beat Ruggear 19-4

Name: Ricky Alcala

Record: 34 - 11

Status: Graduated

Big Ten place: 7th

NCAA place: All American 5th

Notable win(s): Dominick Russo (Rutgers, SV 9-7)

Season ended when: Lost to Jarod Trice (CM, TB 2-3) to enter the losers bracket, lost to Jarod again (TB 2-3) then beat Spencer Myers (Maryland, 5-4) for 5th

Vs. PSU: SPlit matches with Wade (0-6, SV 4-2)

Matt Powless will be the only returning NCAA qualifier for the Hoosiers at a weight that will still have the buzz saw Cam Simaz (Cornell) and a healthy Sonny Yohn (Minn) (National Champion Dustin Kilgore, Kent St, will be taking an Olympic Red Shirt). An All American repeat is a definite possibility for Powless.

2011 Team Stats

Dual Record:  11 - 8 (1 - 7 in the Big Ten)

Big Ten Championship: 10th

NCAA Championship: 25th

Kliff Keen Invitational: 16th

Southern Scuffle: 13th

Individual Record: 329 - 246

Pins: 69

Tech. Falls: 8

Major Decisions: 58

Vs. PSU: Loss 7 - 36

Recruiting 

 Indiana picked up two top 100 recruits in their 2011 recruiting class. Eric Roach (#44, 149) and Luke Sheridan (#64, 184) should both be able to find immediate places in the starting lineup if they want to. Recruiting will be vital in 2012 for Indiana to build their program back up.

2012 Outlook 

Don't expect anything surprising out of Indiana this season. Matt Powless at 197 is the only known starter that will be an impact wrestler and undoubtedly the leader of the team. Powless will battle Sonny Yohn (Minn) for dominance in the Big Ten, but potential newcomers such as Morgan McIntosh could shake things up at this weight. Unless someone else steps up to the plate, none of the other 9 weight classes will be strong this year.

Indiana's only Big Ten dual win in 2011 came against Michigan State. Right now Michigan State is their best chance for a win in the Big Ten in 2012. They will travel to the Kliff Keen Invitational and Southern Scuffle again this year. Schedule strength outside of the Big Ten is very weak with the only challenging squad being North Carolina State. Indiana will once again be practice for most of the other Big Ten crews.