ACC Preview

How Pitt can win its first conference title since 2014

Pitt wrestling enters the ACC tournament as regular season co-champions with North Carolina State and Virginia Tech. Pitt fans may have a sour taste in their mouths after only winning three matches to seven against NCST with a chance to claim the outright title, but remember, Pitt posted the same 7-3 split against VT, who beat NCST.

Tournament scoring is different than dual scoring, and NCST and VT are the legit favorites, but there is a formula for Pitt to win: 5 finalists and 4 champs. That alone likely won’t be enough; third place finishes and bonus points might be needed as well, but that’s the framework.

The tournament is in Raleigh, NC and takes place Sunday March 5^th. Brackets can be viewed here.

Now, let’s breakdown how Pitt can pull this off.

125: Colton Camacho will do himself and Pitt a lot of favors if he beats Jarrett Trombley of NCST in the semifinals. Camacho did not finish the season in the top 33 coaches’ rankings, and is only 30^th in the RPI. A head-to-head win over NCST would be huge for the team race, and making the finals would guarantee an NCAA berth as this weight only has two allocations. If Camacho loses, he will likely need to beat Jack Wagner from North Carolina for 3^rd, whom he lost to in the dual, to even have a chance at an at-large bid.

133: Micky Phillippi winning that legendary scramble over Sam Latona in overtime helped propel him to the No. 1 seed, even with the loss to Kai Orine (NCST). Micky shouldn’t have much trouble in his semi, then he’ll face the winner of those two in the finals. Micky knows how to get it done. 1 finalist. 1 champ.

141: Cole Matthews will likely face a solid Tom Crook (VT) in his semi, but should advance to the finals for the second consecutive year. This will probably setup another match with Ryan Jack (NCST) in the finals. Cole’s physicality was too much for Jack in the dual, and his strength and quickness should make him victorious yet again. 2 finalists. 2 champs.

149: This weight has three auto bids. Tyler Badgett will probably have to beat Zach Sherman (UNC) and Jarod Verkleeren (Virginia) to place third, both of which are doable. If he were to lose one of those matches, Badgett would have a good shot at getting an at-large bid as he is ranked 30^th in the coaches’ poll and 24^th in the RPI.

157: Dazjon Casto has a big, big uphill battle to qualify. With a losing record of 6-7, and no ranking in either poll, Casto will have to score a major upset at ACCs. This weight has three bids, and three very good wrestlers looking to fill them. Austin O’Connor (UNC), Bryce Andonian (VT), and Ed Scott (NCST) are ranked 2^nd, 5^th, and 7^th respectively, and Andonian and Scott mauled Casto in the dual. “Cheese’s” best shot is to catch one of those guys in a scramble and pin them.

165: Holden Heller went undefeated in ACC competition and naturally finds himself as the top seed. He may have to win a tight match or two, but should get the job done and earn his first ACC title. 3 finalists. 3 champs.

174: With three allocations and rankings of 21^st/29^th, Luca Augustine is pretty much a lock to qualify for NCAAs as a freshman. But, although a third of fourth place finish at ACCs may send him to Tulsa, it will essentially guarantee Pitt won’t win. Luca will take on Alex Faison (NCST) in the semifinals, whom he lost to in OT. He needs to reverse that outcome to give Pitt a chance. A finals match with Mekhi Lewis (VT) is a tall task, but just making it that far is what matters. 4 finalists. 3 champs.

184: Wow. Reece Heller, who’s ranked 17^th/15^th is seeded 5^th of 6 at ACCs, but that’s how deep the weight is. Reece beating Trent Hidlay (NCST) in the semis certainly won’t be easy, but any wins (pins?) Reece can secure will certainly help Pitt. Regardless, he will find himself at NCAAs, but Reece’s bonus potential could be a big catalyst for Pitt on Sunday.

197: Nino Bonaccorsi is undefeated and the No. 1 seed. He needs to defend his ACC title. It’s that simple. 5 finalists. 4 champs.

285: Senior Jake Slinger will not get an at-large bid, so placing top-three in Raleigh is his only option if he wants to compete at NCAAs (it’s a pretty safe bet he wants to do that). His chances? Slim, but not none. In a weird way, he may actually have a better chance of beating the No. 1 seed in the semis, than the No. 2/3 in the third place match. Regardless, Jake needs to win two matches to qualify, and will have to beat either Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke), Owen Trephan (NCST), or Hunter Catka (VT), who finished the year ranked 20^th/19^th, 11^th/9^th, and 18^th/29^th.

There you have it. 5 finalists and 4 champs, with additional wins from Camacho, Badgett, Casto, Heller, and Slinger could/should give Pitt its first ACC team title since 2014. Easier written than done, however.