Throw Rankings Out The Window When Piccininni And Moisey Wrestle
Throw Rankings Out The Window When Piccininni And Moisey Wrestle
Seventh-ranked Nick Piccininni and #16 Zeke Moisey square off Friday night, but throw rankings out the window when these two take the mat.
West Virginia is putting its two-meet winning streak in Big 12 duals to the test against #6 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, OK, this Friday evening. The contest could feature two top 20 matchups, with the most explosive match potentially coming from the lightest weight class.
West Virginia's Zeke Moisey, ranked #16 at 125lb, will attempt to upset #7 Nick Piccininni of OK State, but throw the rankings out the window because anything can happen when these two studs take the mat.
Zeke Moisey
Moisey has the highest NCAA finish between the two competitors, having captured second place in the 2015 tournament as a true freshman. Injuries derailed Moisey and kept him from competing in the last two NCAA tournaments, but the current redshirt junior's Cinderella run is worth reviewing.
Moisey qualified for the tournament with a respectable 27-13 record, though it was not enough for a seed according to the committee. Moisey started his tournament by knocking out Chasen Tolvert, the #15 seed from Utah Valley, in the opening round. The #2-seeded Nahshon Garrett was next. Moisey shocked the wrestling community with a thorough 14-6 drubbing of the much-heralded Cornellian.
Watch Moisey defeat Garrett:
Moisey wasn't done yet and upset seventh-seeded Eddie Klimara of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals. Next was Moisey's showdown with future world silver medalist Thomas Gilman of Iowa. Gilman was the third seed, though many pegged the Hawkeye as the favorite to win it all that year. Moisey fearlessly and relentlessly attacked, etching himself in the record books as the first unseeded wrestler to make the finals since Pitt's Carl Fronhofer in 2003 with a first-period pinfall.
Watch Moisey cradle up and pin Gilman:
The aforementioned injures have kept Moisey from reaching the same heights in subsequent NCAAs, but his hit list since the 2015 tourney is still imposing. In the ensuing years Moisey has beaten:
- Current #20 Travis Piotrowski
- Current #19 Jake Gromacki
- Current #18 Christian Moody
- Current #4 Sean Fausz
- All-American Connor Schram
- Two-time All-American Conor Youtsey
- NCAA finalist Ethan Lizak
- NCAA champion Darian Cruz
Nick Piccininni
The Cowboys redshirt sophomore is coming off two straight losses, but they were to top 10 competition. The New York native has more than proved his DI bona fides.
Piccininni followed up a quality 17-4 redshirt campaign as a true freshman with an electrifying second season that saw him place fourth at his first NCAA tournament, outplacing his seed by four spots. Piccininni advanced to the quarterfinals in St. Louis before being sent to the wrestle-backs by the #1 seed, Thomas Gilman. Piccininni then won his bloodround match against Brock Hudkins before avenging two regular-season losses to Edinboro All-American Sean Russell with an overtime victory.
Piccininni's received a medical forfeit in the consolation semifinals before being beaten for the second time by Gilman in the third-place bout.
Watch Piccininni advance to the quarters over Josh Rodriguez:
The Long Island Cowboy started his redshirt sophomore season with a bang, taking out defending 125-pound national champion Darian Cruz in the NWCA All-Star match. Piccininni has been light on ranked wins since then, but a victory over Cruz will carry you a long way. But is it enough for Piccininni to fend off Moisey? Find out by tuning in Friday night!
Full details of the match can be found below. Hope to have you with us!
Date: Jan. 19 | Time: 7 PM CT | Where: Stillwater, OK
Broadcast Info: WATCH LIVE HERE
Projected Lineups
125: #16 Zeke Moisey (WVU) vs. #7 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State)
133: Matt Schmitt (WVU) vs. #3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State)
141: Christian Monserrat (WVU) vs. #4 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State)
149: Kyler Rea (WVU) vs. #15 Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State)
157: Zach Moore (WVU) vs. Jonce Blaylock (Oklahoma State)
165: Nick Kiussis (WVU) vs. #8 Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State)
174: Parker VonEgidy (WVU) vs. #12 Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma State)
184: Brenden McRill (WVU) vs. Keegan Moore (Oklahoma State)
197: #12 Jake Smith (WVU) vs. #3 Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State)
285: Brandon Ngati (WVU) vs. #11 Derek White (Oklahoma State)