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21/22 Preview - Little Rock

Cali_Nittany

Well-Known Member
Jan 5, 2016
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The PRC
Little Rock Trojans

Last Season

The Trojans went 2-10 in their second full season in Division 1 with wins against Fresno State and CSUB. Little Rock. In the Pac-12 tournament finished a distant 6th (out of 6 teams) and didn’t automatically qualify any wrestlers. Paul Bianchi (133) got Little Rock’s first ever bid to the NCAA tournament as a wildcard and first ever win at the NCAA tournament.

This Season

There appears to be significant line-up changes for Little Rock this season with four new starters. The good news is that this team is very young so there’s room to grow. The bad news is they lost their best wrestler, outgoing senior Paul Bianchi. (I’m wondering if this is the only team that does not have someone from the college’s home state as a starter.) I would expect another 6th place Pac-12 finish as this team is still in the process of building into a competitive D1 program. Little Rock has not yet released their 21-22 schedule but it’s pretty much guaranteed that they will be racking up a good amount of frequent flier miles.

Lineup

125 - Khyler Brewer (FR) [Staley, MO]

Brewer went 4-10 as a true freshman starter last season, finishing 6th at the Pac-12 tournament.


133 - Jaylen Carson (RSFR) [Lafayette, MO]

Carson went 5-4 last season backing up outgoing senior Paul Bianchi who went 10-7, 4th at the Pac-12 tournament and 1-2 at the NCAA tournament.


141 Connor Ward (RSSO) [Mill Valley, KS]

Ward went 2-13 last season, finishing 5th at the Pac-12 tournament. His biggest win last season was pinning Justin Chlebove (ASU) in the Pac-12 tournament for 5th place after being pinned by Chlebove in the first round.


149 Tyler Brennan (SO) [Frisco, TX]

Brennan didn’t wrestle last season and is slated to replace Kyle Prewitt (RSFR) who went 2-12 (6th Pac-12) last season.


157 Joseph Bianchi (RSFR) [Two Rivers, WI]

Bianchi went 4-9 last season, finishing 5th at the Pac-12 tournament.


165 Alex Hernandez (FR) [Poway, CA]

Hernandez went 4-10 last season as a true freshman, finishing 5th at the Pac-12 tournament.


174 Triston Wills (RSFR) [Derby, KS]

A transfer from Oklahoma State, Wills went 8-9 last season and had Little Rock’s highest Pac-12 tournament placement, capturing 3rd.


184 Tanner Mendoza (FR) [Valiant Prep, AZ]

Mendoza went 4-10 last season as a true freshman, finishing 6th at the Pac-12 tournament.


197 Brooks Sacharczyk (FR) [Blackman, TN]

Sacharczyk went 1-7 last season backing up Dylan Johnson who went 4-12 (6th @ Pac-12).


285 Josiah Hill (FR) [Bakersfield, CA]

Hill went 4-5 last season backing up Gabriel Beyer who went 7-9 (5th @ Pac-12). Hill was a California state champion in 2020 and didn't start wrestling until his freshman year in high school.


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Little Rock Trojans

(I’m wondering if this is the only team that does not have someone from the college’s home state as a starter.)
Thanks for continuing these previews! Always look forward to them.

Anyway, to kinda-sorta answer your question: two Top 10 teams will have zero in-state starters this year -- one an ACC school with a few recent Top 5 finishes, the other a B10 West school with an ultra-obnoxious head coach.

That's as far down the rankings as I care to check, though some private schools wouldn't surprise me either (Brown -- how many starters does Rhode Island produce?).
 
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Little Rock Trojans

(I’m wondering if this is the only team that does not have someone from the college’s home state as a starter.)
I missed a power with only one in-state starter, and that guy wasn't expected to start. That bites. If the better credentialed guy starts this year, then they'd have no in-state starters.
 
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