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Arizona State Sun Devils 19/20 Preview

Cali_Nittany

Well-Known Member
Jan 5, 2016
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The PRC
Arizona State

The Sun Devils racked up a lot of frequent flier miles during their brutal schedule last season. They went 6-10 in duals (3-1 Pac 12). ASU faced numerous ranked teams including Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Missouri, Lehigh, Lock Haven and North Carolina (all losses). Their best win was against Oklahoma who they later lost to at the Virginia Duals. At tournaments, they dominated the Bison Open and SIUE Cougar Clash; and came in 6th at Midlands. ASU placed 2nd to Stanford at the Pac 12 Championship and qualified 5 wrestlers to the NCAA Championship. Unfortunately, Ryan Milhoff wasn’t able to go due to injury. With just four wrestlers, Arizona State placed 12th (42 points) in the team race on the strength of Zahid Valencia’s championship, Josh Shields placing 6th and Christian Pagdilao placing 7th.

It looks like Arizona State could have three true freshman starters to go along with a redshirt freshman. Anthony Valencia is being allowed to eat again, Norfleet is coming back from injury and there has been a Sasquatch sighting on campus. This team could very well have all 10 wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships and reach the top 5.

Arizona State has released their very packed 19/20 schedule. In addition to their 5 Pac-12 matchups, they will again be racking up heaps of frequent flier miles with trips to the Journeyman Duals vs Purdue and Virginia and Journeyman Classic the following day (with at least two more tbd duals) and away meets at Ohio State, Missouri, Lehigh and North Carolina. The Sun Devils will be hosting the Good Guys, Augustana (SD), McKendree (IL), Campbell, Harvard and Iowa State for a grand total of 19 dual meets (possibly more depending on the Journeyman Classic). In addition, their schedule includes Cliff Keen, Reno and Midlands. Their press release only talked about Cliff Keen so I'm assuming that Reno and Midlands won't be full team events.

125
Nick Raimo (Fr) <Hanover Park, NJ>
Brandon Courtney <Desert Edge, AZ>

Two-time New Jersey state champion and three-time finalist Nick Raimo made it out to the desert, escaping the siren call coming from New Brunswick. Raimo is ranked #4 at 132 by InterMat. If Raimo doesn’t start as a true freshman, Brandon Courtney would be the likely starter. Courtney went 14-11 filling in for an injured Ryan Milhoff. He was inconsistent but had several wins against NCAA qualifiers. Outgoing senior, Milhoff, came back at the end of the season to represent ASU at the Pac 12 Championship. He placed second to earn a spot at the NCAA Championship but a broken hand ended his season.

133
Julian Chlebove (Fr) <Northampton, PA>
Josiah Kline (Jr) <Ironwood Ridge, AZ>

Julian Chlebove is a pretty good consolation prize for ASU after not being able to keep RBY in-state. Chlebove is a three-time (could’ve been four-time) Pennsylvania AAA state champion. He is ranked #6 at 132 by InterMat. If Chlebove redshirts then Josiah Kline would continue as the starter. He went 20-13 last year but finished 4th at the Pac-12 Championship and didn’t qualify (2 allocations). Kline didn’t have any wins against NCAA qualifiers.

141
Adam Busiello (Fr) <Eastport South Manor, NY>
Cory Crooks (Jr) <Boulder Creek, AZ>

A former commit to the Good Guys, Busiello decided to hate wrestling (a Spkyer reference for those new to the board) and could be the third in a row of true freshman starters for the Sun Devils. He is a 5-time New York state champion and 3-time Super 32 chamion. Busiello is ranked #4 at 138 by InterMat. If Busiello redshirts then Corey Crooks would continue as the starter. Crooks went 13-18 last season and placed 4th at the Pac-12 Championship (1 allocation).

149
Josh Maruca (Sr) <Franklin Regional, PA>

Maruca is back for his last season with the Sun Devils. He qualified for the NCAA Championship for a second time last season after placing 2nd at the Pac-12 Championship (2 allocations). Maruca went 17-14 overall and 1-2 from the 23 seed. <Bonus: 19.4%, RPI: .612>

157
Jacori Teemer (Fr) <Long Beach, NY>

Teemer went 10-2 splitting between 149 and 157 during his redshirt season. His two losses came against 149 All-Amercians, Pat Lugo (Iowa) and Matt Kolodzik (Prince). Teemer’s best wins were against fellow redshirts Sammy Sasso (Tosu) and Brayton Lee (Minny); and NCAA qualifier Khristian Olivas (Fresno St).

Last season, Christian Pagdilao ended his collegiate career on a high note becoming an All-American for the first time. He placed 7th from the 9 seed with a record of 27-10. Pagdilao was the Pac-12 Champion at 149 his true freshman season in 2015 but couldn’t crack the starting line-up again until last season. It was good to see him end as an AA.

165
Josh Shields (Sr) <Franklin Regional, PA>

Shields will be trying to become a 3-time All-American in his final season with ASU. In a stacked weight class last season he placed 6th from the 3 seed. He finished 7th at 157 in 2018. Fun fact: Even including his redshirt season, the only wrestler to ever to get bonus points against him is Vincenzo Joseph. <Bonus: 54.1%, RPI: .680>

174
Anthony Valencia (Sr) <St. John Bosco, CA>

Anthony was spotted eating a triple triple with animal style fries at In-N-Out Burger so the rumors about him moving up appear to be true. (FWIW, the ASU roster still lists Anthony at 165 and Zahid at 174.) Anthony took an Olympic redshirt last season and got injured at Midlands. He was an NCAA qualifier in 2016 and 2017 at 165 but has not yet reached the podium.

184
Zahid Valencia (Sr) <St. John Bosco, CA>

Zahid could enter the realm of the GOAT with another championship. It appears that he’s moving up to a cleared out 184 weight class but while I’m listing him here, I’ll believe it when I see it. Last season at 174, Zahid avenged an earlier loss to Mark Hall to capture his 2nd championship. He’s sporting a 101-3 career record with his only losses coming against Hall and 4-time AA Daniel Lewis. (Wouldn’t it be awesome if Rasheed could pull a 2017 Joseph?) <Bonus: 78.8%, RPI: .711>

Last season at 184, out-going senior Jacen Petersen took over for an injured Kordell Norfleet and went 14-12 and didn’t qualify for the NCAA Championship.

197
Kordell Norfleet (Jr) <Marion Catholic, IL>

Norfleet began last season as the starter at 184 before his season was cut short by injury (versus Rasheed?). He was 8-2 before the season ending injury. Norfleet was the PAC-12 Champion and NCAA qualifier at 184 in 2018 (going 0-2). Last season at 197, out-going senior Austyn Harris went 8-19.

Heavy
Tanner Hall (Sr) <Meridian, ID>

Sasquatch is back from a redshirt season where he went 7-1. His only loss coming against Gable Steveson (Minny) in SV-1 at the Bison Open. Hall won the heavyweight title at Midlands. He was the 3rd place finisher in 2017 and also qualified in 2016 as a true freshman (R12) and in 2018 (R16). Brady Daniel (So) was the starter last season and went 12-19.

New Faces
Arizona State has an absolute stellar recruiting class coming in with 5 wrestlers ranked in the top 6 of their weight classes and several that could be starting immediately.

Nick Raimo <Hanover Park, NJ>
Listed above at 125

Julian Chlebove <Northampton, PA>
Listed above at 133

Adam Busiello <Eastport South Manor, NY>
Listed above at 141

Trey Muñoz <Trabuco Hills, CA>
Muñoz is a two-time California state finalist and went undefeated his senior season, capturing the 170 lb championship. His father, Mark Muñoz, was a national champion at 197 for Oklahoma State in 2001. Trey is ranked #4 at 170 by InterMat.

Jacob Good <Clovis, CA>
Good was the California state champion at 195 in 2018 and champion at 220 in 2019. Good is ranked #16 at 220 by InterMat.

Colton Schultz <Parker, CO>
Just go here for his bona fides, it’s a long list. Schultz is ranked #2 at 285 by InterMat.

asu-cheerleader-alicia23.jpg
 
Last edited:
ASU has a really talented team. A mix of TRFR talent and senior studs.
 
Arizona State

The Sun Devils racked up a lot of frequent flier miles during their brutal schedule last season. They went 6-10 in duals (3-1 Pac 12). ASU faced numerous ranked teams including Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Missouri, Lehigh, Lock Haven and North Carolina (all losses). Their best win was against Oklahoma who they later lost to at the Virginia Duals. At tournaments, they dominated the Bison Open and SIUE Cougar Clash; and came in 6th at Midlands. ASU placed 2nd to Stanford at the Pac 12 Championship and qualified 5 wrestlers to the NCAA Championship. Unfortunately, Ryan Milhoff wasn’t able to go due to injury. With just four wrestlers, Arizona State placed 12th (42 points) in the team race on the strength of Zahid Valencia’s championship, Josh Shields placing 6th and Christian Pagdilao placing 7th.

It looks like Arizona State could have three true freshman starters to go along with a redshirt freshman. Anthony Valencia is being allowed to eat again, Norfleet is coming back from injury and there has been a Sasquatch sighting on campus. This team could very well have all 10 wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships and reach the top 5. Arizona State still has not released their 19/20 schedule (booooo!).

125
Nick Raimo (Fr) <Hanover Park, NJ>
Brandon Courtney <Desert Edge, AZ>

Two-time New Jersey state champion and three-time finalist Nick Raimo made it out to the desert, escaping the siren call coming from New Brunswick. Raimo is ranked #4 at 132 by InterMat. If Raimo doesn’t start as a true freshman, Brandon Courtney would be the likely starter. Courtney went 14-11 filling in for an injured Ryan Milhoff. He was inconsistent but had several wins against NCAA qualifiers. Outgoing senior, Milhoff, came back at the end of the season to represent ASU at the Pac 12 Championship. He placed second to earn a spot at the NCAA Championship but a broken hand ended his season.

133
Julian Chlebove (Fr) <Northampton, PA>
Josiah Kline (Jr) <Ironwood Ridge, AZ>

Julian Chlebove is a pretty good consolation prize for ASU after not being able to keep RBY in-state. Chlebove is a three-time (could’ve been four-time) Pennsylvania AAA state champion. He is ranked #6 at 132 by InterMat. If Chlebove redshirts then Josiah Kline would continue as the starter. He went 20-13 last year but finished 4th at the Pac-12 Championship and didn’t qualify (2 allocations). Kline didn’t have any wins against NCAA qualifiers.

141
Adam Busiello (Fr) <Eastport South Manor, NY>
Cory Crooks (Jr) <Boulder Creek, AZ>

A former commit to the Good Guys, Busiello decided to hate wrestling (a Spkyer reference for those new to the board) and could be the third in a row of true freshman starters for the Sun Devils. He is a 5-time New York state champion and 3-time Super 32 chamion. Busiello is ranked #4 at 138 by InterMat. If Busiello redshirts then Corey Crooks would continue as the starter. Crooks went 13-18 last season and placed 4th at the Pac-12 Championship (1 allocation).

149
Josh Maruca (Sr) <Franklin Regional, PA>

Maruca is back for his last season with the Sun Devils. He qualified for the NCAA Championship for a second time last season after placing 2nd at the Pac-12 Championship (2 allocations). Maruca went 17-14 overall and 1-2 from the 23 seed. <Bonus: 19.4%, RPI: .612>

157
Jacori Teemer (Fr) <Long Beach, NY>

Teemer went 10-2 splitting between 149 and 157 during his redshirt season. His two losses came against 149 All-Amercians, Pat Lugo (Iowa) and Matt Kolodzik (Prince). Teemer’s best wins were against fellow redshirts Sammy Sasso (Tosu) and Brayton Lee (Minny); and NCAA qualifier Khristian Olivas (Fresno St).

Last season, Christian Pagdilao ended his collegiate career on a high note becoming an All-American for the first time. He placed 7th from the 9 seed with a record of 27-10. Pagdilao was the Pac-12 Champion at 149 his true freshman season in 2015 but couldn’t crack the starting line-up again until last season. It was good to see him end as an AA.

165
Josh Shields (Sr) <Franklin Regional, PA>

Shields will be trying to become a 3-time All-American in his final season with ASU. In a stacked weight class last season he placed 6th from the 3 seed. He finished 7th at 157 in 2018. Fun fact: Even including his redshirt season, the only wrestler to ever to get bonus points against him is Vincenzo Joseph. <Bonus: 54.1%, RPI: .680>

174
Anthony Valencia (Sr) <St. John Bosco, CA>

Anthony was spotted eating a triple triple with animal style fries at In-N-Out Burger so the rumors about him moving up appear to be true. (FWIW, the ASU roster still lists Anthony at 165 and Zahid at 174.) Anthony took an Olympic redshirt last season and got injured at Midlands. He was an NCAA qualifier in 2016 and 2017 at 165 but has not yet reached the podium.

184
Zahid Valencia (Sr) <St. John Bosco, CA>

Zahid could enter the realm of the GOAT with another championship. It appears that he’s moving up to a cleared out 184 weight class but while I’m listing him here, I’ll believe it when I see it. Last season at 174, Zahid avenged an earlier loss to Mark Hall to capture his 2nd championship. He’s sporting a 101-3 career record with his only losses coming against Hall and 4-time AA Daniel Lewis. (Wouldn’t it be awesome if Rasheed could pull a 2017 Joseph?) <Bonus: 78.8%, RPI: .711>

Last season at 184, out-going senior Jacen Petersen took over for an injured Kordell Norfleet and went 14-12 and didn’t qualify for the NCAA Championship.

197
Kordell Norfleet (Jr) <Marion Catholic, IL>

Norfleet began last season as the starter at 184 before his season was cut short by injury (versus Rasheed?). He was 8-2 before the season ending injury. Norfleet was the PAC-12 Champion and NCAA qualifier at 184 in 2018 (going 0-2). Last season at 197, out-going senior Austyn Harris went 8-19.

Heavy
Tanner Hall (Sr) <Meridian, ID>

Sasquatch is back from a redshirt season where he went 7-1. His only loss coming against Gable Steveson (Minny) in SV-1 at the Bison Open. Hall won the heavyweight title at Midlands. He was the 3rd place finisher in 2017 and also qualified in 2016 as a true freshman (R12) and in 2018 (R16). Brady Daniel (So) was the starter last season and went 12-19.

New Faces
Arizona State has an absolute stellar recruiting class coming in with 5 wrestlers ranked in the top 6 of their weight classes and several that could be starting immediately.

Nick Raimo <Hanover Park, NJ>
Listed above at 125

Julian Chlebove <Northampton, PA>
Listed above at 133

Adam Busiello <Eastport South Manor, NY>
Listed above at 141

Trey Muñoz <Trabuco Hills, CA>
Muñoz is a two-time California state finalist and went undefeated his senior season, capturing the 170 lb championship. His father, Mark Muñoz, was a national champion at 197 for Oklahoma State in 2001. Trey is ranked #4 at 170 by InterMat.

Jacob Good <Clovis, CA>
Good was the California state champion at 195 in 2018 and champion at 220 in 2019. Good is ranked #16 at 220 by InterMat.

Colton Schultz <Parker, CO>
Just go here for his bona fides, it’s a long list. Schultz is ranked #2 at 285 by InterMat.

asu-cheerleader-alicia23.jpg
The write up that accompanied the much appreciated photo was nice. Thanks for the picture.;)
 
They, VT, NC State, Cornell and others are never going to catch up with Rutgers recruiting like that. ;)

Allow me to express my thanks to you for all the work on the review/previews.
 
141 maybe 149 in a few years once he hits the college weights.Penn St will be top of his list
But will he be at the top of PSU's list?

There has to be a reason the lifelong PSU fan flipped away late. Not sure this news changes that situation at all -- unless he's willing to come as a walk-on.

Either way, would love to have him at PSU.
 
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But will he be at the top of PSU's list?

There has to be a reason the lifelong PSU fan flipped away late. Not sure this news changes that situation at all -- unless he's willing to come as a walk-on.

Either way, would love to have him at PSU.
I am only guessing, but I believe the kid follows his heart and ends up in State College.
 
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