Nebraska

Wrestling Preview: No. 1 Penn State at No. 6 Nebraska

Published

1 year ago

January 17, 2025

Wrestling Preview: No. 1 Penn State at No. 6 Nebraska

Penn State wrestling is coming fresh off a record-tying utter domination of Michigan State, albeit with nearly half of the latter’s starting lineup not taking the mat. This week, they face a far more formidable opponent – the always tough Nebraska Cornhuskers, who are entering this matchup after a season-building win over then-#6 Minnesota (21-13). That win vaulted the Huskers back up the rankings, as they were the #9 ranked team after their first (and only) loss at the hands of Northern Iowa (24-9).

Nebraska is one of the few squads who, like Penn State, feature a ranked wrestler at every weight – but half of the Husker lineup is in the top ten, versus nine out of ten for PSU. Rankings aren’t everything, though, as the underdogs feature a number of bonafide studs who’ve had some impressive bouts in their NE careers.

It’s been five years since Penn State has wrestled in the Devaney Center, with none of the current roster having wrestled there before; the last time, a few weeks after the Lions lodged a narrow 20-18 win, the world shut down to a global pandemic. Let’s hope this year’s outcome doesn’t trigger similarly catastrophic consequences.

How To Watch

What: #1 Penn State vs #6 Nebraska*

Where: Devaney Center, Lincoln, NE

When: Friday, January 17, 9 PM EST

Audio: Free (via GoPSUSports)

Video: BTN

Lineup

#1 Penn State	WT	#6 Nebraska
#1 Penn State	WT	#6 Nebraska
#12 – Luke Lilledahl (Fr., St Charles, MO)	125	#6 – Caleb Smith (Gr.,, HIgh Point, NC)
#5 – Braeden Davis (So., Belleville, MI)	133	#16 – Jacob Van Dee (So., Union City, PA)
#3 – Beau Bartlett (Gr., Tempe, AZ)	141	#6 – Brock Hardy (Jr., Brigham City, UT)
#2 – Shayne Van Ness (So., Somerville, NJ)	149	#4 – Ridge Lovett (Sr., Post Falls, ID)
#3 – Tyler Kasak (So., Doylestown, PA) OR Alex Facundo (So., Essexville, MI)	157	#5 – Antrell Taylor (So., Millard, NE)
#1 – Mitchell Mesenbrink (So., Hartland, WI)	165	Christopher Minto (Fr., Cape Coral, FL) OR #7 – Bubba Wilson (Sr., Manhattan, KS)
#2 – Levi Haines (Jr., Arendtsville, PA)	174	#15 – Lenny Pinto (Jr., Stroudsburg, PA)
#1 – Carter Starocci (Gr., Erie, PA)	184	# 17 – Silas Allred (Jr., Anderson, IN)
#4 – Josh Barr (Fr, Davison, MI) OR Lucas Cochran (Jr., Perry UT)	197	#22 – Camden McDaniel (Fr., Circleville, OH)
#2 – Greg Kerkvliet (Gr., Grove Heights, MN)	285	#24 – Harley Andrews (So., Tuttle, OK)

125 – Match of the Meet #1

I see Lightning Luke on the same trajectory as Mitchell Mesenbrink last year, with each week having him climb up the rankings after starting off the season far too low. This week will be a big test for Lilledahl, and he’s more than up to the task; Smith is a veteran wrestler and 2024 All-American, coming into this dual having split his last two bouts (a loss to #30 Anderson of UNI, and a win over #7 Flynn of Minnesota). All the pressure is on Smith, and Luke’s got the chance to show out.

Prediction: Lilledahl by decision

Score: PSU 3, UN 0

133 LBS

Davis isn’t coming out of nowhere this season – the reigning B1G champ at 125 is on everyone’s radar. He gets his third top ranked bout this year against the Nebraska grappler that teammate Aaron Nagao pinned in the conference tournament last year – but Van Dee is confident, coming off an upset over Minnesota’s Tyler Wells. I expect one takedown to make the difference here, and that three will be Braeden’s.

Prediction: Davis by decision

Score: PSU 6, UN 0

141 LBS

Beau says he’s having the most fun wrestling this year, and who am I to discount that? This week, he takes on last year’s #3 finisher at this weight. Hardy, like Smith, has split his last two bouts (losing to #5 Happel of UNI and beating #8 Vombaur of Minnesota); it doesn’t come easier for him. The best bet on this one is a tie late into the third, if not extra wrestling, with Bartlett snagging a last-second TD and the victory.

Prediction: Bartlett by decision

Score: PSU 9, UN 0

149 LBS

Ridge Lovett was the internet’s favorite wrestler a few years ago, an exciting athlete with a high-scoring style that even the most cursory of wrestling fans would find exciting, culminating in an NCAA finals appearance as a true sophomore in 2022. We’re all used to his on-mat theatrics now, and he’s not taking anyone by surprise; neither is Shayne Van Ness, who seems better than ever coming back after last year’s medical redshirt. This one starts out close but some swipes in the third give the Nittany Lion enough points to be just shy of bonus.

Prediction: Van Ness by decision

Score: PSU 12, UN 0

157 LBS

Antrell Taylor’s another Husker who split his last two outings, losing to UNI’s #4 Downey and beating MInnesota’s #9 Askey. He’ll be a tough outing for Tyler Kasak, and the Nittany Lion’s first major test since the All-Star Classic. I’ve got a feeling that Nebraska pulls off one big upset this week, and though this one might not be big, it would definitely be an upset – one Tyler gets back in the postseason.

Prediction: Taylor by decision

Score: PSU 12, UN 3

165 LBS

Even though this is listed as an “or” in Penn State’s official match preview, that doesn’t mean one Nebraska wrestler will be decidedly easier for Mesenbrink than the other – if it weren’t for returning NCAA qualifier Wilson, MInto would likely be highly ranked as well. But this is Mitchell Mesenbrink we’re talking about, and even top ten guys will likely be fodder for him on his quest for a title this year.

Prediction: Mesenbrink by tech fall

Score: PSU 17, UN 3

174 LBS

Lenny Pinto is one of the few Huskers who is on a winning streak, beating back to back ranked wrestlers – but he’s never had to wrestle Levi Haines. This week, Levi’ll get a turn that us fans will call a pin but the refs won’t; he will get bonus, though.

Prediction: Levi by major decision

Score: PSU 21, UN 3

184 LBS

I was originally going to pick this one to be close, but then I saw the results from the last two weeks – Allred’s top ten, but he was pinned by Parker Keckeisen and majored by Minnesota’s McEnelly. Carter is the heel of college wrestling right now, and I wouldn’t be a fan of his if I didn’t recognize he’d take those results as a distinct challenge. I don’t think he’ll get quite the angle he’ll need to take Silas Allred to his back, but he’ll get enough swipes to be thisclose to a tech.

Prediction: Carter by major decision

Score: PSU 25, UN 3

197 LBS

Josh Barr had his best test in the Nittany Lions’ last road trip, and passed with flying colors. His ranking reflects that, though, and his might be the second best bet this week. He’s facing a fellow freshman, but one who’s fresh off a pair of losses. This could get bad pretty quickly.

Prediction: Barr by pin

Score: PSU 31, UN 3

285 LBS

Kerkvliet went first last week against the Spartans, and isn’t used to having to leave the anklets on the mat so accidentally left to go to the locker room with them on after his first-minute pin. That has nothing to do with this bout, but just makes me happy – and there’s not much I can say that will make this bout any closer. Andrews was tech falled by Steveson last week, and I expect similar this week, putting a capper on a successful business trip for the Lions.

Prediction: Kerk by tech fall

Score: PSU 36, UN 3

Overall score prediction: Penn State 36, Nebraska 3

*The Penn State athletic department, in its official capacity, uses Intermat’s Tournament Power Index in all its match literature; I’m using Intermat’s Dual Meet Rankings because this happens to be a dual. Penn State is #1 in both rankings; Nebraska is #6 in the dual rankings, and #4 in the tournament rankings.

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Nebraska

How to Watch No. 12 Nebraska Basketball at USC with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

Published

9 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

How to Watch No. 12 Nebraska Basketball at USC with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

Not even more sickness could stop the No. 12 Nebraska men’s basketball team.

With a nasty flu strain ripping through the Huskers and the UNL campus as a whole, Nebraska needed a little more time to take care of Maryland, but freshman star Braden Frager and his team-high 21 points and eight rebounds led a late NU surge for a 74-61 victory over the Terrapins. Forward Pryce Sandfort added to the effort with 16 points and eight rebounds while both Rienk Mast (13) and Sam Hoiberg (12) also reached double figures.

Now with just three games remaining in the regular season, the Huskers venture west for a two-game road trip to L.A., where they start off against a USC team in the middle of a long losing skid. Here’s all you need to know for Saturday’s mid-afternoon showdown between the Huskers and Trojans.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: Nebraska (24-4, 13-4 B1G) at USC (18-10, 7-10 B1G)
When: Saturday, February 28
Where: Galen Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
Time: 3 p.m. CST
Watch: Big Ten Network
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

USC head coach Eric Musselman has already surpassed the wins total from his first season in charge of the Trojans. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC Scout

Head Coach

Eric Musselman | 2nd season at USC; 11th as HC
35-28 (.556) at USC; 256-121 (.679) College Career Record
6x NCAA Tournament Apps., 2x Elite Eight, 2x Sweet 16, 1x CBI Championship
3x MWC regular season, 1x MWC tournament
1x MWC Coach OTY (2018), 1x NBA D-League Coach OTY (2012)
Previous head coach at Arkansas, Nevada, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors
Previous assistant at LSU, Arizona State, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves

2024-2025 Record & Awards

Record: 17-18 (7-13 B1G, T-12th)
Finish: L, 60-59 to Villanova in CBC Quarterfinals
All-B1G: 1x Honorable Mention

All-Time Series

USC leads 6-5
Jan. 22, 2025, last matchup, 78-73 USC

Washington guard Desmond Claude (1) was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention pick last year at USC before transferring. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Key Returners

Terrance Williams II | F | Gr. | Was off to a great start with 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last year before getting knocked out for the season just seven games in; has not been the same with just 2.5 PPG in 27 contests this season.

Key Departures

Desmond Claude | G | Transfer | Named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention last season for the Trojans after leading the team with 15.8 points per game, but transferred to Washington over the offseason.
Wesley Yates III | G | Transfer | Another player that transferred to Washington, the Texas native was second on the team last season in scoring (14.1) and steals (40) as a redshirt freshman.
Chibuzo Agbo | G | Graduated | Veteran guard that scored 11.8 points per contest while leading the team with 76 made three-pointers as part of his final college season.
Saint Thomas | F | Graduated | The Omaha native and Millard North graduate scored 9.5 points and grabbed 5.9 rebounds per game in his final college season.
Rashaun Agee | F | Graduated | A 6-foot-8 veteran forward who proved to be USC’s most dangerous threat off the bench by scoring over nine points per game.
Josh Cohen | F | Graduated | A 6-foot-10 post that started in 25 of his 33 appearances while adding 5.9 points per game for the Trojans.
Clark Slajchert | G | Graduated | Another key reserve for the Trojans who put up four points per game in 11 minutes across 27 games.
Kevin Patton Jr. | F | Transfer | After scoring 9.8 PPG at San Diego, the California native saw limited action for USC off the bench to prompt his transfer to New Mexico over the offseason.
Matt Knowling | F | Graduated | Played in 27 contests with an average of over 18 minutes, but added little production with three points and 2.6 rebounds.

Another standout guard for USC last season, Wesley Yates III (9) transferred to Washington ahead of his redshirt sophomore year. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Rodney Rice | G | Jr. | The third leading scorer from a Sweet 16 Maryland squad last season, the transfer scored over 20 points per game for the Trojans before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in December.
Chad Baker-Mazara | G/F | Gr. | A veteran transfer that aided Auburn’s run to the Final Four last season, the Dominican Republic native leads all active Trojans with 18.6 points per game and 71 total assists.
Ezra Ausar | F | Sr. | The 6-foot-9 forward transfer from Utah scores over 15 points per game and grabs over six rebounds per contest in an elevated role after the injury to Rice.
Alijah Arenas | G | Fr. | The son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, the true freshman missed the first 18 games of the season, but he’s been highly productive with a 13.9 points per game average in his first 10 college games.
Jacob Cofie | F | Soph. | A massive 6-foot-10 forward from Seattle, the Virginia transfer gives USC a weapon inside with 9.8 points and seven rebounds per game as a full-time starter.
Kam Woods | G | Gr. | A mid-season transfer from Robert Morris, where he led the program to its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance, the Alabama native has added over eight points and four rebounds in 16 contests this year.
Jordan Marsh | G | Jr. | The 2025 Big South Conference Newcomer of the Year last season at UNC-Ashville, Marsh acts as the sixth man for the Trojans with 6.7 PPG to lead all reserves.
Jaden Brownell | F | Gr. | A 6-foot-10 bench forward, the USC big man was a 14-point scorer at Samford last season before making his way to L.A.
Jerry Easter II | G | Fr. | An Ohio native who went to the heralded Link Academy in Missouri, Easter II has earned six starts in his 26 appearances by scoring 4.4 points per game.
Gabe Dynes | C | Jr. | The 7-foot-5 center led the country in blocks (104) last season at Youngstown State before transferring to USC, where he’s putting up three points per game, but has collected 30 blocks while only averaging 12 minutes per appearance.

Outlook

A veteran head coach at both the college and NBA levels, Eric Musselman was at the center of one of college basketball’s wildest coaching carousel moves following the 2023–24 season, leaving Arkansas for USC and paving the way for the legendary John Calipari to take over the Razorbacks program.

While Calipari marched his team to a Sweet 16 appearance in his first season, Musselman’s debut season in L.A. ended with a quarterfinal loss in the CBC for an underwhelming year. What followed was an exodus from the program, with top-two scorers Desmond Claude (15.8) and Wesley Yates III (14.1) both transferring to Washington despite standout seasons. Six others graduated, including Omaha native Saint Thomas (9.5) as well as Chibuzo Agbo, a veteran guard who scored 11.8 points per game in his final college season.

That resulted in a whole new crop of transfers to join the team, including the crown jewel of the haul in Rodney Rice, who played a big part in helping Maryland reach the Sweet 16 last season. The junior started out hot for the Trojans, logging over 20 points per game, but a devastating shoulder injury ended his season just seven games in, which immediately lowered the ceiling for a USC team with decent talent. Chad Baker-Mazara has stepped up in the place of Rice with 18.6 points per game and a team-high 71 assists after transferring from Auburn, where he helped the Tigers reach the Final Four.

Rodney Rice (1) was scoring over 20 points per game for USC before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in December. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Utah transfer Ezra Ausar has produced at a high level with over 15 points and six rebounds per contest. Despite missing the first 18 games of the season, true freshman Alijah Arenas has averaged 13.9 points per game as a starter. Sophomore and Virginia transfer Jacob Cofie is the muscle in the post, scoring 9.8 points per game and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds per contest. Similar to Arenas, Robert Morris transfer Kam Woods has been a big mid-season addition with over eight points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Plus, Jordan Marsh (6.7), Jaden Brownell (5.3), and 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes give Musselman the opportunity to mix-and-match his lineup off the bench depending on the matchup.

The Rice injury is massive, and could end up being one of the primary reasons for the Trojans missing the NCAA Tournament, for which they are a bubble team in the latest projections. It’s crunch time for USC, which is in the midst of a four-game losing streak after dropping contests to Ohio State, No. 10 Illinois, Oregon, and UCLA. Three of those four were winnable for the Trojans and games that could really haunt them as they search for key wins down the stretch to lock up a spot in March Madness.

Against a Trojan team that doesn’t defend well, but ranks as one of the top rebounding teams in the conference, USC is an interesting matchup for Nebraska. Being on the road and dealing with more sickness isn’t helpful, but I’m riding the Huskers for this one to reach 25 wins on the year.

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Nebraska

Nebraska State Patrol troopers find 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection

Published

21 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska State Patrol troopers find 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection

LEXINGTON, Neb. (KOLN) – Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.

On Tuesday afternoon, an NSP Carrier Enforcement trooper conducted a commercial vehicle inspection on a semi tractor/trailer driven by Arwinderjit Singh, 30, of California, near mile marker 254 on Interstate 80.

Arwinderjit Singh mugshot(Dawson County Jail)

During the inspection, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity. An NSP K-9 detected the odor of a controlled substance inside the cab of the semi, troopers said.

After searching the cab, troopers located 242 pounds of cocaine concealed underneath the sleeper bed, NSP said.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds... — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.(Nebraska State Patrol)

Singh was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver, possession of an open alcohol container, no drug tax stamp and displaying a fictitious license plate.

Singh was lodged in Dawson County Jail, and his bond was set at 10% of $2 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 12.

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Nebraska

Athlete of the Week: Creighton Prep boys wrestling’s Zaiyahn Ornelas

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Athlete of the Week: Creighton Prep boys wrestling’s Zaiyahn Ornelas

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Creighton Prep senior Zaiyahn Ornelas won his fourth consecutive Nebraska state wrestling title on Saturday.

According to NSAA records, he joins 39 other wrestlers in state history to accomplish the feat.

“It’s a great feeling,” Ornelas said. “It’s a feeling everybody wants.”

The senior ended his career as the 39th four-time state champion in Nebraska history, winning three at Wilber-Clatonia before joining the Jr. Jays.

Ornelas won three Class C state titles at Wilber-Clatonia at 106, 113 and 120 pounds before transferring to Creighton Prep for his senior season, where he competed in Class A at 126 pounds.

“Three state titles there and then just thought I could bump up my competition,” Ornelas said.

“Zaiyahn is one of the cleanest technicians I’ve ever seen. That’s a huge testament to his coaching staff at Wilber,” Fisher added.

Ornelas was one of four Creighton Prep wrestlers to win state titles this season, helping lead the Jr. Jays to the Class A team title. Teammates said his presence in the practice room raised their level of competition.

“I could never slack off just because my competition in the state was easy. I always had to come in this room and get better or else I was going to get beat,” said sophomore Cruzer Dominguez, a two-time Class A state champion at 106 and 120 pounds.

Sophomore Kameron Green, the Class A 144-pound state champion this year, also credited Ornelas for aiding in his development.

“Zaiyahn being a training partner has helped me in tremendous ways,” he said. “When he wrestles, he’s not the nicest or shyest kid, but he’s tenacious and tough.”

The sophomore won his first state title after finishing as a runner-up at 126 pounds as a freshman.

Junior JT Smith, a two-time state champion at 175 and 190 pounds, said the achievement carries weight for the entire team.

“It’s something really special to have a teammate that’s a four-time state champion,” he said. “That’s something everyone wants to be.”

The junior finished the season as a back-to-back state champion after winning a gold medal at 175 pounds as a sophomore.

Fisher said Ornelas’s attitude set the tone from the start.

“He has so many skills and then coming into our room, he’s extremely coachable. Every time he came in here he was humble, ready to work, wanting to get better and that’s why he is as good as he is,” Fisher said.

Ornelas signed to wrestle at the University of Nebraska in November. He said the move to Creighton Prep delivered what he was looking for.

“This is the reason why I came here. I went out to explore, to find the best, and this is the territory that I found. If it wasn’t for these guys — the push — I would have not been there,” Ornelas said.

“It’s hard to believe. That’s kind of what I wanted since the beginning, freshman year,” he said.

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