What: #10 Illinois (7-1) vs #2 Iowa (7-0)
When: Friday, January 17, 2025, at 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET)
Where: Iowa City, Iowa (Carver-Hawkeye Arena)
How to watch: Big Ten Network

#10 Illinois: 7-1

Nov. 9, 2024: Illinois 30, Binghamton 10
Nov. 9, 2024: Illinois 37, Arizona State 6
Nov. 21, 2024: Illinois 23, Missouri 14
Nov. 25, 2024: Illinois 24, North Carolina 14
Dec. 6, 2024: Illinois 34, Indiana 3
Jan. 10, 2025: Ohio State 24, Illinois 9
Jan. 12, 2025: Illinois 33, Northwestern 7

#2 Iowa: 7-0

Nov. 2, 2024: Iowa 30, Oregon State 7
Nov. 9, 2024: Iowa 32, Stanford 9
Nov. 15, 2024: Iowa 49, Bellarmine 0
Nov. 23, 2024: Iowa 21, Iowa State 15
Dec. 6, 2024: Iowa 39, Princeton 3
Dec. 6, 2024: Iowa 23, Army 16
Jan. 12, 2025: Iowa 45, Wisconsin 0

Probable Match-ups

125: Caelan Riley, SO vs #28 Joey Cruz, SO
133: #2 Lucas Byrd, SR vs #3 Drake Ayala, JR
141: #17 Danny Pucino, SR vs #21 Ryder Block, FR, 2-2 or Jace Rhodes, SO, 5-2 or Cullan Schriever, SR, 3-5
149: #15 Kannon Webster, FR vs #3 Kyle Parco, SR
157: #22 Jason Kraisser, SR vs Miguel Estrada, FR
165: #15 Braeden Scoles, FR vs #2 Michael Caliendo, JR
174: #19 Danny Braunagel, JR vs #5 Patrick Kennedy, JR
184: #13 Edmond Ruth, SR vs #5 Gabe Arnold, FR or Angelo Ferrari, FR
197: #13 Zac Braunagel, SR vs #1 Stephen Buchanan, SR
285: #11 Luke Luffman, SR vs #13 Ben Kueter, FR

Probable Illinois Roster

125: Caelan Riley, SO, 2-9
133: #2 Lucas Byrd, SR, 11-0
141: #17 Danny Pucino, SR, 9-2
149: #15 Kannon Webster, FR, 8-3
157: #22 Jason Kraisser, 7-3
165: #15 Braeden Scoles, FR, 10-1
174: #19 Danny Braunagel, SR, 6-5
184: #13 Edmond Ruth, SR, 8-3
197: #13 Zac Braunagel, SR, 8-3
285: #11 Luke Luffman, SR, 9-2
Head coach: Michael Poeta

Probable Iowa Roster

125: #28 Joey Cruz, SO, 7-6 or Kale Petersen, FR, 5-2
133: #3 Drake Ayala, JR, 10-1
141: #21 Ryder Block, FR, 2-2 or Jace Rhodes, SO, 5-2 or Cullan Schriever, SR, 3-5
149: #3 Kyle Parco, SR, 11-0
157: Miguel Estrada, FR, 13-2
165: #2 Michael Caliendo, JR, 11-0
174: #5 Patrick Kennedy, JR, 7-0
184: #5 Gabe Arnold, FR, 9-0 or Angelo Ferrari, FR, 10-0
197: #1 Stephen Buchanan, SR, 11-0
285: #13 Ben Kueter, FR, 9-1
Head coach: Tom Brands

Tom Brands On Roster Battles & Dual With Illinois

Storylines To Follow

#2 Lucas Byrd vs #3 Drake Ayala Will Be Electric
Byrd redshirted last year and appears ready to challenge for a national title during his final season. He finished fifth at the 2021 and 2022 NCAA Championships before reaching the Round of 12 and missing the podium in 2023. 

Ayala is a returning national finalist at 125 pounds who moved to 133 for his junior campaign. He dropped an early season match to Stanford’s Tyler Knox, 15-10, but is trending upward. 

Scoring early is crucial for Ayala. Byrd is difficult to take down, so an early could set the tone in front of a partisan crowd. The Illini senior is mentally tough and will stay in the match from whistle to whistle. This matchup is why we love wrestling.

Illinois Has Something To Prove
Poeta redshirted his top talent last year, anticipating Illinois would be a contender this season. He was right. 

Byrd, Kannon Webster (149), Danny Braunagel (174), Zac Braunagel (197), and Luke Luffman (285) return after redshirts, leading the Illini to a 7-1 start after a 5-9 2023-24 campaign. The above five wrestlers have combined for a 42-13 record this season.

“I actually thought this was going to be the line-up last year with (Lucas) Byrd being out, both Braunagels being out, and the decision on redshirting Kannon Webster,” Poeta said before the season. “Luke Luffman got hurt so that’s just an unfortunate thing during the season that you don’t have control over. 

“I think strong team after strong team is coming. The pieces are here but with the redshirts, I had to be patient. It’s here right now. I think we have a really good product.”

Iowa’s 184-pound Dilemma
The Hawkeyes have two undefeated wrestlers at 184 pounds: Gabe Arnold (9-0) and Angelo Ferrari (10-0). The two met in the Soldier Salute finals but did not wrestle the match. 

Ferrari is a true freshman with five dates available to compete as a Hawkeye. Arnold redshirted last year and his clock is ticking. Either wrestler will have a test against #13 Edmond Ruth, a returning 174-pound All-American who bumped up a weight this season. 

During last year's dual, Ruth lost to Patrick Kennedy, 5-1, and is 1-2 against Nelson Brands. Both teams are looking for a breakout performance from their wrestlers. 

Don’t Sleep On 149 Pounds
Redshirt freshman Kannon Webster is #15 but he could make things interesting against #3 Kyle Parco — a senior four-time All-American. Webster lost once as a redshirt and only has three close setbacks this season. A win will go a long way toward seeding at the Big Ten and NCAA Championships.

What If It Comes Down To Heavyweight?
Iowa is favored in six of 10 matches, but Illinois could make it interesting if they win a swing match. Illini senior Luke Luffman is ranked two spots higher than Kueter, but that hardly matters in a high-stakes dual. Kueter is tough to take down, so one offensive score could decide the outcome.