Redshirts or not, the lightest NCAA weight just became everyone’s favorite. 

Iowa freshman Spencer Lee doesn’t have a whole lot college experience, but the matches that he does have were extremely impressive. If Lee is gong to navigate his way through a pretty stout Midlands bracket on Dec. 29-30 at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, IL, and beat Rutgers sophomore Nick Suriano, it’s going to take a full effort. Here are a few ways that Lee can do it.

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Put 'Em On Tilt

Spencer Lee’s tilts are a real problem. Sometimes when you look at a wrestler’s top game when he is in high school, it's hard to visualize that top game making an impact at an NCAA level. 

That's not the case here. The first time I met Lee I shook his hand and it felt like I was shaking the hand of a 50-year-old mason worker. That grip strength plays a big part in what makes his tilt series so successful, grown men can’t get their wrist back.  

Just Enough Scrambling 

Some guys scramble because their body type dictates a propensity toward it. Some guys develop an ability to scramble because of a lack of basic fundamental skill. And some guys scramble simply do evade a situation that is starting to look less than advantageous. 

Lee is more of the latter. If Lee finds himself in a situation that is starting to go in his opponent’s favor, he starts to scramble. He’ll scramble until he finds himself in a position that is far more favorable to him. This sounds like a no-brainer, but it takes a real wrestling IQ to know when to put the brakes on a scramble.

Versatility

When most people think of Spencer Lee, they think of solid leg attacks and a top game that will dominate in any style, but you don’t get to be a world champion without being able to improvise. 

In Lee's first college match, Dack Punke from Missouri was giving him some fits in the neutral position (i.e. it took Lee more than a minute to score his first takedown). Instead of forcing his single leg and overpursuing, he uses this cross pick to get to Punke’s legs and secure a takedown. That cross pick opened the floodgates and Lee would wind up with a tech fall early in the second period.