Completed Event: Wrestling versus NCAA Championship on March 20, 2025 , , NTS
/
Final
Wrestling
vs NCAA Championship
Duke Welcomes No. 9 Nebraska in Home Debut
11/21/2014 1:43:00 PM | Wrestling
DURHAM, N.C.—With a pair of tournaments under its belt, the Duke University wrestling makes its home debut Saturday afternoon in a dual with No. 9 Nebraska. The Blue Devils and Huskers square off at 1 p.m., in Card Gymnasium.
Duke by the Numbers
3 – Duke wrestlers ranks in the top 20 of the latest InterMat poll with Conner Hartmann headlining the trio at No. 5 in the 197-pound group. Immanuel Kerr-Brown is 19th at 157 and Marcus Cain is 20th at 149.
14 – Top three finishes by Blue Devil wrestlers in the Hokie Open and Wolfpack Open to start the season
5 – Tournament titles for Duke after two weekends of competing, including two for redshirt junior Conner Hartmann
4 – First-period pins by redshirt senior Brandon Gambucci in his debut at 141 pounds at the Hokie Open
9 – Wins by both Marcus Cain and Jacob Kasper to lead all Blue Devils in the win column after two weekends of wrestling
7 – Nebraska wrestlers ranked among the top 20 heading into Saturday's dual with the Blue Devils
Series History
Duke and Nebraska are squaring off for the first time in the programs' histories. The Huskers will be the sixth Big Ten team the Blue Devils have faced under head coach Glen Lanham. Duke wrestled Purdue, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State and Northwestern a year ago and will also see the Wolverines, Maryland and Michigan later on this season.
|
Probable Lineup |
||
|
WT |
DUKE |
NEBRASKA |
|
125 |
Thayer Atkins (0-0) |
No. 14 Tim Lambert (3-2) |
|
133 |
Bailey Jack (0-0) |
Eric Montoya (4-1) |
|
141 |
Brandon Gambucci (5-1) |
No. 15 Anthony Abidin (6-0) |
|
149 |
No. 20 Marcus Cain (9-2) |
Justin Arthur (6-1) |
|
157 |
No. 19 Immanuel Kerr-Brown (7-1) |
No. 2 James Green (6-0) |
|
165 |
Jake Faust (5-3) |
No. 17 Austin Wilson (3-1) |
|
174 |
Brian Dorsey (7-2) |
No. 2 Robert Kokesh (7-0) |
|
184 |
Jacob Kasper (9-2) or Tyler Patrick (4-4) |
No. 16 TJ Dudley (4-1) or Aaron Studebaker (9-3) |
|
197 |
Spencer Neff (1-4) |
Micah Barnes (7-4) |
|
HWT |
Spencer Neff (1-4) or open |
No. 15 Collin Jensen (4-1) |
About Duke
Duke opens its dual season after strong showings at the Hokie Open and Wolfpack Open to start the year. Blue Devil rookies Thayer Atkins (125) and Bailey Jack (133) will don the Duke singlet for the first time Saturday afternoon. Both Marcus Cain (149) and Immanuel Kerr-Brown (157) look to remain in the top 20 with tough matchups, while redshirt senior Brandon Gambucci makes his dual debut at 141 pounds. Brian Dorsey will get his third career start and first at 174 pounds, while redshirt freshman Spencer Neff will make his debut in a Duke uniform at 197.
About Nebraska
The Huskers come to Durham sporting a 2-0 record with wins over Wyoming (22-13) and Maryland (42-3). Nebraska has seven wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of their respective weight classes, including James Green (157) and Robert Kokesh (174) in the No. 2 slots. Three of the wrestlers – No. 15 Anthony Abidin (141), Green and Kokesh, are all undefeated for the year.
Top Matchups
Saturday's dual features a host of enticing individual matchups. Duke's 19th-ranked Immanuel Kerr-Brown will face his toughest test of the season against No. 2 and reigning Big Ten champion James Green. At 141 pounds, NCAA qualifier Brandon Gambucci will face 15th-ranked Anthony Abidin. Gambucci is in his first season at 141, while Abidin is a first-year full time starter for the Huskers after going 5-0 last season in duals. Marcus Cain aims to keep his strong season going when he wrestles Justin Arthur. Cain is ranked 20th at 149 pounds, while Arthur is in his first year with Nebraska after qualifying for the NCAA Championships from Clarion as a true freshman.
Hartmann to Return in December
Redshirt junior Conner Hartmann is taking this semester off and will return to the Duke lineup at the Grapple at the Garden in December. Hartmann is ranked fifth nationally at 197 pounds and is undefeated in his two tournaments wrestling unattached.
Up Next
The Blue Devils will take a short break from competition before heading to the home of Kerr-Brown and Randy Roden in Rome, Ga., to take on Shorter College Dec. 6. The dual is set for 7:30 p.m., at the Winthrop-King Centre.
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
125
/ Wrestling
149
/ Wrestling
157
/ Wrestling
149
/ Wrestling
125
/ Wrestling
197
/ Wrestling
133
/ Wrestling
184
/ Wrestling
149
/ Wrestling
197
/ Wrestling
184
/ Wrestling
165
/ WrestlingConnor Barket Post ACC Championship
Monday, March 10
Season Opener Video
Friday, November 01
Duke Athletics: A Tour of Campus
Saturday, October 19
Welcome to Duke
Saturday, October 19
