Losing does not faze any of Head Coach Barry Davis' Badgers.
After dropping two tough duals on the road to Michigan State (2-1-0 Big Ten, 5-5-0 overall) and Penn State (3-1-0, 10-4-0), the No. 20 Wisconsin wrestling team (1-3-0, 9-3-0) still holds its heads high.
\You gotta be able to forget about those losses and build from them,"" senior Kevin Black said.
This Sunday, Black and the rest of the Badgers will have an excellent opportunity to do just that when No. 8 University of Illinois (1-2-0, 7-3-0) brings the ruckus to the UW Field House.
The Fighting Illini are a talented squad, well-deserving of its high national ranking. Currently, an Illinois grappler is in the top 25 rankings of six of 10 weight classes, most notably, senior Matt Lackey, who wrestles at 165 lbs. Lackey has not lost in his last 25 matches and is ranked at the top of his weight class.
However stacked the Illini may be, the Badgers refuse to be indimidated.
""Out of our line-up, we have four guys ranked, so I think we really match up well with them,"" junior Ralph DeNisco said.
DeNisco, currently ranked ninth at 184 lbs., is only one of four Badgers cracking the top 25 rankings. Joining him are Black, fifth at 133 lbs., his brother senior Tony, ninth at 125 lbs., and senior Justin Staebler, No. 14 in the heavyweight division.
Having all of this talent certainly bodes well for the mat men of Madison this weekend. In addition to the Badgers' more established wrestlers, Wisconsin's younger talent should certainly not be overlooked, as they have contributed immensely to the success of the Badgers this year.
""We've got a couple guys that are just waiting to break into the rankings. It might just take beating one ranked guy [to do that],"" Kevin Black said.
Aiding the Badgers this weekend is the fact that they face off against the Fighting Illini in Madison, in front of the Wisconsin faithful.. Sunday's dual is the start of a four meet homestand for UW. After that they host the Big Ten championships.
""It's been a long time since we've been home. I'm looking forward to it. Being in the home atmosphere is going to help us a lot,"" Davis said.
This weekend is a crucial point for the Badgers in many ways. As Black said, facing a large number of ranked opponents sets the stage for upsets that could end up propelling some Badgers in to the rankings. If this were to happen, the better individual rankings would give the Badgers better seeds when the Big Ten tournament comes around.
As a team, Coach Davis' squad could prove their mettle by besting a very talented Illini team, and in the process, skyrocket its rank and confidence.
In the Big Ten, arguably the best wrestling conference in the nation, every contest is a tough one. With talent abounding, this Sunday's dual could be anyone's to win, but the Badger's are optimistic that it will be them.
""I definitely think we can beat [the Illini]. I definitely think we should beat them too,"" DeNisco said.
The Badgers certainly beat them in the confidence category.
