Photo: Tony Rotundo
Bo Bassett won a Senior World title in Astana on Friday night. One week later, his college career starts against the No. 1 wrestler in the country.
Bassett told Baschamania he'll get back to Blacksburg around 1 a.m. Tuesday. Then it's straight back to student life, with two classes and two workouts on Tuesday. On Thursday, Virginia Tech gets on the bus for Friday's dual with Lehigh (Nov. 6, 7 p.m. ET, live on FloWrestling), where the Hokies freshman is projected to meet #1 Luke Stanich at 141 pounds.
Bassett isn't looking for an easy start.
"Also super excited to put it directly back on the line within a week and God gives me the opportunity to GET to wrestle the #1 guy in the country to start off my college career officially. What a blessing! Let's do it!!"
When Baschamania told him the quote would make a great graphic, he doubled down: "LETS GOOOO! I love this sport!! Zero fear! Let's go get that #1 spot!"
That fearlessness comes from his faith. Bassett credited his World title to "15+ years of hard work through God's plan" and pointed to one of the verses he leans on:
"God has not given us a spirit of fear, God has given us a spirit of strength, love, and discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7
A Freestyle Season for the Books
Bassett went a perfect 10-0 across two World Championships this year.
At the U20 World Championships, he won gold at 65kg with two pins and two techs before beating Japan's Takuto Osedo 8-2 in the final.
At the Senior World Championships, he did it again at 65kg against the best in the world:
- Round of 32: pinned Peiman Biabani (CAN) in 1:13
- Round of 16: teched Quentin Sticker (FRA) 12-0
- Quarterfinal: beat Russia's Abasgadzhi Magomedov 14-13
- Semifinal: teched Abdulmazhid Kudiev (TJK) 12-2
- Final: beat Vazgen Tevanyan (ARM) 9-1
Now he trades the singlet with USA on the front for a Virginia Tech one, and the first test is as tough as it gets.
Round 1 of 2
Stanich is a junior at Lehigh and is #1 at 141 in the InterMat rankings. Bassett is #5.
And this won't be their only meeting this month. The two are already scheduled to wrestle again at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at Penn State's Rec Hall.
Projected Lineup: Virginia Tech vs. Lehigh
InterMat ranks Virginia Tech #4 and Lehigh #14 in its dual rankings. The Hokies are favored on paper, with ranked wrestlers at all but one weight, but Lehigh has the higher-ranked wrestler at 141, 184 and 285. Projected lineup below, with InterMat individual rankings. Lineups are subject to change.
| Weight | Virginia Tech | Lehigh |
|---|---|---|
| 125 | #6 Eddie Ventresca | #22 Matty Lopes |
| 133 | #3 Aaron Seidel | Keanu Dillard |
| 141 | #5 Bo Bassett | #1 Luke Stanich |
| 149 | #1 Caleb Henson | #23 Jayden Scott |
| 157 | #8 Collin Gaj | #15 Logan Rozynski |
| 165 | Mac Church | Richie Grungo |
| 174 | #18 Ryan Burton | Brady Collins |
| 184 | #15 Jaden Bullock | #13 Rylan Rogers |
| 197 | #8 Sonny Sasso | #29 Caden Rogers |
| 285 | #13 Jimmy Mullen | #5 Nathan Taylor |
A few to watch beyond 141:
- 125: #6 Eddie Ventresca vs. #22 Matty Lopes
- 184: #13 Rylan Rogers vs. #15 Jaden Bullock is the closest ranked matchup on the card.
- 285: #5 Nathan Taylor vs. #13 Jimmy Mullen is a top-15 heavyweight matchup.
Virginia Tech vs. Lehigh is Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. ET, live on FloWrestling.