Redshirt freshman Josh Barr had an unfortunate end to his first Big Ten Championships, medically forfeiting out of the consolation bracket at 197 pounds after suffering a leg injury in his match against Minnesota’s Isaiah Salazar. Requiring assistance from the Penn State wrestling staff to get off the mat, the growing concern was that the up-and-coming Nittany Lion would be unable to compete at next week’s NCAA Championships.
Cael Sanderson addressed Barr’s injury for the first time on Thursday evening during the Penn State Coaches Show. A week away from the action kicking off in Philadelphia, the Nittany Lions are confident that Barr will be ready to compete for a national title.
“Yeah, he’s gotten a lot better [this year]. I mean, at the beginning of the season, it was more just hustle and, you know, kind of make your opponents not want to wrestle you again,” Sanderson said. “And he’s done that, and as he’s done that, his technique has caught up with him. Each week, I feel like he’s got a lot better.
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“We had to kind of carry him off the mat in his last match at the Big Ten. But he’ll be ready to go, and he’ll be scrapping on Thursday next week, so we’re happy for him.”
Ranked as the No. 2 wrestler entering last week’s conference tournament, Barr earned the No. 4 seed at 197 when the NCAA released its seeding on Wednesday night. Minus his injury defaults to Salazar and in the Big Ten’s fifth-place match, the redshirt freshman is 17-1 in his first season as a starter.
How to watch Penn State wrestling in the NCAA Championships?
Penn State wrestling begins its quest for a fourth consecutive national title when the NCAA Championships begin next Thursday afternoon. All the action can be watched live on the ESPN family of networks:
Thursday
First Round – noon on ESPNU
Second Round – 7 p.m. on ESPN
Friday
Quarterfinals – noon on ESPNU
Semifinals – 8 p.m. on ESPN 2
Saturday
Medal Round – 11 a.m. on ESPNU
Finals – 7 p.m. on ESPN
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