Wrestling opens up Big 12 play

Missouri will take on No. 4 Nebraska this weekend.

By Nick Forrester

Published Jan. 30, 2009

Being a three-time Big 12 Champion, three-time All-American and NCAA National Championship winner isn't always enough to make it on Nebraska's starting lineup. Just ask former Nebraska wrestler Paul Donahoe.

Donahoe was one of two Nebraska wrestlers who posed nude for the Web site fratmentv.com, a site that shows videos and photographs of naked or partially naked male athletes. Donahoe had his scholarship from Nebraska revoked before the season began because of an NCAA violation that athletes are not allowed to knowingly let pictures of themselves be used for commercial purposes. Now, Donahoe is ranked No. 1 in the country at 125 pounds for Edinboro University.

Donahoe's replacement, Andy Pokorny, is off to a rough start. So far this season, Pokorny has gone 7-13. Five of those wins came against opponents from non-Division 1 schools.

"He's just a young kid," Missouri coach Brian Smith said of Pokorny. "It's just like (redshirt freshman Troy) Dolan. For some people, it takes time to adapt to the Division 1 level, and both 125 pounders I think are talented kids that just haven't figured it out yet."

Dolan and Pokorny's match will be just one of many exciting and close matches on Saturday evening, when No. 4 Nebraska comes to the Hearnes Center to take on No. 6 Missouri.

"It's going to be a real exciting dual meet," Smith said. "Both teams have struggled in the lower weights, and from 157 on up, every guy is ranked. There are three of the matches with top five guys going at it. Some of these matches are going to be unbelievable. I've never been in a dual meet where every match can go either way. It's going to be an emotional dual and we just have to keep our emotions in check."

One of those exciting matches will be between senior Michael Chandler, ranked No. 8, and Nebraska junior Jordan Burroughs, ranked No. 1.

"I haven't wrestled Burroughs yet," Chandler said. "I respect him, but I definitely think that I can beat him. I honestly think some guys are afraid to wrestle him. The coaches and I have acknowledged that, and I'm going to go out there and wrestle my match, and good things will happen. I give him respect but I plan on beating him."

One of the matches with both wrestlers ranked in the top five in the nation will be at 197, when junior Max Askren, ranked No. 5, will wrestle Nebraska junior Craig Brester, ranked No. 2. Askren defeated Brester four straight times before losing to Brester last season at the NCAA Championships.

"I don't think I've performed up to my potential," Askren said. "Brester's a tough wrestler. He wrestles hard and he's got good, solid technique, so he's tough for people to beat."

Askren holds a 21-2 record on the season, while Brester has a 23-1 record.

This match marks both teams' Big 12 openers. The dual between the two highly ranked teams will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Hearnes Center.