Konner Doucet Proving He is the Cowboys Heavyweight
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State will finally be back on the home mat on Sunday, Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. when the Oregon State Beavers visit Gallagher-Iba Arena. There will be a lot of orange and black in the building as that is both teams colors and it is alumni day for the Cowboy wrestling program. There have been some good heavyweights in the OSU orange and black singlets and this season a lot of fans thought there would be a new heavyweight in the line-up as Christian Carroll from Elkhart, Ind. signed with the Pokes and was considered the number one wrestling recruit in the country. Both Carroll and OSU veteran heavyweight Konner Doucet were involved in freestyle over the summer. Both did well, but the buzz was Carroll would end up starting.
When Doucet opened the season as the starter, I asked about it.
“There is a reason there are ranking matches,” was the answer I received. Doucet won the ranking match. He has won a lot since then to going 12-2 this season and rising to No. 9 in the Intermat rankings.
As for Carroll, he has been a major reason for Doucet’s ascension.
“I think he just pushes me,” Doucet said of Carroll. “Just kinda makes me hold myself to a higher standard. That’s what I need, and that’s what he needs, too … both of us pushing each other. We want what’s best for each other. We’re not competing against each other, I guess, right now, so I want what’s best for him and he wants what’s best for me.”
Doucet admits he had some more motivation and that came from his trip to the NCAA last season. He finished fifth in the Big 12 and got a slot at the NCAA, but not for long.
“It didn’t sit well with me,” said Doucet about his first NCAA Tournament. “An early exit like that is a tough pill to swallow.”
This weekend he will draw No. 11-ranked Boone McDermott of Oregon State. McDermott is 14-4 this season, but also on the schedule ahead are Iowa State’s unbeaten Younger Bastida and Missouri’s Zach Elam. He could also see Arizona State’s Cohton Schultz too.
“I know it’s not gonna get much easier,” Doucet said. “It’s a long season, but I’m starting to get comfortable with the season. It takes a while to get back into the folk style side of things, but I’m getting pretty comfortable and looking forward to what’s to come.”
John Smith believes Doucet could be an All-American this season. That’s a long was from a two and Q finish.
Other OSU wrestling notes include that Smith believes that Luke Surber, who lost at PItt last Friday in his return at 197 pounds could be back on Sunday vs. Oregon State. In fac, he expects him back.
Also, Sammy Alvarez, who wrestled in his first dual as a senior for Oklahoma State and scored a major decision in the dual at Pitt before losing by decision at West Virginia could wrestle more this season. Alvarez wrestled at 149 at Pitt instead of his listed 141 pounds. Smith said Alvarez give him options with the line-up.