Missouri wrestling coach Brian Smith doesn’t mind a little bit of swagger. In fact, he prefers it.
“It’s a mindset, going in looking to score points and get bonus points,’’ Smith said earlier this week as his team made its final preparations for the NCAA championships, which will run Thursday through Saturday in Cleveland. “There’s a fine line between arrogance and being cocky and having confidence in what you do and I’m not afraid to say I like having guys who are confident. I’ve always said the scariest wrestler in the NCAA tournament is a confident wrestler.”
The Tigers, ranked third behind two-time defending champ Penn State and 2015 champion Ohio State, qualified wrestlers in nine of 10 weight classes, including seven seeded competitors.