Bo Bassett. Have you heard the name? You must have if you are closely following the NCAA and high school wrestling. The 17-year-old from Bishop McCort High School has been on a strong high school wrestling campaign and he is quite firm about maintaining that. “Yeah, every single time. We are going out there to score and wanna have that reputation. When you wrestle Bishop McCort guys, it’s gonna be a sprint. You’re gonna have to go to really deep waters. That’s what we like, that’s how we train, and I feel like that’s how we live. So every time we go to the mat, we strive for that.” But has Bassett proven himself? Yes, and that too from a very tender age.

Bassett won his first state title in 2015 at the age of 7. In 2022, he won that honor for the eighth time. In that, he broke a previous record held solely by Nico Cortese from Franklin Regional. If that is not enough, he is a 3x Super 32 winner, and in 2024, he went on to win a third Ironman Wrestling Tournament title and a third Powerade Wrestling Tournament title. Indeed, the fans were flabbergasted that despite all the doubts about him, he continued to prove his critics wrong every time he stepped onto the mat. And what about his opponents? Aren’t they doing anything to stop him?

Well, the fans believe that Bassett is too strong for them. How so? The latest social media video by FloWrestling unveiled how the 17-year-old teched his way through the Ironman event and then went on to pin his way to the Powerade title. Indeed, the clips show that he showed no mercy to his struggling opponents, knowing that these victories would increase his visibility among the elite NCAA programs. And how did his final round go during the two events?

In the 144 lbs category at the Ironman Wrestling Tournament, Bassett had zero problems getting into the finals. He was obliterating anyone who stood in his way and found himself against Sunnyside’s Carlos Stanton. So how did their bout go? With a 22-4 technical fall in 2:23, Bassett secured the title. Similarly, he had an uplifting mindset heading into the Powerade Wrestling Tournament. So when he faced Malvern Prep’s Declan O’Byrne, Bassett pinned him down in 2:31. The 17-year-old’s winning streak was effortless!

With all that, like any other junior athlete, Bassett aspires to secure admission into a top-tier college for his NCAA career. While he’s visiting colleges to choose the right place for him, he has yet to announce his decision. But, wrestling fans want that to happen as soon as possible! Why so? Because they think, Bassett is leaving no room for others at the high school level and taking it all! Well, we can not blame them. Bassett has already moved much ahead of his age. Take a look at this.

In September, Bassett took the mats to storm. He was in his first year eligible for the U20 World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain. And in that very first opportunity, he picked up a bronze! “I’m so blessed. I’m grateful to be in this moment. I have two more years in the U20 division. I can’t wait to just wreak havoc on everybody over the next two years and sprint through the World Championships. I just can’t wait. It’s already lit a fire and I’m so excited to be back.” Can not deny that he is already making his words count. Not only this. He has set some lofty goals for his future. Can you guess how far-sighted he is in his plans?

Top Comment by Eazymoney252

Instead of crying as a parent you should encourage your kids to work harder and get on his level not...more

Share your take

Debate

“My goal is to obviously go to college and get my degree,” Bassett said. “I also have the goal to win four NCAA titles. I think 2028 would be my best year, maybe 2032 Olympic cycle and transition into fighting.” Yes, you heard that right. He has already started looking beyond wrestling, to professional fighting. This is not completely unfounded.

The son of an early adapter to MMA and the nephew of a Jiu-jitsu practitioner, it was only a matter of time before Bassett became a fan of fighting. And, he is looking up to those fighters who were wrestlers initially. “Obviously the wrestling guys like Pico and Nickal who are coming up, but Khabib was the man,” Bassett said. “Obviously McGregor. I love guys like that. That was pretty awesome when he fought Mayweather, the cross match with boxing. one guy I like also, Tito Ortiz back in the day. My dad was always a big fan of those guys, Chuck Liddell and stuff. It was always a lot of fun to watch those guys.” But don’t think that this is all because of fame and money.

As Bassett is watching other wrestlers turned fighters take the sport by storm, his background in all things ground game and his abnormally high Fight IQ, Bassett could already add a lot to an established fighter’s training camp. “Why not me? I’m going to dream big,” Bassett said. “I’ve already won a World title in freestyle. I wrestled a Russian in the finals and got the pin so I already know basically what it’s like to be on the top of the world for a moment or two. Obviously, you want to get back there and it’s only going to get harder as you get older but why not me? A lot of work’s got to be put in, but I’ve got the opportunity and I’m going to take full advantage.” We agree. Probably that is why the wrestling community is all in for Bassett to take his talents to the collegiate mats.

Wrestling fans want him in the NCAA as soon as possible

Every time Bo Bassett’s on the mat, he’s doing something exciting. Fans always expect him to dominate the mat, and he never disappoints. The community is also excited for his latest wins, as one fan stated, “Wow. Just. Wow.” Another fan just wants him to skip high school, stating, “The truth is that he should be in college. I am sure has enough high school credits to graduate. He could redshirt next year and be ready to go the next.” Similarly, another fan wrote, “Which ever college he decides to go to has a utter cheat code in their hands.”

While fans are expecting him to join big NCAA colleges, is he that hot of a prospect? Yes, he is. Bassett has visited nearly all programs in the league, but only a select few are on his target list. The popular one? David Taylor-led OSU. Indeed, the Cowboys are dominating the 2024-25 season, and if Bassett joins them next year, it will be a big upgrade to the team, which already has a strong lineup.

Bassett is in his own class, and fans never deny it, as one stated, “My man is just toying with his opponents, what a beast. He is moving into NCAA as one of the hottest prospects we have seen in a while.” Similarly, another fan pointed out his performances, stating, “The way Bo Bassett has been dominating the high school scene, people need to make a stand and push him way to college to avoid lopsided fights.”

There’s a long season left for Bassett in his high school campaign, and he’s looking forward to fully utilizing it. The year has started, and there are a ton of opportunities lingering for the top NCAA prospect, which he will use to make himself more notorious in the league.