Even faster than his Bishop McCort team’s thumping of Corry in Tuesday night’s PIAA Team Championships was Bo Bassett’s college decision speech.
Bassett made a brief address to the sizable Johnstown crowd after the Crushers demolished Corry 58-12 in less than 50 minutes. He mentioned his faith and where he felt God was guiding him, and he chose the Iowa Hawkeyes.
He passed on Virginia Tech, Penn State, and Oklahoma State in favor of Iowa.
Bassett stated live on Flo on Tuesday night that a lot of thought went into that choice and that it wasn’t an easy process. I believe it was more difficult than I could have ever guessed. After many long hours of contemplation, it came down to speaking with my loved ones, coaches, and family.
Although it may not have been a simple choice, I believe it was the right one. What you earn is what you get. I’m very thrilled to be a Hawk.
Iowa is an empire, according to Bassett, and they do things correctly. He stated, “I’m really excited to join that.” Even though I’m from Pennsylvania, I can’t wait to experience that Iowa love. I’m rather thrilled to make my stage debut at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and, ideally, leave a lasting impression.
Spencer Lee, a wrestling prospect from Pennsylvania who went to Iowa and won three NCAA titles, has never been this well-known.
Bassett, who anticipates weighing 149 or 157 pounds for the 2026–2027 season and beyond, said he gave it a lot of thought and again mentioned his faith. I feel that we will create many memories there, and that is where I want to be.
Iowa has been my favorite team ever since I began wrestling at the age of six. And I’m not sure why. I adore their wrestling style. They resemble the McCort room quite a bit. Spending a lot of time with God, in my opinion, makes you realize a lot about yourself, and in the past year, it has taken center stage in my life. Before I had God, my life looked very different.
He claimed that Lee of Iowa, a three-time PIAA champion from Franklin Regional, served as a major inspiration to him. The 18-year-old Bassett stated that although he expects to assist Lee in training for international competition, Lee will be providing him with far more assistance.
I believe my wrestling style is a component of the Iowa style, and I believe I can only contribute to it. The only thing I want to do is improve Iowa’s program, which is amazing, Bassett said.
Bassett and McCort’s next game is against Faith Christian, the nation’s top-ranked team, on Saturday in Altoona. Naturally, McCort is ranked number two, and if/when the match in the finals takes place at Altoona Field House, it will serve as an unofficial national championship match.
On Monday, he shared his thoughts on Name Image and Likeness (NIL) on Flo, stating that although NIL played a role in his choice, he is more concerned with the wrestling.
He stated, “I can tell you that all the (NIL) offers have been very comparable, but I still want to accomplish all my goals and do this and that.”
At Hershey, Bassett is a strong favorite to win his second PIAA Class AA championship in March. He also has a good chance of winning the championship three times the following winter. During Bassett’s freshman year, McCort was not permitted to participate in PIAA competitions.