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Big Ten Network and ESPN wrestling analyst Jim Gibbons knows wrestling. One of the best broadcasters in the business, Gibbons knows what it takes to win an NCAA championship both as an athlete and a coach. Who does Gibbons see as the favorite coming into this year's NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis? Who does he think will have a breakout performance and exceed expectations as Mr. Upside? Gibbons will be previewing each of the 10 weight classes leading up to the NCAAs. Follow Jim on Twitter at @JGibLacesUp and let him know what you think if his previews and picks.
Wow, look at the top quarter bracket in this weight class. Four out of the eight wrestlers are All-Americans, and one of these is two-time NCAA champ Jesse Delgado (Illinois). In addition to Delgado, the quarter bracket has No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri), No. 8 Tyler Cox (Wyoming) and No. 9 Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) -- all four are All-Americans. In comparison the next quarter bracket has zero All-Americans and the next two quarter brackets each have one. That's what happens when Delgado, who has been recovering from an injury most of the season, was not seeded and put into the draw.
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There are some other contenders: returning All-American sophomore and Midlands champ Joey Dance (Virginia Tech), Big Ten champ and freshman Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State), No. 5 Sean Boyle (Chattanooga) and No. 6 Gilman. Dance and Boyle have a win this season over Gilman. However, Gillman has spilt with Tomasello this season and has beaten Garrett. Tomasello picked up a last-second winning takedown on Delgado in the Big Ten semifinals and followed it up by avenging an earlier loss to Gilman in the finals. Tomasello has one of the better Buckeye draws.
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Pick: Alan Waters (Missouri)
Mr. Upside: Jordan Conaway (Penn State) and Jesse Delgado (Illinois)
Previews:
125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285
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