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    Jim Gibbons •

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    Laces Up: Jim Gibbons previews 141 pounds



    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 of his previews and picks.

    Logan Stieber (Photo/Dan Vest, SB Nation)
    Let's start with the least challenging pick of a champion heading into the NCAA tournament. Ohio State's Logan Stieber is the three-time NCAA champ looking for his fourth title. He's now leading a team that has title aspirations after this week's tie for the Big Ten team title. This is a different sensation and one that needs to be managed; add the fact his brother Hunter is now back in the lineup and he will feel natural anxieties about watching family. It can be tough and cumulative, but manageable. Stieber has shown the ability to flip the switch.

    Will this be a coronation? I don't think it will. Mitchell Port (Edinboro) and Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) would be a great finals match, but it's not going to happen in the Stieber era. Of the two, Port has the ability to slow Stieber down, but he didn't show much last time they met. Carter is a big scorer but had a difficult time scrambling with Port in the Midlands final. Actually, the guy that seems to give Stieber the most trouble is Minnesota's Nick Dardanes. They went 9-8 in Columbus this year and Nick was able to get out quickly and put up two takedowns late. Dardanes dropped a match at the Big Ten Championships to Iowa's Josh Dziewa and now finds himself on the opposite side of the bracket as Stieber, which won't bother Buckeye fans.

    I'm looking for Dardanes to return to All-American form. However, he needs to avoid the early upset himself to get a chance for the upset of the young century.

    Zach Horan (Photo/CMU Sports Information)
    Dardanes is a candidate for Mr. Upside, along with Iowa's Dziewa (my Mr. Upside OW pick from the Big Ten Championships), but I'm going to dig a little deeper in the rankings searching for Mr. U. I'm picking the MAC champion Zach Horan of Central Michigan, seeded 10th. There is nothing flashy about this guy, with one exception: he knows how to finish a single on both sides. If you haven't been able to tell yet, I'm big on that. Horan won't get frustrated by an opponent that alternates the lead leg. Horan is coached by Tom Borrelli, who seems to get the most out of his wrestlers.

    Pick: Logan Stieber (Ohio State)

    Mr. Upside: Zach Horan (Central Michigan)

    Previews:
    125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285
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