InterMat Staff

125: No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri) over No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) Alan "Dirty" Waters has been impeccable this season and there is little reason to think he won't close out the season with an NCAA championship. Garrett will push him and find opportunities for points, but 2015 is Waters' year. 133: No. 13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) over No. 6 Earl Hall (Iowa State) Why not? Though he's the 13th-seeded wrestler, Cody Brewer is the third-ranked wrestler at the weight class. Not only can he get by Chris Dardanes, but I like him against anyone coming from the bottom side of the bracket. 141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) Gimme? 149: No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) over No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) Tsirtsis might not always light the scoreboard on fire, but he knows how to win matches with strategy and solid defense. The NCAA tournament is crazy and to get past some guys takes grit and determination. Tsirtsis has those and will win his second title. 157: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) Martinez hasn't lost and has rarely been challenged. There is little reason to believe that this changes at the NCAA tournament. Maybe the song and dance scared freshmen ten years ago, but wrestlers like Martinez grew up wrestling in front of big crowds. Nothing seems to slow him down. 165: No. 4 Nick Sulzer (Virginia) over No. 3 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) Sulzer didn't fare well against Dieringer in their first meeting, but Coach Garland -- who himself upset a top seed at the NCAA tournament, will have Sulzer primed for the challenge. Coached by Keith Gavin and Jordan Leen, Sulzer is ready to take home Virginia's first-ever NCAA title. 174: No. 1 Bob Kokesh (Nebraska) over No. 2 Matt Brown (Penn State) Who can stop Bob? Though 174 has been in turmoil for the last several years, Bob has found the confidence (and coaching in Burroughs?) to separate from the pack. Undefeated and racking up dominant wins against top competition, Bob is ready to win his first NCAA title. 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 3 Blake Stauffer (Arizona State) Stauffer has a great chance to make Arizona State head coach Zeke Jones' first season on the mats very memorable. However, Gabe Dean will be too much. Absent a midseason setback, Dean has shown incredible poise and a talent level above those of his competitors. 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) over No. 3 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) Cox has been a force all season and with 53 straight wins heading into the NCAAs it's doubtful that he'll miss a beat at the NCAA tournament. 285: No. 2 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) over No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) The most exciting heavyweight in years, McMullan will find a way to claw past the bigger competition and take out the defending champion, like he did at the NWCA All-Star Classic. Team: 1. Missouri 2. Iowa 3. Ohio State 4. Cornell 5. Penn State

125: No. 4 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) over No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) The Ohio State freshman Tomasello has been on fire lately. He has won 14 straight matches heading into the NCAAs and has not dropped a match since Jan. 4. At the Big Tens he took out two-time NCAA champion Jesse Delgado of Illinois, and then beat Thomas Gilman of Iowa for the first time in his career. Those wins were confidence-builders for Tomasello, and I expect him to ride the momentum to an NCAA title. I see Cornell's Garrett returning to the NCAA finals, but for the second straight year coming up one win short of an NCAA title. 133: No. 1 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) over No. 2 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) It feels a bit strange picking the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds to reach the finals in a weight class that is so deep and balanced. Dardanes has wrestled a brutal schedule and just keeps winning. He's the lone unbeaten wrestler in the weight class and just seems to be a cut above his competition. He could have a quarterfinal match against Edinboro's A.J. Schopp, a wrestler who has given him trouble in the past. The two-time All-American Schopp has been injured, though, and it remains to be seen how much his injury will hinder him in St. Louis. Taylor moved up a weight class early in the season and has won 14 of his last 15 matches, with his only loss during that 15-match span coming to Dardanes in the Big Ten finals. 141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) On Saturday, Stieber will join Pat Smith, Cael Sanderson and Kyle Dake in the four-time NCAA champions club. With Virginia Tech's Carter on Stieber's side of the bracket, Edinboro's Mitchell Port is his likely finals opponent. The two met on Feb. 15, with Stieber winning that match 6-3. I expect a similar result in the finals. 149: No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) over No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) Fans can expect to see tight, low-scoring matches in this weight class from the quarterfinals on. Tsirtsis isn't the type of wrestler who will light up the scoreboard, but he's a winner. Last year the bottom side of the bracket at 149 pounds was turned upside down, and Oklahoma State's Josh Kindig reached the finals as the No. 11 seed. Kindig is back in the weight class, as is two-time All-American Hunter Stieber of Ohio State. Both come into St. Louis banged up and unseeded. Could they be bracket busters? Stay tuned. 157: No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) over No. 4 James Green (Nebraska) Isaiah Martinez of Illinois looks unstoppable right now. He's a 20-year-old freshman, but already exudes the confidence of a multiple-time NCAA champion. Martinez is a breath of fresh air. In an era of college wrestling in which scoring seems to be at an all-time low, Martinez is putting up double-digit points every time he steps on the mat. Martinez has stomped everyone in his path, including Minnesota's Dylan Ness. However, Ness has proven time and again that he shines brightest in front of large crowds and on big stages. As a freshman, Ness reached the NCAA finals as the No. 7 seed in St. Louis. Last year, after an up-and-down season, Ness entered the NCAAs as the No. 9 seed. He stunned top-seeded James Green of Nebraska in the quarterfinals and beat No. 4 Ian Miller of Kent State in the semifinals, before losing to Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer in the finals. It may be against my better judgment to pick against Isaiah Martinez, but I have a feeling Dylan Ness is saving his best for last, just like his brother Jayson did five years ago in Omaha. 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) over No. 3 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) Dieringer has distanced himself from the pack at 165 pounds. He already owns two major decision victories this season over No. 2 Mike Moreno of Iowa State. His likely semifinals opponent will be Virginia's Nick Sulzer, a wrestler he defeated 8-2 at the Southern Scuffle. With Logan Stieber graduating this year, Dieringer will be the biggest star in college wrestling in 2015-16. Look for the Jordan cousins, Isaac and Bo, to finish high on the podium. 174: No. 1 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) over No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota) The undefeated Kokesh has created some separation this season from his Big Ten rivals Matt Brown, Mike Evans and Logan Storley. In doing so he now finds himself on the opposite side of the bracket from those three. Kokesh has some formidable opponents on the top side of the bracket, but should cruise to the finals. The bottom side of the bracket with Brown, Evans and Storley is a crapshoot. The winner of the Evans-Storley quarterfinal match on Friday morning will likely get Brown in the semifinals on Friday night for a chance to wrestle in Saturday's NCAA finals. Storley had a strong NCAA tournament performance last year, finishing third, which included two victories over his friend and rival Kokesh. I expect the two South Dakota natives, Kokesh and Storley, to meet one last time, and it will happen on the big stage on Saturday night. 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 7 Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) Coming into this season it appeared Dean would establish himself as one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the country. But after taking two unexpected losses at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December, Dean was taken out of the pound-for-pound conversation overnight. He has since been on a roll, winning 23 straight matches heading into the NCAAs. Dean has been pushed a few times since Vegas, but keeps getting his hand raised. Old Dominion's Jack Dechow has battled Dean tough in past and can't be counted out. The bottom side of the bracket is deep and balanced, but I'm taking Lehigh's Brown to come through, which will set up a rematch from the EIWA finals. 197: No. 4 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) over No. 3 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) The much-anticipated J'den Cox-Kyle Snyder match should happen in the NCAA semifinals on Friday night. However, it's not the first time we have said that it should happen this season. The two were expected to meet on Dec. 14 when Missouri and Ohio State met in Columbus, but Cox moved up to heavyweight to fill in for the injured Devin Mellon. Then it looked like the match should finally happen in the semifinals of the National Duals on Feb. 21. But Lehigh upset Ohio State in the quarterfinals, which prevented the match from happening. I expect Snyder to bounce back in a big way from his loss to Penn State's Morgan McIntosh in the Big Ten finals. He will likely have to beat three returning All-Americans from the quarterfinals on to win the title, which seems almost unthinkable for a true freshman. But Snyder is no ordinary true freshman. 285: No. 6 Adam Coon (Michigan) over No. 5 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) Coon is among a group of six heavyweights that has a legitimate shot to finish as this year's NCAA champion. Over the past two seasons Coon has wins over three of the top five seeds, including NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State. He comes into St. Louis having won nine of his last 10 matches, which includes victories over No. 3 Bobby Telford of Iowa and No. 5 Connor Medbery of Wisconsin. Coon's only defeat during that 10-match span was a one-point loss to No. 2 Mike McMullan of Northwestern at the Big Tens. Coon will likely have to get past Telford in the quarterfinals, McMullan in the semifinals and Gwiazdowski, Marsden or Medbery in the finals. Team: 1. Ohio State 2. Minnesota 3. Iowa 4. Missouri 5. Cornell

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. I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read these weight class previews. I'm told each weight class preview is getting 15-20k unique page views. That's amazing. One of the best things the NCAA did was releasing brackets early and getting everybody talking. To give some of you a point of reference, the brackets used to come out on the Wednesday night before the start of the tournament. The coaches would take their copy and share it with their team. This gave the athletes little preparation time, while most of the spectators got their brackets at the first session. We have come a long way, but we still have a ways go to serve our underserved audience. This tournament has something for everyone and for many of us this tournament has become an annual pilgrimage. This will be my 41st year in attendance. I know several people that have that beat by double digits. Again, with the brackets out it gives all of us a chance to be better fans and give some thought to what might happen. Prognostication is a part every major sport and that's the direction we are headed. So take these picks in the spirit it was intended to help serve our audience. I'll be covering the medal round for ESPNU Saturday morning with Shawn Kenney, Billy Baldwin and Quint Kessenich. This exciting team race could be decided in this round. I'm back with Dan Gable and Shawn Kenney, along with several other prominent guests on ESPN3 during the finals for the "Off The Mat." The amount of coverage we are getting is phenomenal. To provide some perspective, in 2007, I took a call from John Vassallo, one of the executive producers at ESPN. He asked if I would be interested in covering the quarters on their new Internet channel, ESPN 360, which is now ESPN3. I was excited when I got to The Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and took part in a few of the meetings. When Friday morning's quarters rolled around I was escorted out to a truck outside with no heat. There was a card table, a folding chair and four 8-inch black and white monitors to call the action. I was doing this solo. I could see my breath and thinking I have up a suite ticket for this. We had 12,000 people somehow find us that day and we were off to the races. The next year Shawn Kenney joined us. We got inside the building and the coverage has expanded to where now every match is broadcast in some form. I can tell you the people that work this event from ESPN respect it and love it. Seeing NCAA wrestling commercials during the basketball games this weekend is evidence. If you can't make it, find a way to watch. Your participation is tracked and it's making a huge difference in the coverage of our sport. So, get this out in your networks and help us continue to make strides. Enjoy the best event our sport has to offer. -- Jim Gibbons Weight Class Previews 125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285 Champion Picks Mr. Upside Picks

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tickets for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will go on sale Wednesday, March 18 at 12 p.m. ET. The championships are set for March 17-19, 2016 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. All-session tickets will be available for purchase exclusively online at NCAA.com/wrestling. The championships will mark the first NCAA final of any sport at The Garden since men's basketball in 1950, when CCNY beat Bradley to win the national championship. Madison Square Garden will host the championships in association with Hofstra University. The 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at Madison Square Garden will mark only the third time the championships have taken place in the state of New York. In 1964, Cornell hosted the event, during which Oklahoma State won the national championship and in 2002 when Minnesota claimed the team title in Albany. More than 2,400 student-athletes from across the country will compete for the opportunity to become one of 330 wrestlers to advance to the championships at Madison Square Garden. In 2012, Madison Square Garden hosted its first-ever college wrestling event with the inaugural Grapple at The Garden, welcoming 14 Division I programs. Since then, Grapple at The Garden has featured more than 30 NCAA institutions. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships have had five consecutive sell outs: 2010 in Omaha, Neb., 2011 in Philadelphia, 2012 in St. Louis, 2013 in Des Moines, Iowa and 2014 in Oklahoma City. The 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are set for March 19-21 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

The United States has completed its roster for the 2015 Freestyle Wrestling World Cup, set for the Forum, presented by Chase, in Inglewood, Calif., April 11-12. USA Wrestling had previously announced that its No. 1 ranked athlete at all eight weights would be on the World Cup team. Today, Team USA added a second athlete in each of the eight international weight classes. The new additions to the World Cup team include three more past NCAA champions and a Cadet World champion. Added to the team are past NCAA champions Matt McDonough (Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) at 61 kg/134 lbs., Dustin Kilgore (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 97 kg/213 lbs. and Zack Rey (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley AC) at 125 kg/275 lbs. McDonough won two NCAA titles for Iowa. Also winning an NCAA title were Kilgore at Kent State and Rey at Lehigh. 2013 Cadet World champion and 2014 Junior World silver medalist Aaron Pico (Whittier, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) joins the team at 65 kg/143 lbs. Pico, an 18-year old, who is focusing entirely on freestyle wrestling instead of high school wrestling, has won a number of international medals in the last year. Two wrestlers added to the World Cup team won silver medals at last year's University World Championships, Kilgore and James Green (Willingham, N.J./Titan Mercury WC) at 70 kg/154 lbs. Also added to the team were Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise, Idaho/Titan Mercury WC) at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., Moza Fay (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) at 74 kg and Clayton Foster (Laramie, Wyo./GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC) at 86 kg/189 lbs. In the most current USA Wrestling freestyle rankings, Green, Kilgore and Rey are ranked No. 2, while Pico is No. 3 and McDonough and Foster are No. 4. "My expectation is that our No. 1 athletes will want to wrestle in all of the matches. However, it is hard to predict if that will happen. All of our athletes are training hard and ready to compete. There is always the potential for an injury or other factors. We need be ready for somebody to step in and perform. The guys we have backing up are the kind of people who, if given the opportunity, will rise to the occasion and compete at their best," said National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett. These new athletes join a very talented U.S. team, which features 2012 Olympic champions Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska RTC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Jake Varner (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 97 kg/213 lbs. along with 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott (Chapel Hill, N.C./Titan Mercury WC) at 61 kg/134 lbs. Burroughs also boasts three World medals, including gold medals in 2011 and 2013, and a World bronze medal in 2014. Varner was also a 2011 World bronze medalist. Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC), who competes at 125 kg/275 lbs. is a two-time World bronze medalist, reaching the podium in 2009 and 2015. He was also a 2012 Olympian. Members of the 2014 U.S. World Team on the roster include Tony Ramos (Iowa City, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., Brent Metcalf (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC/Hawkeye WC) at 65 kg/143 lbs., Nick Marable (Morgantown, W.Va./Sunkist Kids/Mountaineer RTC) at 70 kg/154 lbs. and Ed Ruth (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 86 kg/189 lbs. The final U.S. Freestyle World Cup team won a combined three Olympic medals, six World medals and 17 NCAA titles during their career. The World Cup is the international dual meet championships, one of the most important events of the year. The top eight teams in the world will compete in dual meets. This year's field includes Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Mongolia, Russia, Turkey and the United States. The U.S. placed third at the 2014 Freestyle World Cup, also held in Los Angeles, with Iran winning the team title and Russia placing second. All-Session tickets are available, as well as Single-Day tickets. Fans can purchase All-Session tickets for $60 for General Admission and $85 for Preferred Seating. Single-Day tickets, on either Saturday or Sunday, are $35 for General Admission and $55 for Preferred Seating. Fees apply for tickets purchased through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com A group discount offer for clubs is also available. There is a 20% discount for all USA Wrestling members. Both offers can also be found at www.wrestlingworldcup.com FREESTYLE WRESTLING WORLD CUP At Los Angeles, Calif., April 11-12 Tentative U.S. men's freestyle team 57 kg/125.5 lbs. -- Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) 57 kg/125.5 lbs. -- Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC) 61 kg/134 lbs. -- Coleman Scott, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC) 61 kg/134 lbs. -- Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) 65 kg/143 lbs. -- Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC/Hawkeye WC) 65 kg/143 lbs. -- Aaron Pico, Whittier, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) 70 kg/154 lbs. -- Nick Marable, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids/Mountaineer RTC) 70 kg/154 lbs. -- James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC) 74 kg/163 lbs. -- Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC) 74 kg/163 lbs. -- Moza Fay, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 86 kg/189 lbs. -- Ed Ruth, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) 86 kg/189 lbs. -- Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC) 97 kg/213 lbs. -- Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 97 kg/213 lbs. -- Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 125 kg/275 lbs. -- Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC) 125 kg/275 lbs. -- Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC) Freestyle Team Leader -- Andy Barth, San Marino, Calif. National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett, Colorado Springs, Colo. Assistant National Freestyle Coach Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo. Assistant National Freestyle Coach Brandon Slay, Colorado Springs, Colo. Nutritionist -- Jennifer Gibson, Colorado Springs, Colo. Masseur Amy Murray, Seattle, Wash. Referees -- William Grant, Inverness, Fla. and Danny Blackshear, Oklahoma City, Okla. Team delegates -- Les Gutches, Cody Bickley, Jaimie McNab, all of Colorado Springs, Colo. Colleges represented: Iowa (Ramos, Metcalf, McDonough), Nebraska (Burroughs, Green), Oklahoma State (Scott, Foster), Missouri (Marable), Penn State (Ruth), Iowa State (Varner), Nebraska-Kearney (Dlagnev), Boise State (Hochstrasser), Northern Iowa (Fay), Kent State (Kilgore), Lehigh (Rey) High School states represented: New Jersey (Burroughs, Green, Rey), Pennsylvania (Scott, Ruth), California (Varner, Pico), Iowa (McDonough, Fay), Ohio (Kilgore), Illinois (Ramos), Michigan (Metcalf), Tennessee (Marable), Texas (Dlagnev), Utah (Hochstrasser), Idaho (Foster) World Rankings of USA World Cup wrestlers (March 2015): No. 3 (Burroughs), No. 5 (Dlagnev), No. 8 (Metcalf), No. 9 (Marable), No. 11 (Foster), No. 14 (Pico), No. 16 (Rey), No 18 (Ramos) FREESTYLE WRESTLING WORLD CUP SCHEDULE (all times Pacific Time) Saturday, April 11 3:00 p.m. -- Session I -- Pool Competition 6:15 p.m. -- Session II -- Opening Ceremonies and Pool Competition Sunday, April 12 11:00 a.m. -- Session III -- Pool Competition, Fifth and Seventh Place Dual Meets 4:15 p.m. -- Session IV -- First and Third Place Dual Meets

It's that time of year again! On Thursday, collegiate wrestlers and coaches from around the nation will make the trek to St. Louis to put individual and team titles on the line. In turn, fans will flock to arena seats and couches to take in all the action. Viewers will also have the opportunity to join their "big sport" counterparts by putting their money where their mouth is to make legitimate wagers on their sport. 2013 was not a kind year. Each champion entered the tournament as either a No. 1 or No. 2 seed and that did not bode well for any large payouts. It may have even meant some large losses for certain unnamed participants. However, last year there were only three NCAA champions who entered the tournament as the top seed and three weights in which the champion entered as a third seed or lower. Luckily for betters, that type of volatile result is the norm, not the exception, when it comes to our sport's biggest event. Each year the NCAA tournament gains more visibility and coverage. Sportsbooks have responded by tightening the lines they offer, making it increasingly tougher to gain an advantage in the wagering world. However, we've been dealt some interesting seeds this year including an unseeded two-time champ. That could make for some very big lines and prosperous betting opportunities! I'm here to help you identify some of those winning plays, but remember, I'm in no way responsible for what you bet, or if you bet. Think twice before laying your mortgage on the field at 141 pounds. This is for fun, so if you can't afford to pay, don't play. For the newcomers, here's how it usually works: Each weight class is broken down with a money line on the top two or three individuals (usually by seed). Then the remaining wrestlers, or the Field, are given a collective money line to win. ? For clarity purposes each line uses a base amount of $100. So if the line is +150, that means you risk $100 to win $150. Likewise, if the line is -150, you risk $150 to win $100. A few numbers for thought before we break down the weight classes (all data is since the 2003 NCAA tournament): The top seed at the NCAA tournament has won almost exactly 50% of the time. A wrestler seeded third or lower has won approximately 30%. A wrestler seeded fourth or lower has won approximately 20%. The Field comes in on average twice a year. All champs in 2013 came from either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed. That hadn't happened previously since a few years before Logan Stieber was born. On to the breakdown of this year's weight classes and my personal (pre-official lines): 125: Alan Waters of Missouri enters the tournament with an unblemished record and top seed for the second time in his career. His first attempt from that spot did not result in a title, and there are a few wrestlers capable of keeping him from gold this time around. Nahshon Garrett will look to improve on last year's runner-up finish, likely needing a win over Joey Dance or Thomas Gilman to return to the elevated mat. Big Ten champ Nathan Tomasello nabs the four seed and joins returning two-time (unseeded) champ Jesse Delgado for a chance to take out Waters up top. The Lines: Waters +140, Garrett +170, Delgado +375, Field +350 The Play: Needless to say this weight is stacked! Gilman and Dance are both capable, but I don't think either gets through Garrett on our bottom side. The top side of the bracket is the wild card here, specifically Delgado. "Muddy" Waters cannot be happy to see him in his quarter. If Delgado's health/cardio has improved slightly from the Big Tens, I like him to avenge some losses and gain his third title. He appears to have Garrett's number and should offer some great value coming in unseeded. Let's see if he's placed individually or in the Field, and act accordingly from there. 133: The top five seeds here belong to the Big Ten. Chris Dardanes has kept the pack at arms-distance all year. The top seed has yet to take a loss in his senior season, most recently defeating hard-charging Ryan Taylor in the Big Ten finals. A.J. Schopp is the premiere name in a dangerous and numbered field of wrestlers. He has a chance to steal the top seed early. The Lines: Dardanes +200, Taylor +350, Field +300 The Play: I'm a huge fan of Dardanes' (plural) style and I actually DO NOT see Schopp having enough to steal that top seed. That being said, it is definitely a dangerous matchup and Dardanes has had some close calls this year. The second quarter of the bracket is loaded and whoever survives that mess will give Dardanes all he can handle in the semifinals. The lower half of the bracket will also produce a worthy finals opponent. This all points to the Field and don't be surprised if we see two higher seeds wrestling on Saturday night. 141: That Logan Stieber guy is pretty good. He's the top seed and that shouldn't surprise anyone. Devin Carter is the No. 4 seed and on Stieber's side of the bracket. That might surprise a few people. Mitchell Port and Lavion Mayes round out the top seeds. The Lines: Logie Bear -2000, Port +400, Field +1500 The Play: If you like a few long shots in your portfolio, here's your opportunity. I was pulling for Port to win the earlier matchup this season to add some drama and anticipation for these finals. It didn't happen, and it won't happen here. I'll save my money and enjoy the fake-bake and arm bars one last time. 149: Returning All-American Drake Houdashelt receives the top seed over returning NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern. 2014 runner-up Josh Kindig handed Houdashelt his lone blemish of the year and joins David Habat, Brandon Sorensen and fellow unseeded wildcard Hunter Stieber in the field. The Lines: Houdashelt +125, Tsirtsis +120, Field +450 The Play: There seems to be a theme this year with injury-plagued studs. Enter Hunter Stieber. Newcomer B.J. Clagon defeated Habat in their conference final and has given Tsirtsis two scares this year. Expect another one when they meet in round two. While the Field is certainly tempting, I believe the seeds hold and Tsirtsis repeats last year's win over Houdashelt. Let's take him at even money or better to earn his second title. Best mullet since McIlravy. 157: Speaking of themes, we arrive at the most anticipated weight class of the tournament as we arrive at Dylan Ness. This is not a coincidence. Ness wrestles with a wide-open, no holds-barred style that fans will surely miss. Enter Isaiah Martinez. Our undefeated top seed has shown no fear in clearing out this weight class. Brian Realbuto, James Green and Ian Miller are all capable of preventing a Big Ten rematch. The Lines: Martinez +120, Realbuto +180, Ness +270, Field +250 The Play: Martinez has been lights out and will fill the void left by Ness rather nicely going forward. His rematch with "Mean" James Green may be the most anticipated bout of the tournament. Meanwhile, Realbuto seems to have slid slightly under the radar with all the fireworks surrounding the Big Ten final. He has a stingy style that has given Ness problems and owns a past win over Martinez in freestyle. He'll be challenged from the quarters on, but I think he comes out on top of this instant classic weight. Watch his line closely. 165: Alex Dieringer has run the table this season and sits atop the bracket. He has all the tools needed to cruise to his second title and he might need them, as Nick Sulzer and Bo Jordan sit on his side of the bracket. Mike Moreno and Isaac Jordan sneak into the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively. Dylan Palacio and Taylor Walsh are two of the most dangerous wrestlers in the sport. The Lines: AD -300, Field +550 The Play: Watch for the early match of the tournament between Palacio and Bo. That should stir up the pot reeeeal nice! Dieringer is the safe play, but what fun is that?! I'll throw a little on the Field, and hope Sulzer can pull the upset to earn Virginia's first title. Homer status alive and well! 174: Robert Kokesh has pulled away from his Big Ten counterparts and finds himself as yet another undefeated top seed. He'll let Matt Brown, Mike Evans and Logan Storley butt heads down below. John Eblen, Blaise Butler and Tyler Wilps headline a talented field in the upper bracket. The Lines: Kokesh +150, Matt Brown +220, Field +200 The Play: Kokesh might be the only guy in the country happy with the seeding committee. It seems every year for the past ten years this has been a round-robin between him, Brown, Evans and Storley. All four have had their taste of victory at one time or another. How do you pick one to go out on top? The simple answer is: you don't. I like a few ACC wrestlers to bust this bracket and send the big four to settle things one last time in the consolation rounds. Let's look for who the Field includes and take another small chance here. 184: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Something Cornell's super soph Gabe Dean doesn't need to be told. He earns the top seed after overcoming some early setbacks in Sin City. The next tier includes five or six wrestlers that can all scrap and take advantage if Dean stumbles. The Lines: Dean even, Field +150 The Play: Dean showed early in the season that he is capable of losing to somebody not named Ed Ruth. He also has one of the tougher roads to a title for a top seed. That being said, he really hasn't been touched in 2015. This is an underrated field but I like Dean to earn his first of a few titles for the Big Red. I may even lay some odds if necessary. 197: Are we sure 157 pounds is the most anticipated weight class of the tournament? J'den Cox returns for his second title in as many years. He's the top seed and will be on the opposite side of the bracket from Morgan McIntosh and Kyven Gadson. Scott Schiller and Kyle Snyder will lock horns for the privilege of meeting Cox in the semifinals. The Lines: Cox +110, McIntosh +250, Field +225 The Play: This may be the deepest field, so if the odds are right nobody could fault you for going that route. The odds on Cox will be less favorable than last year and he'll have his hands full in both the semifinals and finals. However, I think he rises to the occasion again to edge out Snyder and McIntosh in dramatic fashion. It might even clinch a team title. 285: It seems like snooze fest heavyweight brackets are a thing of the past as long as Nick Gwiazdowski and Mike McMullan are here to help. The top two seeds will take on Hawkeye big man Bobby Telford and Wisconsin's Connor Medbery in the field. The Lines: Gwiz even, McMullan +200, Field +300 The Play: The No. 1 ranking for this weight has changed hands a few times this season, but I think we're looking at a two-pony race. Gwiz and McMullan are both versatile and offensive big boys and should be able to make their way to ESPN primetime for a rematch of the All-Star Classic. McMullan found an answer in that match and I think he squeaks by again to end his career with a title for Northwestern. I like him +200 or better. Official lines should be available at your online sportsbook midweek (Wednesday) and individual lines are posted before the semifinals and finals in case you would like to hedge your bets ... or double down. Good luck and enjoy the winnings! Follow Brian Muir on Twitter at @MuirOrLess.

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. The last three previews were definitely the toughest and that's why they were written in the order presented. The reason 133 pounds is last is I can see a path for nine guys to get to the finals. You have a lot of style matchups that are complicating my thought process as well. Adding to the complexity: some tough seeds for some really experienced and tough wrestlers. How about No. 9 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro)? Last season he finished fourth. He was five seconds away from beating Tony Ramos and going to the finals. Then there is two-time All American Cody Brewer (Oklahoma). Last week he avenged his only loss of the season to 2014 125-pound All American Earl Hall (Iowa State). For doing so he got a handshake and the 13th seed. The No. 10 seed Mason Beckman (Lehigh) finished sixth in last year's tournament. Of course there is more to each these stories, but it made it tough to find the pick. Chris Dardanes (Photo/GopherSports.com)Finally I went to an old friend, William of Ockham (1287 - 1347), and borrowed his razor. You know Ockham's razor states that among competing hypothesis that predict equally well, choose the one with the fewest assumptions. All along Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) was there he wrestles hard, he has come from behind. He's undefeated and has a lot of quality wins. He's the pick. Dardanes has gotten better all year. He beat a very tough No. 2 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) in the Big Ten finals. This season Dardanes is down from 141 pounds where he did not place in 2014. I'm sure that was a big-time heartache because the Gophers, among other performances, were one Dardanes placing away from winning the team title. Following last season up with an NCAA belt is good medicine. Cody Brewer (Photo/SoonerSports.com)There are plenty of Mr. Upside candidates. No. 6 Earl Hall (Iowa State) has stepped up and has some nice wins and a Southern Scuffle championship. He is explosive and can catch anyone in the field. No. 7 Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State), who Hall defeated at the Scuffle, can definitely improve on his seed. No. 9 Schopp and No. 10 Beckman both have the ability to make a good run. Schopp vs. Dardanes quarterfinal could be exciting. However, I'm going with No. 13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma). Catching the two-time All American at the 13th seed is a gift. By seeding the tournament out to 16 seeds the 13 and the 4 meet in the second round on Thursday night. 13 = 4. Pick: Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) Mr. Upside: Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) Previews: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285

Every year there are bracket busters -- lower seeded or unseeded wrestlers -- who wreak havoc on the brackets by pulling upsets. Here is a look at 10 potential bracket busters -- one in each weight class -- to keep an eye on in St. Louis. 125: Jesse Delgado (Illinois) In terms of a bracket buster, choosing a two-time returning NCAA champion is a layup. Thankfully (for me) the NCAA seeding committee phoned in the 125-pound seeds and gave Delgado the opportunity to implode the top side of his bracket. Will he win it all? That's less certain, but in terms of an unseeded guy making the finals or semifinals rarely has there been someone in a better position for disruption. 133: Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) Almost unfathomable as a No.13 seed, Cody Brewer has only one loss on the season and won the Big 12 title last week with a win over No. 6 seed Earl Hall of Iowa State. With his ridiculously low seed, Brewer, a two-time All-American, will be in the right spot to oust higher seeds. To get to the semifinals Brewer will need to upset No. 4 Johnni DiJulius (Ohio State) and get past No. 5 Zane Richards (Illinois). In both matches, were you not considering seeds, Brewer might be considered the favorite. Chris Mecate was a MAC runner-up141: Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) Not all that underrated in his 11th seed, Old Dominion's Chris Mecate has a nice chance to wiggle through the bracket and find wins where others might not expect. He's a talented and experienced wrestler, with a coach well known for preparing athletes to compete at the NCAA tournament. Mecate's first big test will be sixth-seeded Nick Dardanes of Minnesota in the second round. Should he dial in a win early, the 21-win Mecate will need to scare up some action against third-seeded Lavion Mayes of Mizzou. Running through any bracket is tough, and 141 might be toughest of all, but if anyone has the skill set and positioning, it's Mecate. 149: Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) Though sporting an unimpressive 3-4 record, Hunter Stieber is a two-time All-American with every opportunity to win the NCAA tournament, not just disrupt. Another victim of an NCAA seeding process more content with appearing objective, rather than being objective, Stieber will have to push his way past either third-seeded David Habat (Edinboro) or NCAA runner-up Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State) in the second round. Further along it could be sixth-seeded Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) and defending NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) who have to deal with the ever-game Stieber. 157: Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) Limited action in 2014-15 left Virginia Tech's Nick Brascetta without the body of work needed to earn a seed. However, don't let that lack of seed or his two losses distract from the fact that he's a bruiser who can, and will, make it through the NCAA tournament with an All-American trophy. The 2013 All-American will have a tough road to the semifinals, needing to outwit or outgun ninth-seeded Joseph LaVallee (Missouri) and eighth-seeded John Boyle (American) before meeting up with undefeated freshman phenom and top-seeded Isaiah Martinez of Illinois. 165: Ethan Ramos (North Carolina) With 28 wins on the season No. 15 Ramos has shown again and again that he can win his way through a tournament. To date his biggest win remains one over fourth-seeded Nick Sulzer of Virginia, 8-6. If he can put together another win of that caliber and use his style to frustrate opponents, he might be able to find some wins through the top side of the bracket. His big test will come in the second round against second-seeded Michael Moreno (Iowa State), who has racked up 22 wins on the season and is looking stronger as the season progresses. Ramos is a long shot, but if can make it past Moreno he will be in a strong position to get on the podium. Michigan sophomore Taylor Massa reached the round of 12 two seasons ago as a true freshman at 165 pounds, but moved up to 174 pounds late this season and comes into this weekend's NCAAs at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis unseeded (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)174: Taylor Massa (Michigan) With only a handful of losses not due to injury, the start of the Taylor Massa era could begin this weekend in St. Louis, albeit up a weight class. The powerful, technical and well-coached Massa has bumped from 165 pounds to 174 pounds to compete in the Big Tens and NCAAs. He's 3-3 at the weight class, but that type of early record levels when considering the newness of the heft and trying to accommodate for new opponents. The thing is, to be a bracket buster, Massa will need to upend undefeated top-ranked Bob Kokesh of Nebraska, the same Bob Kokesh that pinned Massa in less than 20 seconds at Big Tens. The NCAAs are crazy, and though top seeds don't fall often, this might be the year we see something spectacular, and Massa has as solid a shot as any of pulling off the unlikely. Winners know how to win, and Massa has won a lot in his life. 184: Willie Miklus (Missouri) A team hunting for their first national title, a workout partner who is arguably the most talented wrestler in the nation, and a habit of keeping every single match close means that Milkus, despite being unseeded and with head-scratching losses, could be the bracket buster at 184 pounds. First up for Miklus is No. 10 Lorenzo Thomas (Penn), a returning All-American. Following him up will be seventh-seeded Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh), who bested Milkus 7-3 at a dual meet in February. Should he make it past these back-to-back barbarians, he will face second-seeded Max Thomusseit (Pitt), who is 24-1 and looks primed to win the NCAA title. Unlikely? Certainly. But if Mizzou is to win the NCAA championships they will need something unlikely from their guys, Milkus included. 197: Phil Wellington (Ohio) With 23 wins on the year, Phil Wellington has every chance at lighting up the NCAA tournament in St. Louis. Though he's seeded No. 14, Wellington is exciting and a win-heavy wrestler with the capability to streak through a tournament on momentum. Last year he defeated J'den Cox of Missouri, and battled the NCAA champion tough in the MAC finals this year. Should he win his opening salvo, Wellington's second-round match will be with third seeded Kyven Gadson (Iowa State). That will be a tough test, but one that Wellington may find to be a good matchup. Should he find a way to beat Gadson it will be sixth-seeded Nathan Burak (Iowa) for a chance at the semifinals and one heck of a run for Bobcat nation. 285: Spencer Myers (Maryland) In terms of wins and losses, Myers is down this year, in part because he got a late start on the season due to his commitment to football, and partly because he now resides in the Big Ten. However, as a former All-American, Myers is always in the match, and with a coach like Kerry McCoy, Myers has every opportunity to upset the status quo at the NCAA tournament. Myers is starting the tournament against third-seeded Bobby Telford of Iowa, who beat him in early February. That loss might not bode well for Myers chances, but another loss, one to Illinois' Brooks Black, has been avenged, and given the round and the stress of the event, Myers may be able to find a major upset. From there, Myers would likely face a very game No. 14 seed in Joe Stolfi (Bucknell) before facing off against sixth-seeded Adam Coon (Michigan).

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. Alan Waters (Photo/Lutte Lens)Undefeated No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri) has looked solid all year. He's big and strong at 125 pounds, but has made weight all year. Waters has wins over several of the contenders, including 2014 NCAA runner-up No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell), Delgado, Peters, and No. 6 Thomas Gilman (Iowa). Waters is incredibly tough in the top position and is very effective in the tie-ups on the feet, while Garrett likes to work in space and hit straight-on attacks. There is no question Waters getting out of this quarter bracket is key for Missouri's team title chances. If Waters does win a title, what was unthinkable fifteen years ago could be that much closer to a reality -- Mizzou Tigers national champions. Waters is the pick. He has been sharp all year. He has been the No. 1 seed before, so going in I give him a slight nod over Nahshon Garrett. 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. Jordan Conaway (Photo/PSUSports.com)There are a lot of Mr. Upside candidates. Thomas Gilman has upside from the No. 6 seed. How about Tyler Cox (Wyoming)? He has a reputation for furious third-period comebacks. There is the Big Ten Mr. Upside Jordan Conaway (Penn State), who is seeded No. 11. He did pretty well at the Big Tens as the No. 5 seed, finishing third. With three-time All-American Nico Megaludis coming back next season, this may be Conaway's best opportunity to be an All-American. I'm not going to get off Conaway, but there is also another guy I'm adding. Jesse DelgadoA two-time NCAA champion coming in with no seed ... please, I'm all over it. If Jesse Delgado was going to pack it in he had plenty of opportunities to do it last week at the Big Tens. In the consolations he was down to Tim Lambert (Nebraska), who is tough to score on. Delgado needed to win to qualify for the NCAAs. He was down late in the match, but came back and won. Whatever the champion has in his tank you will see it on display. It's tough not being at full strength, but Delgado has upside. 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

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. NCAA champ Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) is having an amazing run in a very balanced weight class. He came from behind last season in the finals to beat two-time NCAA champion Tony Nelson (Minnesota). Gwiz is the favorite and No. 1 seed coming into this year's tournament. He now possesses the only thing he didn't have going into last year's tournament -- a target. Like my good friend Mike Sheets (two-time NCAA champ for Oklahoma State) says, "It's better to have a target than a monkey on your back." Gwiz is technically solid and has great footwork on his takedown finishes. There is no reason for him not to be my pick. Like I said in an earlier preview, I agree with the seeding but I'm going in a different direction. Mike McMullan (Photo/Darren Miller)No. 2 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) has shown people he has the ability to come back. He has finished third, second and third in the NCAAs during his three years as a Wildcat. In last week's Big Tens he came from behind to win every match, including overcoming a 5-0 deficit in the quarters. He wrestles every match of the tournament. I think this year his matches will all be in the championship bracket. Both these guys are first-class wrestlers. I am looking forward to the matches in this weight. Gwiz and McMullan are not the only title contenders. In my opinion, the next four seeded wrestlers could all make the finals. No. 3 Bobby Telford (Iowa), No. 4 Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State), No. 5 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) and No. 6 Adam Coon (Michigan) have proven they can win tight matches but haven't gotten it done on Friday yet. Of these wrestlers, I think Medbery is the most dangerous. He's on the top side of the bracket with Gwiz and is a big reason I went with McMullan. I really like how competitive this weight class is ... and it breaks down between the guys who look to score and those who can only score defensively. I'm hoping for the good of the sport the officiating rewards offensive wrestling and legitimate attempts to score, not pushing and reaching. Connor Medbery (Photo/Pam Ruschell) When looking for Mr. Upside, there are several candidates. One is No. 7 Blaize Cabell (Northern Iowa), who can attack both legs below the knee. Cabell owns a win over No. 10 Ty Walz (Virginia Tech), who also has good leg attacks. However, the guy I think that is real close to putting it all together is Connor Medbery (Wisconsin). Medbery is turning into a good combination of technique, power and aggression. If he adds a bit of patience, I get a sense he will put together a great tournament. Gwiz has a target on his back and is now the guy to beat. Last year he was driven incredibly by not being picked to win it. How will this fuel his fire? Or will it? Pick: Mike McMullan (Northwestern) Mr. Upside: Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) Previews: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285

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. J'den Cox (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)J'den Cox (Missouri) returns in his sophomore season looking to repeat as NCAA champion. I picked Cox last season to win mainly because he was sitting in a good place in the bracket. Watching him last year in OKC it was clear he was a good call. Cox is a gifted athlete, but he can get into trouble in this tournament if he's not moving on his feet and using good setups. The best athletes don't win unless they respect the skill of their opponent. There is enough skill in this field to make repeating difficult for J'den Cox, but he's the pick. Three guys are back that are all capable of taking home the belt: Big Ten champion Morgan McIntosh (Penn State), Big 12 champ Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) and Scott Schiller (Minnesota). McIntosh has been on a bit of a roll and seems to have a clear definition of how he wants to win matches. Gadson has career wins over every contender in the field and Schiller defeated Cox in the exhibition NWCA All-Star Classic, along with several career wins over Gadson. For Schiller and Gadson it's their last shot, but this weight class should be competitive for some time. The newcomer in the weight class is freshman Kyle Snyder (Ohio State). He owns season wins over McIntosh and Schiller. The Saturday morning consolation semifinals and medal round will be exciting. The top four favorites in the team race have guys that are seeded in the top six at 197 pounds. A win in the consolation semis gives a team 3.5 points. In head-to-head matches that's a seven-point swing, additionally a win in the medal round is one point plus any match bonus points along the way. For teams that struggle getting finalists this is their last chance to post a score and head to the clubhouse. It's a round where you see guys break through on sheer will. Hawkeye fans are hoping No. 6 Nathan Burak can catch someone sulking about not being in the finals. He has a win over Snyder, but hasn't yet been able break into this top group. Saturday morning may be his opportunity to show up, help himself and his team. There are two remaining All American spots I think are up for grabs. A perfect spot for a Mr. Upside. No. 12 Timmy McCall (Wisconsin) was the Big Ten Mr U. He performed admirably finishing sixth while being seeded eighth. No. 13 Shane Woods (Wyoming) is also a good candidate -- coached by Mark Branch. If you're a long shot there is no better guy to have in your corner than Mark -- the last unseeded NCAA champ. Conner Hartmann (Photo/Duke Sports Information)However, No. 10 Conner Hartmann (Duke) is Mr. Upside. He is only the second All-American in school history. Hartmann is from Port Orchard, Washington, and placed fifth last season at this weight class. He had no choice but to leave his home state if he wanted to compete at the Division I level and has found a home clear across the country. It' a big deal when these programs have All-Americans, proving it can be done. Pick: J'den Cox (Missouri) Mr. Upside: Conner Hartmann (Duke) Previews: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285

Chris Watson capped an unblemished season with a 7-2 victory over Lake Erie's Matt Vandermeer to capture the 165-pound national title and earn Outstanding Wrestler honors here Saturday night at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships. The Central Oklahoma senior wrapped up a 42-0 campaign -- just the second full-season perfect record in school history -- and gave the Bronchos an 18th-place finish in the team race by scoring 20 points himself in the two-day event at Chaifanx Arena. Watson's takedown with 26 seconds left in the opening period gave him a 2-0 lead in the finals, but Vandermeer cut that to 2-1 on an escape 20 seconds into the second stanza and that was the score entering the third period. Watson chose neutral for the final two minutes and sandwiched two takedowns around a Vandermeer escape while adding a riding time point to close out his final victory. "I'm just so proud of Chris for finishing off a great career and an unbelievable senior season with what he deserved," head coach David James. "He worked incredibly hard this year and stayed focused on the task at hand." Watson moved into the finals with a 7-1 victory over third-rated Gabe Fogarty of St. Cloud State in Saturday morning's semifinals. That match was scoreless after the opening period, with Watson breaking the deadlock on a reverse midway through the second stanza. He controlled Fogarty the rest of the period, added a takedown early in the third to make it 4-0 and followed an escape with another takedown before tacking on a riding time point.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- As the old adage goes, "Once is nice, twice is nice," and, well, three times is just flat out impressive. Joey Davis won his third consecutive NCAA Division II National Championship on Saturday night at Chaifetz Arena with a 3-2 win over Maryville's Zeb Wahle in the 174-pound championship. With the win, Davis improves to 38-0 on the season -- and 110-0 in his career -- cementing a historic legacy for the Notre Dame College wrestling program as just a junior. The Falcons placed sixth overall at the NCAA D2 Wrestling Championships, led by Davis' first place performance, scoring 50 points as a team. Also placing for the Falcons was senior Maurice Miller (141 lbs), who ended his career as a Falcon with an impressive third place finish at the Championships, while Jonatan Rivera placed fourth in the 157 lb bracket for NDC. Ivan McClay also had a strong weekend for the Falcons, placing seventh in the 125 lb bracket. Miller started the Championships by going 1-1 in his first two matches before turning the intensity up a notch. After the 1-1 start, Miller won four straight matches, concluding with a 3-2 win over Tiffin's Michael Screptock in the 141 lb 3rd Place match. Miller's efforts scored 12.5 total team points for the Falcons. At 157 pounds, Jonatan Rivera was unable to repeat as National Champion, but still put together an impressive run at the D2 Wrestling Championships. In the Consolation Semifinals, Rivera defeated Mercyhurst's Francis Mizia in sudden victory overtime, 5-3. In the battle for third place, Rivera lost a nailbiter to Clint Poster (St. Cloud State), but still came away with a top-four placing for the Falcons. McClay placed seventh for the Falcons in the 125 lb bracket, defeating Mercyhurst's Willie Bohince 4-3 in the 7th Place match. McClay finished the weekend 3-2 overall, scoring 5.0 team points for NDC.

HERSHEY, Pa. -- The Wartburg wrestling team finished as the national runner-up at the NCAA National Championships Saturday. Round 4: 149: Kenny Martin (WB) win by 8-3 dec vs Vincent Fava (Delaware Valley) 184: Riley Lefever (Wabash) win by 5-3 dec vs Devin Peterson (WB) Other Notes: Wartburg takes second with 89.5 points. Martin is the first national champion for Wartburg at 149 since Jacob Naig in 2008. Martin is the third national champion at 149 in program history. This was Martin's 30th victory this season. Martin moved his winning streak to 19. Martin was the No. 4 seed. Lefever was the No. 1 seed and was undefeated on the season. Peterson is the national runner-up. Peterson is the highest placewinner for Wartburg since Romeo Djoumessi was the national champion in 2008. Peterson had his winning streak halted at 14. Wartburg finishes with eight AllAmericans, the most since 2012, when the Knights also had eight All-Americans. Wartburg has had multiple AllAmericans each year since 1991. Wartburg was not ranked in the NWCA Preseason Poll. The streak of either Wartburg or Augsburg winning the national title since 1995 continues. Wartburg has been the national champion or the national runner-up in 16 of the last 19 years.

The Nebraska Kearney wrestling team, led by national champions Romero Cotton and Daniel DeShazer, finished second at the 2015 NCAA Championships Saturday night in St. Louis, Mo. UNK tallied 76.50 points to come in behind first-time national champ St. Cloud State (84.50). The Huskies, with one national champ, two runners up and two third place finishers, finally get to the top of the award stand after finishing second in 2013, 2012 and 2011. To record the program's fifth national runner up finish and 14th straight Top 10 showing, the Lopers had five All-Americans in Cotton (1st/197 lbs.), DeShazer (1st/133 lbs.), sophomore Destin McCauley (3rd/149 lbs.), junior Devin Aguirre (4th/165 lbs.) and redshirt freshman Keith Surber (5th/141 lbs.). Cotton (Hutchinson, Kan.) and DeShazer (Wichita, Kan.) become UNK's 10th and 11th three-time All-Americans, respectively, while also joining Ali Elias ('90 & '91), Brett Allgood ('06 & '08), Tervel Dlagnev ('07 & '08) and Raufeon Stots ('12 & '13) as Lopers with two-time national titles. It wasn't easy for either Cotton or DeShazer as they had to work overtime in both of their semifinal and finals matches. At 133 lbs., DeShazer was just four seconds from reaching a minute of riding time in the finals against Michael Labry of Ashland (Ohio). A third period takedown by DeShazer put him up 4-3 but Labry squirted free just as DeShazer was about to reach the needed minute and an extra point. No one scored in either sudden victory period with both wresters also escaping in the first tie breaking period. In the second tie breaking period, both wrestlers again escaped but DeShazer rode Labry for 13 seconds, erasing Labry's nine second advantage and earning four seconds of riding time to win 7-6. Finishing the year 39-5 and improving to 62-3 all-time vs. D2 competition, DeShazer got past Nate Rodriguez of Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 2-1, in the semifinals. Two escapes, and riding Rodriguez out, provided the winning margin. Cotton won both his semifinal and final matches by identical 3-1 scores and in the first sudden victory period. He once again beat Julian Smith of McKendree (Ill.), getting a takedown 23 seconds into overtime. Last year, Cotton needed a furious rally to beat Smith for the national title. In the finals, Cotton faced Huston Evans of Newberry College (S.C.). Evans, a Virginia Tech transfer, fought off a couple of Cotton attacks in regulation but he couldn't stop him in OT, giving up a takedown at the 38 second mark. Also a two-time All-MIAA running back, Cotton concludes a short season with an 18-5 mark. McCauley (No. Sioux City, S.D.) fell to rival Terrel Wilbourn of Lindenwood in the 149 lbs. semifinals. Losing to Wilbourn by an 11-5 score in the regular season, McCauley was poised to grab a 2-0 lead late in the first period. However, Wilbourn not only fought off the shot but got a takedown and two near fall points to lead 4-0. McCauley tried to rally but lost 7-6. He came back to win two matches, using a third period takedown to beat Findlay's Nick Goebel, 3-2, for third place. McCauley ends 2014-15 with a 27-8 mark. At 141 lbs., Surber (O'Fallon, Ill.) fell to now two-time national champ Dan Ownbey of UNC-Pembroke, 6-4, in the semis and to Notre Dame's Maurice Miller, 9-5, in a consolation match. He finished off a 26-11 season by beating OBU's Josh Myers, 8-4, for a second time in this tournament to place fifth. Finally, Aguirre (Ponca City, Okla.) suffered a 5-2 loss to Lake Erie's Matt Vandermeer in the 165 lbs. semis. Vandermeer used a first period takedown and never let Aguirre go, building up over 2:00 of riding time. Aguirre, finishing 31-16, came back to major Nick Fischback of Wisconsin-Parkside, 12-3, his second win over Fischback in the tourney. SCSU's Gabe Forgarty came on strong late to beat Aguirre, 12-6, for third place. On Friday, UNK's other two qualifiers – juniors Connor Bolling (125 lbs.) and Chase White (157 lbs.) – went a combined 3-4. Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament - Chris Watson, Central Oklahoma Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award - Pat Timm, Northern State Most Falls in the Least Time - Larry Bomstad, St. Cloud State Coach of the Year - Mike Wehler, Mercyhurst (Pa.) NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler - Ziad Haddad, Kutztown (Pa.) NCAA Most Falls - Matt Vandermeer, Lake Erie (Ohio) NCAA Most Tech Falls - August Mizia, Mercyhurst (Pa.)

Results: Results St. Cloud State won the school's first national championship The St. Cloud State University wrestling team (17-2, 8-0 NSIC) wrote a new chapter in the history of the school's athletic program by capturing the Huskies' first-ever team national championship. SCSU brought home the 2015 NCAA Division II championship with a first place finish at the 2014-15 championships, which were held on March 13-14 at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Mo. The Huskies tallied 84.5 points to outpace second place Nebraska Kearney, which ended the tournament with 76.5 points. St. Cloud State University freshman Tim Prescott brought home SCSU's fifth NCAA Division II individual championship with a 3-2 victory over top seed T.J. North of Augustana. Prescott ended his trip to the NCAA finals with a perfect 4-0 record and is the first Huskies wrestler to win a national crown since Shamus O'Grady took the top spot at 184-pounds in 2013. He is the first SCSU wrestler to win an NCAA Division II title at 125-pounds. In the bout for 285, SCSU's Austin Goergen placed second in the tournament as he suffered an 8-6 loss to Ziad Haddad of Kutztown in the title match. On the weekend, Goergen posted a 3-1 record for the Huskies and earned his second consecutive All-America award. All six SCSU wrestlers gained All-America status for the Huskies. This included Prescott and Goergen along with three-time All-Americans Gabe Fogarty and Clint Poster. Fogarty placed third for SCSU at 165-pounds and Poster ended his season with a third place finish at 157-pounds. First time All-Americans for the Huskies included Larry Bomstad at 149-pounds and Mike Rhone at 133-pounds. Bomstad gained the tournament's award for most pins in the least amount of time. Results: 1. St. Cloud State 84.5 2. Nebraska-Kearney 76.5 3. Maryville University of St. Louis 61.0 4. Mercyhurst University 58.0 5. Ouachita Baptist University 55.5 6. Notre Dame College 50.0 7. McKendree University 44.5 8. Western State Colorado University 40.0 9. Tiffin University 37.5 10. Colorado Mesa University 34.0

Results: Results HERSHEY, Pa. -- The Augsburg College wrestling team claimed its record 12th NCAA Division III national championship, winning two individual national crowns and earning six All-Americans in the finals of the national tournament, completed on Saturday at the Giant Center. Augsburg claimed its record 12th Division III national titleNotes Augsburg claimed its NCAA Division III-record 12th national title and first since 2010, snapping a streak of four straight national titles by Wartburg (Iowa). Augsburg and Wartburg have combined to win every NCAA Division III national title since 1995. Augsburg claimed the championship with 100.0 points, its eighth national title scoring 100 or more points. Wartburg finished second with 89.5 points, while Wabash (Ind.) was third with 66.5 points, Wisconsin-Whitewater was fourth with 60.5 points and Delaware Valley (Pa.) was fifth with 58.5 points. Augsburg swept the awards presented by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Head coach Jim Moulsoff was named Division III National Coach of the Year and Division III Rookie Coach of the Year, while Tony Valek was named Assistant Coach of the Year. Augsburg 125-pound back-to-back national champion Mike Fuenffinger (Senior, Hibbing, Minn.) was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler, and 165-pounder Eric Hensel (Junior, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South HS) earned the tournament's Most Falls in Least Time award. "As the season went on, we took our lumps, I know that, but it didn't make a difference," Moulsoff said. "We learned along the way and we grew, because (the wrestlers knew) they're going to crown a national champ come March, and that was their goal, and that's what they did. That's what we did." Augsburg's lead in the tournament came down to bonus points, which teams receive for recording major decisions, technical falls and pins. Augsburg received 24 bonus points in the team standings (seven pins, two technical falls, seven major decisions), while Wartburg recorded seven bonus points (two pins, four major decisions). In a rematch of last year's 125-pound national championship match, Augsburg's Fuenffinger dominated in a 15-2, major-decision victory over Lucas Malmberg of Messiah (Pa.), becoming the 11th Augsburg wrestler in school history to earn multiple national titles. Last year, Fuenffinger also claimed a major-decision win over Malmberg in the finals with a 12-4 triumph. Using five takedowns, two near-falls and a 4:02 riding-time advantage, Fuenffinger controlled the championship bout from start to finish, only allowing two escapes by Malmberg. "It was the same approach (as last year), just dominating every position," Fuenffinger said. "Just go out there, attacking and attacking, pressing forward the whole time. Just being dominant on top, trying to keep him down. It worked out." Fuenffinger finished his senior season with a 34-1 record, including a 31-match winning streak to end his collegiate career. Of Fuenffinger's 34 victories, 25 were bonus-point wins (nine pins, four technical falls, 12 major decisions). "A big part of any team is a good starter. Mike has done that for us for the last four years," Moulsoff said. "A great way to go out with his second national title, leading by example, out there on the mat for everyone else. He sets the tone right away, he goes out there and dominates, and what more can you ask for as a coach." The 41st Augsburg wrestler to earn three or more All-American honors, Fuenffinger finished his career with a 110-21 record, including 25 pins, 11 technical falls and 26 major decisions. Fuenffinger advanced to the national title match in come-from-behind fashion, rallying from an early 2-0 deficit with a pin in 6:27 over Guesseppe Rea of Wilkes (Pa.). "Faith is the biggest thing. I just went out there and stayed focused. I just wanted to go out there and fight for the glory of God. Jesus is what got me here. I owe it all to Him. Being able to represent Him in the best way I can, that's what I was striving for," Fuenffinger said. Heavyweight Donny Longendyke (Senior, Vadnais Heights, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) claimed his first national title, claiming a 1-0 win over Terrance Jean-Jacques of Rhode Island College. After a scoreless first period, Longendyke claimed an escape two seconds into the second period, the lone points of the bout. Neither wrestler scored in the third period, with the two trading shots. "You had two evenly-matched athletes right there. They're not your typical heavyweights," Moulsoff said. "Donny did a heckuva job for us this year, coming in and doing what he did. It's always nice to have a guy like that at the end of your lineup." Longendyke advanced to his first national championship match with an 8-4 victory over James Bethel of Oneonta State (N.Y.) in the semifinals earlier on Saturday. A transfer from Division I Nebraska, Longendyke finished 44-2 on the season, including a 32-0 NCAA record. He finished the season with a 36-match winning streak. Of his 44 wins, 33 were bonus-point wins (22 pins, three technical falls, eight major decisions). Chad Bartschenfeld (Senior, Amery, Wis.) saw his unseeded streak through the tournament come to an end in the national title match at 133 pounds, as he was edged 4-3 by No. 5-seed Matthew Grossman of Wilkes (Pa.). Bartschenfeld claimed the first takedown of the match, but gave up two escapes and a takedown with 25 seconds left in the second period. Earlier in the day, Bartschenfeld reached the finals with a 6-4 win in the second overtime tiebreaker session over No. 6-seed Evan Obert of Luther (Iowa), claiming an escape with 22 seconds left in regulation and a takedown with three seconds left to force overtime. After two sudden-victory sessions and a tiebreaker session, Bartschenfeld scored a reversal with 16 seconds left in his second tiebreaker, then rode out Obert for the final 30 seconds to collect the win. Competing in his second national tournament, Bartschenfeld finished his senior season with a 30-12 record, and capped his career at 75-46, including eight pins, three technical falls and 16 major decisions. Earlier in the day, three Auggies earned victories in their placing matches. Augsburg's six All-Americans are its most since claiming eight in the 2010 national title season. Augsburg has now earned 228 All-Americans in school history -- 192 in NCAA Division III competition (1983-present) and 36 in NAIA competition (1968-1983). Augsburg has had at least one All-American in national wrestling competition every season since 1977, and has had three or more All-Americans at 36 different national tournaments. At 165, Eric Hensel (Junior, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South HS) finished fifth for his first career All-American honor, claiming two pins on Saturday, including a 1:43 pin over top-seed Andrew Steiert of Wartburg in the fifth-place match. A transfer from Clackamas Community College (Oregon), Hensel finished his first Auggie season at 22-14, and is 38-26 in his collegiate career. Hensel finished the national tournament with four pins, leading the tournament field. Will Keeter (Senior, Twin Falls, Idaho) finished his collegiate career with a seventh-place finish at 149 pounds for his second All-American honor in his third national tournament. He finished in third place at 141 pounds in 2012. On Saturday, Keeter suffered a pin in 4:53 by Brad Mayville of the Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.), but rallied back in the seventh-place match with a dramatic 11-9 win over Luke Lohr of Waynesburg, who had beaten Keeter 6-3 in their opening match on Friday. Keeter finished his senior season at 33-13, and finished his Augsburg career with a 129-59 record, with three trips to the national tournament to his credit. Matt Hechsel (Senior, Apple Valley, Minn.) finished his collegiate career with a seventh-place finish at 197 pounds, claiming a 13-3, major-decision win over Matt Seabold of Central (Iowa) in the seventh-place match. Earlier in the day, he dropped a 6-1 decision to Aaron Karns of Delaware Valley (Pa.) to fall to the seventh-place match. Hechsel finished his Augsburg career as a two-time All-American, finishing seventh both this year and in 2013 at 197. A three-time national tournament qualifier, Hechsel finished this season at 30-11, and capped his career with a 116-48 collegiate record. Team Standings (Top 10): 1. Augsburg (Minn.) 100.0 2. Wartburg (Iowa) 89.5 3. Wabash (Ind.) 66.5 4. Wisconsin-Whitewater 60.5 5. Delaware Valley (Pa.) 58.5 6. Messiah (Pa.) 48.0 7. Coe (Iowa) 40.5 8. Wisconsin-La Crosse 40.0 9. Luther (Iowa) 39.5 10. Williams (Mass.) 33.0

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. Isaiah Martinez (Photo/Joe Maiorana, USA Today)I have been saying this for a while, "guys show up," and no weight class is a better example than 157 pounds. Undefeated No. 1 seed Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) redshirted last season and finished fourth in the Midlands. He lost in that event to the defending NCAA champion Derek St. John (Iowa) in the second round and lost in the third-place match, 9-6, to the Midlands No. 8 seed Johnny Greisheimer (Edinboro). This year Martinez is on a roll. He picked apart Dylan Ness (Minnesota) in the Big Ten finals. He is always looking for points. Martinez is a special talent that appears to be very coachable and his comments afterwards were mature and thoughtful. This leads me to believe he will be the same competitor this week and has a great chance to win the title. James Green (Nebraska) lost 2-0 to Martinez earlier this season. Green is explosive and dangerous as the No. 4 seed. Remember he was the No. 1 seed last season and held the ranking for two months. Brian Realbuto (Cornell) has everyone's respect as the No. 2 seed. He won by decision over Ness at the National Duals, and is a gamer. NCAA fourth-place finisher Ian Miller (Kent State) is seeded No. 7, but has a surprising number of losses for the talent he showed in OKC. How about No. 5 Cody Pack (South Dakota State)? He is 34-4 on the year and getting jacked. Having an All American would be huge for Coach Chris Bono and his program. The team race gets started right away with No. 6 Josh Demas (Ohio State) up against Mike Kelly (Iowa) in the first round. Demas, a senior who has made it to the round of 12, has to be counted on to hold or improve on his seed for the Buckeyes to win the title. Missouri coach Brian Smith is looking for No. 9 Joey LaVallee to catch fire and be the sixth man for the Tigers. With Smith's five other highly seeded wrestlers they could be holding the big prize Saturday with an All-American performance from LaVallee. Dylan Ness (Photo/GopherSports.com)Mr. Upside has had a flare for the dramatic the past three seasons. No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) has easily been one of the most exciting wrestlers in the country to watch. Ness's dichotomy of being unassuming off the mat and wildly entertaining on the mat is interesting. However, this season he hasn't had that signature dramatic moment to help his team. Is he due? Well, I guess that's what I'm saying. I would be upset with myself if Ness got it done and I didn't pick him. Everybody would say how could you ever doubt him. With all the memorable moments Dylan Ness has provided in his career, I can live with being wrong. Minnesota has a path to the national title, but it's not likely to happen without Ness contributing in a big way. That's not pressure; it's opportunity. We've learned that you can't count this guy out, but as I said at the top, "guys show up." Pick: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) Mr. Upside: Dylan Ness (Minnesota) Previews: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285

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. Jason Tsirtsis (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)To this point I have stuck with No. 1 seeds. In general I think the seeding committee got the No. 1 seeds correct. If a No. 1 doesn't get to the finals it can be considered a true upset. Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) carries the No. 1 seed at 149 pounds for the second year in a row. He placed fifth last season while not wrestling at one-hundred percent. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) has been a spark for his team and is seeded fourth. Houdashelt beat Sorenson 2-1 in a hard-fought battle at the National Duals. Points will be tough to come by in the bottom half of the bracket too. Returning NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) and NCAA third-place finisher David Habat (Edinboro) could meet in the semifinals. They met earlier this season in the Midlands final, with Tsirtsis winning in tiebreaker. I'm picking the defending champion Tsirtsis to repeat. I wasn't sold that he could win again until the second period of his Big Ten finals match with Sorensen. Tsirtsis got the quick escape and immediately got on the attack, which shows me his mindset is right. He is very difficult to get out of position, but a healthy Houdashelt and Habat could challenge that notion. Sorensen, a freshman, has a bright future and could be one of the Hawkeyes' better shots to keep the finalist streak alive that dates back to 1989. The other storyline in this weight class is the number of wrestlers competing not at full strength. Last year's NCAA runner up Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State) did not get seeded. Neither did two-time All-American Hunter Stieber (Ohio State). Both sat out a portion of the season trying to heal. Check out bouts 67 and 68. Kindig has No. 3 Habat first round in bout 67. The loser gets the consolation pigtail match, and if he wins that match he gets the loser of Stieber and No. 14 Cody Ruggirello (Hofstra). In the weeds crazy! Tywon Claxton (Photo/Logan Riely, WOUB Digital)Looking for Mr. Upside ... freshman Alec Panteleo (Michigan) is looking good and has a lot of upside left to his career, but he's seeded about right. So it makes it difficult to come up with Mr. U. The Pac-12 champion, No. 10 Christian Pagdilao (Arizona State) could be an All-American. It's certainly tempting to take one of the returning All-Americans Kindig or Stieber. However, I'm going to the No. 11 seed Tywan Claxton (Ohio), a good athlete who owns a career win over Houdashelt. Playing a hunch here, with the injuries in this field, somebody is going to flip the switch and take advantage of an opportunity. Pick: Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) Mr. Upside: Tywan Claxton (Ohio) Previews: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA has updated the standings for the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded in March at the respective Division I, Division II and Division III Wrestling Championships. This week’s update only reflects changes in the Division I standings, as no matches were contested in the other two divisions before those championship events commenced on March 13. The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes that have accumulated the most falls and the most tech falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons. For falls and tech falls to be counted towards a student-athletes total they must come against opponents in the same division. Ties in the two categories are broken based on the aggregate time. The Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated by adding the total number of points awarded through match results against opponents in the same division and dividing that number by the total number of matches wrestled. Points per match are awarded as follows. Fall, forfeit, injury default or DQ = 6 points (-6 points for a loss) Tech falls = 5 points (-5 points for a loss) Major decision = 4 points (-4 points for a loss) Decision = 3 points (-3 points for a loss) This week the standings reflect the minimum of 18 matches that are required to be eligible to win the Most Dominant Wrestler award. Three-time national champion Logan Stieber of Ohio State has the most points per match (5.0) at 141 pounds in Division I. North Carolina State heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski is in second with 4.64 points, while Oklahoma State 165-pounder Alex Dieringer is third with 4.6 points. Bucknell heavyweight Joe Stolfi maintains a two-fall lead in Division I with 19 this season, while last year’s award winner, Taylor Walsh of Indiana, has 17 at 157 pounds. Illinois 157-pounder Isaiah Martinez is alone in first place in Division I with 10 tech falls. The competition is close as two more wrestlers have each earned eight tech falls.

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. This weight class interests me from the perspective that none of the top eight seeds represent schools in what many consider traditional powers. I get it ... You might be thinking the top seed Gabe Dean (Cornell) is from a powerhouse school and you would be right. Rob Koll has done a masterful job with his program. However, there are several people in the sport that feel we are witnessing a shift. One weight class in one year doesn't make a trend, but after more than 40 years of watching and being in awe of the event, this hasn't happened very many times. Gabe Dean (Photo/Lindsey Mechalik)Gabe Dean (Cornell) is my pick to win the weight class. He has two losses on the season, and both happened at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December. He lost in the semifinals to Oregon State's Taylor Meeks and again for third to North Dakota State's Hayden Zillmer. Dean looked a little tired in those matches but since then has returned to form. He pinned No. 2 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) in the Southern Scuffle finals. Dean broke open a scoreless match with a reversal to a fall early in the second period. Dean has great power, and last season after beating Penn State's Ed Ruth, he proved it wasn't a fluke with a good battle in the NCAA semifinals. Forgive me, I just considered something that didn't happen this year. It won't happen again until the next time. If the matches in the weight class grind down with no first-period scoring, I believe it improves the chances of Blake Stauffer (Arizona State). He is one of those suffocating riders who can close out periods in the top position. I've also been impressed with Jack Dechow (Old Dominion). He is deceptive on his feet and gets in on some clean shots. I don't believe there are many guys at 184 pounds that if you take them down twice they can come back. If Dechow gets his offense going early he's dangerous. It's one of the hardest things to coach that the best defense is to score and keep scoring. Sammy Brooks (Photo/Hunter Martin, Getty Images)No. 6 Hayden Zillmer (North Dakota State), No. 7 Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) and No. 8 Domenic Abounader (Michigan) seem to be seeded right. There are two other returning All-Americans, No. 10 Lorenzo Thomas (Penn) unseeded Ophir Bernstein (Brown), and they are candidates for Mr. Upside. However, Mr. Upside is Sammy Brooks (Iowa), who is seeded ninth. I watched Dechow and Brooks wrestle in the semifinals of the Midlands. The match made an impression on me. Dechow came out the winner, but Brooks came from behind by totally changing the pace. That's the way he will need to wrestle to win consolation matches. Given he will likely catch Abounader on Thursday night in the second round, and possibly Dean on Friday morning in the quarterfinals, his path to a successful season will be on the backside. Iowa will need an All-American performance from Brooks for their team race chances. Pick: Gabe Dean (Cornell) Mr. Upside: FASTE WITHOUT FRAUDE (Iowa) Previews: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285

Finally, and I mean finally, we have entered the last weekend of the scholastic wrestling regular season. Individual state tournaments are being in Florida (Friday/Saturday) and Ohio (Thursday through Saturday) this weekend, while the one in Kentucky reaches its conclusion today after weather derailed the event 1-1/2 weeks ago. In addition, the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic will be held on Sunday in Pittsburgh, the Illinois vs. WPIAL undercard kicks off at 4:00, with the main event USA vs. PA dual meet to follow at 6 p.m. Ranking reminders Wednesday's Fab 50 team rankings are the penultimate edition for 2014-15. The inputs needed to compile the final Fab 50 will be done after this weekend; however, due to the NCAA Division I tournament being conducted next week, the final Fab 50 will be published two weeks from today. The national weight class rankings published Wednesday were the third from last edition. An update reflecting this weekend's activity will be posted two weeks from today, while the final rankings will be published in mid-April after the postseason national tournaments have concluded. Five statement individual performances from the past weekend of state tournaments 1. Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional), Pennsylvania Class 3A state champion at 145 pounds The Iowa signee cemented his status as the nation's top-ranked wrestler in his weight class with a pair of wins over wrestlers ranked in the top five nationally on the way to an elusive state title after finishing second the previous three years. Kemerer beat No. 5 Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County) 9-4 in the quarterfinal and then upended No. 4 Patrick Duggan (Cumberland Valley) 3-2 in the final. His other two wins both came by fall. 2. Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic), Pennsylvania Class 3A state champion at 152 The Penn State signee, who is ranked No. 2 nationally in this weight class, performed supremely on the way to a repeat state title. His tournament started with a first period pin, before a 20-5 technical fall in the second period over fellow regional champion Kazim Bakhriyev (Scranton), who would go onto finish fifth. In the semifinal, it was a 13-3 major decision against the Kaleb Young (Punxsatawney), who is nationally ranked; and then the championship match was a 12-7 major decision over No. 7 Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional). 3. Ralphy Tovar (Poway), California state champion at 145 After somewhat disappointing fifth and fourth place finishes the previous two years at state, the fourth place finish of last year was in particular below expectation, the senior finally came up big when the lights were brightest. Tovar, who is ranked No. 17 nationally, came through with three pins and a win by default during his first four matches to advance to the semifinal. His semifinal match was a showdown with No. 20 in the nation Jeremy Thomas (Santiago Corona), which he won 3-2; and then it was a 5-0 victory in the final over No. 19 Zander Wick (San Marino). 4. Patrick D'Arcy (Holy Spirit), New Jersey state champion at 126 Entering the tournament unranked despite having placed third and second at the state tournament, the Princeton signee was looking for a career-defining performance. In successfully clearing a state tournament bracket that featured at least eight wrestlers that had already appeared on the podium at the state, that goal was accomplished. From a gauntlet standpoint, the path for D'Arcy started with a 1-0 decision victory in the quarterfinal over returning state placer Joe Ferinde (Nutley). It continued in a semifinal upset, 2-1 in the tiebreaker, over nationally ranked Ryan Pomrinca (North Hunterdon); and concluded in a 4-1 tiebreak upset win over nationally ranked Anthony Cefolo (Hanover Park), who had won state in his junior and senior campaigns. D'Arcy appears in this week's rankings at No. 16. 5. Gerard Angelo (Hanover Park), New Jersey state champion at 106 The freshman entered the state tournament as quite frankly an afterthought. After an early round win over fellow freshman Patrick Glory (Delbarton), who is in the national rankings, Angelo would lose to Glory in four subsequent meetings. This included 4-2 and 1-0 outcomes at the district and regional levels. Angelo's state tournament opened with two major decisions, before a quarterfinal match with Super 32 Challenge placer Shane Metzler (West Morris Central); Angelo won that bout 3-2. Next, it was a semifinal match against fellow freshman Quinn Kinner (Kingsway), who was an undefeated and nationally ranked; Angelo earned a 5-2 decision there. That set up state finals rematch with Glory, who had beaten the weight class favorite Jonathan Tropea (St. Joseph Montvale) 12-10 in overtime during the quarterfinal. Despite the non-positive recent history, Angelo would earn a 4-3 decision victory for state gold, and is now ranked No. 16 nationally at this weight class. Two new teams in the penultimate Fab 50 national team rankings Qualifying five wrestlers to the Pennsylvania Class AAA state tournament, and having each place inside the top six, Boyertown finished fourth in the team standings with 75 points. The three teams ahead of them are the nationally ranked squads from Franklin Regional, Bethlehem Catholic, and Greater Latrobe; while nationally ranked Belle Vernon and Cumberland Valley were outplaced by the Bears. On the individual side of things, No. 1 Jordan Wood (220) anchored the Boyertown effort with a state title; while the other placers were Jakob Campbell (106) in third, Lucas Miller (126) in fifth, along with Gregg Harvey (182) and Tommy Killoran (285) in sixth. During the regular season, Brick Memorial won a group state title in dual meet competition, and lost just one dual meet overall (49-26 to No. 10 Bergen Catholic). Then, in the state tournament series, they won the unofficial title at the regional tournament. Despite qualifying just four wrestlers to the state tournament, all four of those Mustang wrestlers made it to the state final; Alec Donovan (145) earned gold, while runner-up finishes were achieved by Gianni Ghione (113), Cliff Ruggiero (160), and Nick Rivera (285). Boyertown enters the rankings at No. 43, while Brick Memorial joins the fray at No. 49 overall.

ESPN will provide comprehensive coverage of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis from March 19-21. For the second consecutive year, all six sessions will be televised and every match carried on ESPN3 throughout the entire three-day competition. ESPN will televise the semifinals (March 20) and finals (March 21) in prime time and ESPNU will televise the first, second (March 19) and quarterfinals (March 20), in addition to the medal round (March 21). ESPN3 will carry individual mat feeds throughout the entire tournament including the return of Off the Mat during the Championships finals. Additionally, for computer users, ESPN3 will once again offer multi-mat, simultaneous viewing which allows fans to watch up to four different mats at one time. Both the television and ESPN3 content will be available on WatchESPN. ESPN Commentators: Anthony Robles: Now in his fourth year as an ESPN analyst, the Arizona State graduate is a three-time All-American and a 2011 NCAA National Champion. Jim Gibbons: Returning to ESPN's television coverage, Gibbons is a former NCAA Wrestling Coach of the Year, three-time All-American, two-time Big Eight winner at Iowa State and later won an NCAA National Championship as the Cyclones head coach. He was inducted in the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003. Tim Johnson: "The voice of college wrestling" returns once again to ESPN's coverage. Johnson has been evaluating the college wrestling scene for more than 25 years and has called more than 250 matches as an analyst. Adam Amin and Shawn Kenney will call the action and Quint Kessenich will be the reporter. Actor Billy Baldwin, who was a standout wrestler at Binghamton University, will also join the coverage again, playing an expanded role this year. Off the Mat -- ESPN3 Special During Championship Finals: ESPN3's Off the Mat during the Championship Finals (March 21 at 8 p.m.) will feature three of college wrestling's most decorated athletes -- Jim Gibbons, Dan Gable, and Lee Kemp. The trio will provide viewers a unique perspective of the sport's ultimate finale, along with Kenney who will host. While also bringing viewers live action, the analysts -- unrestricted by television parameters -- will discuss each match from a tactical and mental standpoint, describing the wrestlers' thought process before, during, and after a finals match. Off the Mat will go behind-the-scenes, show medal ceremonies and feature an array of guests throughout the night, including newly crowned NCAA National Champions and their coaches. Off the Mat Analysts: Joining Jim Gibbons: Dan Gable: Won an Olympic gold medal at the 1972 games in Munich, Germany, before leading Iowa to 16 NCAA National Championships as head coach. Lee Kemp: Won three NCAA National Championships as a wrestler at Wisconsin and three gold medals in the World Championships. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1990. Every Match, Every Mat Coverage on ESPN3: Bottom scroll will also run through current team standings and update in real time. Additionally, the use of full screen team panels will be utilized to keep fans up to date. ESPN3's scoreboard/navigation page which will keep viewers up-to-date on current action and which mats each wrestler is on. When applicable, updates on up to eight mats will be provided on this page. For viewers watching a particular mat feed, ESPN3's new scroll provides score updates on other ongoing matches, including the matchups coming up next ESPN3 will have a reporter stationed at each mat providing commentary for each specific feed to further enhance the digital experience. Additional Elements ESPN will utilize still photography throughout the telecasts, capturing the event in a unique way. ans can follow the action on Twitter through @NCAAWrestling and join the conversation by tagging their tweets #D1Wrestle Millions of Viewers for 2014 Wrestling Championship ESPN's enhanced 2014 Wrestling Championships television coverage reached 8.6 million people, a 39% increase over 2013. Additionally, 12.8 million minutes were consumed on ESPN3 and WatchESPN, also an increase over the 2013 Championship. "Wrestling fans have an increased fervor around the Championships each year," said Brent Colborne, ESPN director of programming and acquisitions. "The strategy we implemented last year -- the addition of the first two sessions on television, combined with our ‘every mat, every match' component -- was very well received and we are thrilled to continue with the same coverage plan."

On Wednesday night, much of the wrestling community and the NCAA committee responsible for seeding must've shared the same thought: Where did this all go wrong? By now most wrestling fans have been through the brackets and seen the multitude of head-scratching seeds offered by the committee. Some, when looked at closely defy any and all explanation. For example the NCAA committee's formula simply cannot explain the seeding at 141 pounds where Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) sits behind Lavion Mayes (Missouri). The formulas used were created in hopes of formulating an objective way to analyze the yearlong performance of more than 1000 wrestlers around Division I. When handling a massive amount of data this "objective" formula can help sort the majority of wrestlers into their general place, kind of like making sure all your playing cards are facing the right direction. However, formulas -- drafted by a version of this same committee -- can NOT be solely responsible for the seeding of athletes. In sports like international judo, which uses a points system, points do result in ranking.That's public and known year-round In wrestling that doesn't exist and by nature a discussion must still occur. However that discussion seems to be artificially limited, and there is an outward refusal to analyze specific known data. Two great examples of this emu-esque approach is to not consider prior year performance, or if losses are avenged. Two-time NCAA champion Jesse Delgado of Illinois picked up three wins at the Big Ten Championships last weeekend in Columbus, but it still didn't earn him a seed at the NCAAs (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)In the case of prior year performance, the NCAA adopted the rules of basketball and other seeded team sports. In those cases, not bringing forward historical data can make sense because teams can change dramatically from year-to-year, and sometimes -- as is the case with Kentucky basketball -- may have NONE of the previous year's players. In wrestling the athletes remain the same year-to-year. Take for example Jesse Delgado. There is zero sense in not seeding a two-time defending NCAA champion who has had an injury-riddled season inside one of the nation's toughest conferences. To try to exclude him based on any part of the formula created ONLY for perfect scenarios is treason to logic. To make the finals Delgado will now likely need to wrestle the No. 8, No. 9, No. 4 and No. 1 seeds, a reality that's equally unfair to those seeded wrestlers. Why even bother to seed a weight class if you knowingly create an imbalanced bracket? Where is the objectiveness in disregarding facts? NCAA's Seeding Criteria 1. Head-to-Head Competition 25% 2. Quality Wins 20 3. Common Opponents 10% 4. RPI 10% 5. Coaches Rank 10% 6. Qualifying tournament placement 10% 7. Winning Percentage 10% 8. No. of matches at weight class 5%The other point is earning back wins against opponents. Wrestling creates matchups that are sometimes won by creative wrestlers. And unlike many other sports, wrestling is unforgiving of mistakes. Does a wrestler losing a first matchup really not earn back his keep when he earns revenge in a future matchup? How can ignoring this scenario -- the one in which Jason Tsirtsis was pushed to the No.2 seed -- make any logical sense? For the die-hard fan the NCAA tournament will be an exciting display almost no matter the seeding. But for the athletes who have worked their whole lives for this tournament, an evenly and logically seeded tournament should be guaranteed. What happened this week in Indianapolis let down those wrestlers who expected a fair hearing of their accomplishments. To your questions ... Q: Do you believe that past NCAA credentials should be used when seeding the national tournament? -- @Rhino184? Foley: Yes. If the wrestler is an All-American or national champion from the previous year, that should be taken into account. Yes, it seems more subjective, but it can, especially in situations like Stieber's and Delgado's, eliminate a wackadoodle bracket. Q: Did the Big 12 having only four teams, and thus taking some at-large bids, leave some good wrestlers at home? -- @Will_J_157 Foley: Unlikely. The Big 12 has plenty of the nation's top wrestlers. Any of the quality wrestlers who would have been on the bubble had the Big 12 received two dozen automatics, now qualified a weight in their conference. In that way they may have even benefited from such a system. The Big 12 does not have enough teams to qualify as an automatic qualifier conference. They will appeal for full membership, but probably won't be granted anything unless they can pick up a fifth team. At 149 pounds, the champ didn't qualify, but the third and fourth-place finishers did. The champ was Shayne Tucker of Oklahoma, who beat Gabe Moreno and who outplaced Josh Kindig, but Tucker stays at home. Why would a kid like Tucker even want to compete? From my understanding the Big 12 teams will be combining with the Western Wrestling Conference in 2015-2016. That might be a good move, it might not, I just don't know how it'll all play out. But I do know that I feel bad for Shayne Tucker more than I do anyone sitting on the bubble in another conference. Q: Keeping in mind your relationship with United World Wrestling, and looking at the NCAA brackets, are decision-making processes more transparent in the organization formerly known as FILA, than NCAA wrestling? I mean, are they now more transparent? Cause the issue is transparency and in other words, FILA has been this great bugbear for the American wrestling fan, but now is the NCAA wrestling component worse? -- Mike R. Foley: I'd agree that United World Wrestling is simply a different organization than when it was called FILA. That there is a communications department is evidence enough that there has been progress in keeping the wrestling family informed of changes to the sport and administration. Are we perfect? Absolutely not. But the aim is for transparency. One hindrance is that much of what goes on in international wrestling takes place among a decentralized system of federations and political power makers around the globe. For example, the quality of refereeing is difficult to maintain when there are 1600 worldwide and sometimes rule changes (a la "near takedown") are not being applied correctly. The NCAA does not have that excuse, and I think you're right to see that they resemble FILA much more than UWW. The seeding issue has been well stated, but the bidding process of cities to host tournaments, rule changes and a multitude of other bureaucratic decisions never get parsed out by the communications department, ostensibly by directive. Seeing as how all the NCAA Division I programs are in the USA, there is little that would ever be lost to cultural misinterpretation. However, there is plenty ceded to the established power brokers and the power of those who unwind the red tape. Q: What do you think of the parity in the Big Ten Championships this year? I can't remember a time when there were champions from eight different schools and have (one of) the team champions win it without a single individual champion. Is this kind of parity good for the sport? I know everyone likes dynasties and dominating performances attract viewers. Can this kind of parity hurt the sport? -- James F. Foley: I think it's difficult to argue that more teams winning titles is bad the sport. Wrestling is reliant on donors and the accomplishments of programs big and small can help drive fundraising and friend-raising. Results at the conference and NCAA tournament can often mean the difference in thousands of dollars in donations, if not tens of thousands. When it comes to popular perception, I DO think that too much parity can hurt the sport. There is a laziness that permeates the journalism world, and it has nothing to do with hours logged, but a lot to do with "How is this interesting to my readership?" Should ESPN want to run a preview of the NCAA championship, what would be their title? I'm asking, because I'm pitching this exact thing right now. In 2013 I wrote an article on the Dake vs. Taylor finals. That was easier than not and did insane traffic for ESPN. This year? The team race is so wide open it might require a lot of faith on the part of the editorial team to allow me to craft something. Now imagine you are a writer who knows zero about the sport outside of Cael, Gable, Penn State and Iowa. Grasping for straws. Overall, I like the parity, even though the spreading out of talent makes the sport more difficult to follow for the common fan. I guess the hope is that the spread will bring in more fans from individual programs and help the growth in that all politics is local kind of way. (Go 'Hoos!) Q: I was watching the EIWA tournament noticing MANY sudden victory matches not wrestled by heavyweights. They often went into the third overtime (Rideout after rideout forcing more OT)!! I was hearing the commentary saying, "As a referee you can't determine the match." We have referees call FALLS, stalling and fleeing the mat. Understood, the counter argument is, "In the rideout you are allowed to stall." Which is true according to the rules. Should refs call more stalling calls? Should they be the "deciding factor" if a wrestler's first move off the whistle in neutral is STEPPING BACK? I think I have told you this before, but in Judo, the referees call "Shido" if someone is bent over or is fleeing any type of grip as long as the criteria is met. It doesn't matter if it is 30 seconds with a tie score. They call it as they see it. Judo is not in trouble (Olympics) because the more upright rules and stalling calls pretty much ensures someone goes flying! However Judo has strict rules on what coaches can say. Time for a culture change in wrestling officiating? -- Dan C. Foley: Fans on Twitter and those in the media have reiterated the chant we started here on the mailbag a few months ago: #KillRT The rule has backfired and caused the sport to turn to molasses. Like any unintended consequence, the desire to produce a sport with more falls by incentivizing control has now turned into a game of competitive leeching. But will the NCAA listen? SHIDO! Q: What is your perspective on adding stats to wrestling's media presence (reporting, online team pages, season duals, season tournaments, postseason duals, tournaments, etc.)? While I believe rule changes are inevitable for college wrestling and making it more exciting, what about appreciating and finding new ways to enjoy/compare/discuss our unique sport? Similar to baseball, would be great to look up stats (creating more engaging internet experiences with our sport) pre and post duals. Pins, takedowns (per period), back points (per period), escapes (per period), takedowns scored on reshot, etc. I think establishing a base of the right stats could help our sport further. Great coaches discuss these things with their wrestlers. Extend this to the fans! -- Mr. J. Foley: There is room for stats! I know that there have been attempts by plenty of people to get this done, but there would need to be a widely accepted scoring system that could immediately feed into a central database. Without a central system it's just not possible to know who gets how many takedowns at the Reno Invitational. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Link: Podcast with Coach Steve Garland after Virginia's unlikely ACC tournament victory Match of the 2015 Women's Wrestling World Cup (wait to see how this ends) Q: One of the biggest stories not talked about in the wrestling world is the reinstatement of the Fresno State program. Usually, wrestling only gets noticed when a program is cut, but with addition of Grand Canyon University in 2017 after completing its transition and Fresno State targeting 2018 for a restart, what team will be next to join the Division I ranks? -- Rocco L. Foley: My fault here. I haven't really been jumping as high as I should for the Fresno State addition. This is a monster sign for the growth of the sport and more should be made of the commitment by former head coach Dennis Deliddo, who has been relentless in pressuring the administration. Coach Deliddo will always be best known for what he's accomplished on the mats, what he's done in helping orchestrate this comeback should be larger than a footnote. I'm thrilled there will a monument to this man's commitment to the sport of wrestling and the university he loves so much. As Fresno State alum and Cal Poly head wrestling coach Brendan Buckley said, "Deliddo is THE REASON that Fresno is coming back. He's the epitome of the school's mascot -- A BULLDOG!" Q: I should have asked this last week but being a PA guy I can't help but wonder what happened to the Alton brothers, namely Dylan? -- @Robbybobbi? Foley: Brother, I don't know. Nothing told to me was salacious, just some talk that they were beaten out for their positions and battled injuries. I'm disappointed that they didn't finish their careers on top. There was always a lot of pressure on them to succeed and with weight cutting, stamina issues and a team filled with doers, it just never came together for the home-state guys. I wish them the best in the future. Hopefully they stay in the sport! Q: I can't stand seeing a growing trend in high school wrestling where the winning or losing wrestler is running off the mat before the winner's hand is raised. I'm thinking this started with Iowa and the trend is continuing to grow. Every wrestler knows that when the match ends, the winner must get his hand raised. I don't know why wrestlers are trying to get off the mat before this happens, especially when they win. Sometimes the ref has to force the winner to stay out there. As a coach, seeing the losing wrestler sprint off the mat only leads me to believe they did not leave it all out on the mat. In freestyle and Greco, the winner or loser never is allowed to run off no matter what happened during the match. I would love to see a rule change in high school where the wrestlers are not allowed to leave the small circle before the winner's hand is raised. Thoughts? -- Tim H. Foley: My favorite story from wrestling is watching the Navy coach Bruce Burnett walk up to a wrestler in the midst of a hissy fit after being eliminated at NCAAs. Coach walks up with his hands behind his back as this wrestler screams and cries and punches walls and kicks headgears. Coach looks at him and says "Where was all this energy a moment ago, John?" Then just walks away. You're right. You must stand there for two turns as your opponent's hand is raised. You are also mandated to exit via the opposing coach's corner. This happens 99 percent of the time and when it doesn't or if there is a flagrant misconduct the wrestler (and nation) is given a yellow card. Guess what? Those can cost your team $5,000! The running off the mat thing is totally obnoxious, and though it might have started with Iowa it's now a part of too many team's emotional aesthetic. Forget that they should be a little more tired, but where is the sportsmanship in running away like a spoiled brat? Losing stinks, but that's not anyone's fault but your own. Coaches, parents and other wrestlers should do a better job and ask their teammates who run away, "Why are you acting like such a loser?" Being a man requires staring down failure and it's about time we start instilling that lesson in our young athletes. RANT OF THE WEEK By Ismael M. I went to our regional tournament last weekend and was totally disappointed by the wrestling. The finals matches began at 145 pounds. Between 145 pounds to 285 pounds there more hand fighting than takedown attempts. It wasn't until 106 when the dancing stopped. I then watched the early rounds of the states and it was much of the same. There were multiple overtime matches where the score was 1-1. Many could barely ride, which made it worse when you saw them on their feet. The only time you saw shooting was when the wrestlers became desperate. Then I watched the Big Ten finals and watched Nathan Tomasello do a great impression of Mike Jackson's moonwalk, not that Thomas Gilman was doing much but pushing. Tomasello didn't shoot again after he got his takedown. What made it even more of a joke was during his interview he was asked what he did to win and he said, "I kept up the pressure throughout the match." It's a shame to watch. I also don't understand why refs let a guy hold on to a single leg while doing absolutely nothing but trying to get riding time, not even attempting to come up, yet if he went up to his feet he would get banged for stalling (maybe).

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. Robert Kokesh (Photo/Daily Nebraskan)The historic depth at this weight may be coming to an end. For the past two years all we have heard is how even and stacked this weight class is. All of these of the seniors know each so well and it's their last hurrah at Scottrade. Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) started his career by competing and becoming a tough out. He was the guy you didn't want to meet coming through the consolation bracket. That mentality led him to a third-place finish in 2013. In 2015 he is wrestling with the same intensity in the championship bracket, adding to his leads and being physically dominant. His career speaks to what is great about the college wrestling experience. An agriculture major, Kokesh will go home to the family farm in South Dakota and add more than weight to a tractor seat. His coach Mark Manning calls him the best Husker leader ever -- high praise. Kokesh has not been outworked by this field that's why I think he wins. Like Kokesh, Matt Brown (Penn State) is wrestling well. The two have similar approaches and seem to be the two left in the weight class that can score takedowns. Mike Evans (Iowa) and Logan Storely (Minnesota) are not getting it done in the first period. It's hard to win at this level when you don't show a go-to shot. Take a sip. That said they can be tough to beat in any round but are becoming easier to stay with for the rest of the field. Evans has ground out two overtime wins over Storely, a testament to his toughness. These two are inches apart and whoever wins if they meet in the quarters goes a long way to helping their team in a tight race. The ACC is well represented. Blaise Butler (Virginia), Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) and Tyler Wilps (Pitt) all are top eight seeds. Butler, a junior, has moved up two weight classes and owns a win over Storely. The freshman Epperly went into State College and out-scrambled Matt Brown. Wilps, a senior, is a returning All American at the weight class. It's interesting the state of Virginia could have two teams represented in the top 10. A strong showing by Butler and Epperly could make it a reality. Missouri has three No. 1 seeds in the tournament, along with two others in the top four: John Eblen (fourth in this weight class) and Lavion Mayes (third at 141 pounds). If Mizzou can hold their seeds, they become difficult to beat, particularly if no other team can get more than five or six All Americans, which makes Eblen's performance key for the host Tigers. Logan Storley (Photo/Mark Beshey)Searching for Mr. Upside is a tough one. I think the weight class drops off, which gives No. 10 seed Mark Martin (Ohio State) a chance to be a hero for the Buckeyes with a couple of upsets. However, I'm going for the cheese in the trap and taking No. 6 Logan Storely (Minnesota) as Mr U. He hasn't had the season he is capable of to this point, but he has placed in this tournament three times. It didn't bother him last season as a No. 6 seed, and in a weaker field than 2014 Storely has upside. Pick: Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) Mr. Upside: Logan Storely (Minnesota) Previews: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285