Now that we have our sweet, sweet brackets, it's time to take a closer look at the weight classes in the NCAA Wrestling Championships. We're doing a deep dive into each division, rolling out previews one at a time, so you can pour over and digest everything before the first whistle in St. Louis on March 16.

As is typically the case, we'll get started with the 125-pounders.

Our lightest division saw the graduation of one national champion and another bumping up to 133. That left Thomas Gilman of Iowa as the favorite coming into the year, and he's held onto the No. 1 ranking all year long, going undefeated in the process (a theme we will be repeating in several other weight classes).

Another potential obstacle was potentially cleared from Gilman's path when No. 2-ranked true freshman Nick Suriano of Penn State injured his ankle in the last dual of the year against Oklahoma State's Nick Piccinnini. A healthy Suriano is a force to be reckoned with, but after injury-defaulting out of the Big Ten tournament, his readiness is anyone's guess.

The Hawkeyes senior will still have plenty of contenders to fend off, though. We'll take a look at them next, followed by dark horses and a then full set of predictions and analysis.

Title Contenders:

(1) Thomas Gilman, Iowa
(2) Joey Dance, Virginia Tech
(4) Darian Cruz, Lehigh

Gilman started the year No. 1, and he enters the NCAA tournament with the top seed (part of that theme we will be frequently revisiting). He earned that seed by beating the No. 3, No. 5, No. 6, No. 7, No. 8, and No. 11 seeds this season.

Dance suffered a single loss this year, to fellow contender Darian Cruz. Cruz, a junior, has a loss to both Ethan Lizak of Minnesota and Suriano. Gilman handed Suriano his only non-injury default loss this year, and although I'm erring on the side of caution in leaving Suriano off the list of contenders, I will be among the many fans rooting for him to prove me wrong and make a deep run through the bracket.

Darkhorses:

(12) Sean Fausz, North Carolina State
(13) Shakur Laney, Ohio
(US) Conor Youtsey, Michigan

Fausz has gotten hot at the right time, beating then-eighth-ranked Jack Mueller of Virginia in the ACC semifinals. Youtsey has come out of semi-retirement to bolster the Wolverines lineup and is capable of winning (and, if we're being totally honest, losing) against just about any competitor in the division. Laney is also peaking at the right time, winning a deep MAC tournament that qualified six wrestlers from just nine programs.

Upset Special

Besides our dark horses, keep an eye out for Travis Piotrowski of Illinois. Piotrowski had an uneven regular season but took out some hammers in the Big Ten tournament in Youtsey and fellow qualifier Johnny Jimenez of Wisconsin to finish fourth.

Spey's Spredictions

1. Thomas Gilman, Iowa
2. Joey Dance, Virginia Tech
3. Darian Cruz, Lehigh
4. Ethan Lizak, Minnesota
5. Tim Lambert, Nebraska
6. Nick Piccininni, Oklahoma State
7. Sean Fausz, North Carolina State
8. Freddie Rodriguez, SIU-Edwardsville

The ultimate wildcard in this bracket is going to be Nick Suriano's aforementioned ankle. If it's 100 percent, Suriano has the ability to win the whole dang tournament. But given the lack of available information on the matter, I'm going to predict the injury keeps the tenacious young man off the podium.

An 0-2 day for Suriano helps clear a path for Joey Dance to make the finals and redeem his last two disappointing NCAA tournaments. However, it is, at last, Thomas Gilman's time to shine, and I'm predicting Gilman stops Dance in the final collegiate match for both outstanding wrestlers.

Watch Gilman take out the wily Youtsey in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament here:
I think Darian Cruz, who wrestled as good as I've ever seem him at the EIWA Championships last week, will get by a game Sean Fausz to make the semis. On the opposite side I think Ethan Lizak will step into the breach in Suriano's absence.

I expect both Cruz and Lizak to then win their consi semi matches (after losing to Gilman and Dance, respectively) and battle for third, where I think the Mountain Hawk gets the better of the Golden Gopher. Lizak's punishing top game could tip the scales in his favor, but I think Cruz avoids picking bottom and wins the match in neutral.

Even after suffering an upset special at the hands of the feisty Fausz in the round of 16, I think Tim Lambert valiantly battles back in the consis for an admirable fifth-place finish. His opponent in that match will be Nick Piccininni, who goes down but not before earning some extremely valuable team points for coach John Smith and the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

In the 7/8 match, I think our dark horse Fausz will prevail over No. 14 seed Freddie Rodriguez, who will also benefit from Suriano's absence.

There Will Be Bloodround

Just missing the podium will be Travis Piotrowski (taken out by Lambert). Additionally, FredRod beats No. 9 JoshRod of North Dakota State. Piccininni stops No. 11 Josh Terao, and Fausz makes his way to the medal stand by beating the dangerous Conor Youtsey.

Think you can make better picks? There's a very good chance you can! Here's the 125 bracket. Let me know what you think, and enjoy the NCAA championships, wrestling fans!




First was 125; now we move on up to 133.

Nahshon Garrett owned this weight class last year, going a perfect 37-0 on his way to an NCAA crown after bumping up from 125, where he wrestled the previous year. This year, Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello looks to follow a similar trajectory.

Like Garrett, Tomasello bulked up, having spent the last two seasons at 125. Also like Garrett, Nato is undefeated and the No. 1 seed going into this tournament (one of 10 undefeated No. 1 seeds; we will see one of those in each weight class).

However, unlike most of the other weight classes, our top-seeded wrestler at 131 did not start the season at the top. That honor belonged to Iowa senior Cory Clark. He is one of several contenders looking to stop the junior Buckeye from becoming a two-time NCAA champion.

We'll take a look at those contenders next, followed by dark horses and a full set of predictions and analysis (2017 NCAA tournament seeds in parentheses).

Title Contenders

(1) Nathan Tomasello, Ohio State
(2) Seth Gross, South Dakota State
(3) Kaid Brock, Oklahoma State
(4) Cory Clark, Iowa
(5) Stevan Micic, Michigan

Tomasello just finished winning his third straight Big Ten title. Meanwhile, Seth Gross and Kaid Brock both just wrestled in the finals of the Big 12 Championships, where Gross emerged the victor after a wild 9-7 slugfest.

A returning finalist, Clark has been dogged by a shoulder injury all year long, but when he's wrestled he's been competitive with the best of the division, losing to the No. 1-, No. 3-, and No. 7-seeded wrestlers by a combined five points.

Stevan Micic rounds out our list of contenders. The Wolverines sophomore is wrestling the best he has all year, getting revenge against Illinois senior Zane Richards at last weekend's Big Ten Championships by beating him twice in convincing fashion.

Dark Horses

(11) Bryan Lantry, Buffalo
(12) Josh Alber, Northern Iowa
(US) Scott Delvecchio, Rutgers

Two of our dark horses come from the sneaky good Mid-American Conference, which is sending another five qualifiers to St. Louis in what is nationally a very deep weight class. Both Bryan Lantry and Josh Alber are sophomores with high ceilings and indefatigable motors. If either of them get on a roll, he is going to be trouble for higher-seeded guys in his way.

Scott Delvecchio is more of a true dark horse, spending most of the year outside the top 20. He's revving up at the right time, however. Though he only placed ninth at the Big Ten Championships, the two losses he suffered were to No. 1 Tomasello and No. 8 Richards by a total of just four points.

Upset Special

Besides our dark horses, keep an eye out for John Erneste of Missouri. The 10th-seeded sophomore just won the previously mentioned MAC. He should see the streaky No. 7 seed, Eric Montoya of Nebraska, who could be in for a rude awakening in the round of 16 if he gets past the winner of the bracket's pigtail match.

Spey's Spredictions

1. Kaid Brock, Oklahoma State
2. Nathan Tomasello, Ohio State
3. Seth Gross, South Dakota State
4. Stevan Micic, Michigan
5. Scott Parker, Lehigh
6. Dom Forys, Pittsburgh
7. Cory Clark, Iowa
8. Josh Alber, Northern Iowa

That is correct; I am predicting that one of our undefeated No. 1 seeds is going down. While Nato is one of the toughest bruisers in the tournament, I'm going with a slicker Kaid Brock in the finals. Tomasello looked vulnerable at Big Tens.

I also think Brock will avenge his Big 12 finals loss in the semis against Gross and score more precious team points for the Cowboys. Who knows if the team score will even be a factor at this point in the tournament, but you can bet that Oklahoma State head coach John Smith will have his 133-pounder primed for the big stage regardless.

Check out Brock putting away two-time All-American Earl Hall in an entertaining Big 12 semifinals bout:
Additionally, I think Stevan Micic will get by Cory Clark in a heroic quarterfinal contest but then fall to Nato in the semis. Micic will get to third place-match where he'll see Gross, who advances to the consolation finals after falling to Brock in the semis. I think Gross comes out on top here and places third.

Lehigh sophomore Scotty Parker missed a good chunk of the season due to injury but looked ferocious while winning an EIWA championship last week. He'll beat Richards in a mild round-of-16 upset before getting bounced into the consis by Nato in the quarters, where he'll then run into, and get the better of, Clark.

I see Parker taking fifth over Dom Forys, who famously did not place in the Pennsylvania state championships his senior year of high school. But Dom more than makes up for it this year at NCAAs with a commendable sixth-place finish and All-American honors.

Dark horse Josh Alber makes it past his MAC nemesis, John Erneste, and finds his way to the 7/8 placement match, where the veteran Clark will be waiting for him. Clark ends his incredible Hawkeyes career on a positive note, taking seventh, while the young Panther finishes eighth and begins preparations for next season.

There Will Be Bloodround

The consolation bracket for 133 will be littered with worthy All-American contenders. Clark will end the podium aspirations of Nebraska's Montoya. Lantry will come up just short against a motivated Scott Parker. Erneste will taste Alber's cold vengeance, and Richards' final NCAA campaign will come to a disappointing end at the ends of the fearsome Forys.

Think you can make better picks? There's a very good chance you can! Here's the 133 bracket. Let me know what you think, and enjoy the championship, wrestling fans!



We start our climb out of the lower weights now with 141.

Last year, Mean Dean Heil emerged from a crowded field of contenders, a feat he'll attempt to repeat in 2017.

To do so, Heil will have to face down a bracket overstuffed with familiar faces. 2016 graduated a solitary All-American, Old Dominion's Chris Mecate. Not only is almost everyone back from last year, but several new contenders have burst on to the scene, making 141 easily one of the NCAA's deepest weight classes.

To give you an idea of just how tough things are at 141, two returning All Americans are seeded outside the top eight. Last year's 8th place finisher, Randy Cruz of Lehigh, managed only an 11 seed, while returning finalist, Wyoming's Bryce Meredith, could do no better than a 10 seed.

Like all the other #1 seeds, Heil enters the tournament undefeated. He also enters the NCAAs the same way he started the season, with the number one ranking. Heil's ranking after the tournament will be determined by how he handles a nigh interminable list of legit title contenders.

We'll take a look at those contenders next, followed by dark horses and a full set of predictions and analysis (2017 NCAA tournament seeds in parentheses).

Title Contenders

(1) Dean Heil, Oklahoma State
(2) Kevin Jack, North Carolina State
(3) Joey McKenna, Stanford
(4) Matthew Kolodzik, Princeton
(5) Anthony Ashnault, Rutgers
(6) George DiCamillo, Virginia
(7) Joey Ward, North Carolina
(10) Bryce Meredith, Wyoming

I don't even know where to start with this awesome constellation of superstars. I probably could have added a few more names to be honest. The top seven have separated themselves from the rest of the pack. Meredith has been a small step below but as a returning finalist I believe he warrants inclusion.

Ward has wins over McKenna and Meredith this year, but also two losses to his ACC nemesis, George DiCamillo. Meanwhile, DiCam has two losses to Jack and a 3-1 loss to Heil.

McKenna has but the one loss this season, to Ward, but owns a win over Kolodzik. Kolodzik also lost to Jack but has wins over Ashnault and #11 Randy Cruz.

Finally, Anthony Ashnault has two close losses to Jack and one to Kolodzik, but has beaten up the Big Ten all year long and cruised to his second consecutive B1G Championship last week.

Dark Horses

(16) Jared Prince, Navy
(US) James Gulibon, Penn State
(US) Ryan Diehl, Maryland

Midshipman Jared Prince is better than his #16 seed would have you believe, coming in at #11 in the Flo Top 20 rankings. He's got serious strength for a freshman and an incredible gas tank. Dean Heil was done no favors by drawing a 1-2 punch of Prince and Clarion's Brock Zacherl in the first two rounds.

No one knows what kind of performance you're going to get in a tournament from the enigma that is Jimmy Gulibon. The blue chip senior's best season so far was two years ago, down at 133 pounds, when he finished fifth at the 2015 NCAAs. Gulibon has has still shown enough flashes of brilliance since then to be a credible threat to anyone else in the bracket.

Ryan Diehl, another highly rated recruit, spent that last few years under the radar, but Maryland's Liberty University transfer is poised to make a big splash at the NCAAs. The Terp sophomore had a coming out party at the Big Ten Championship, beating a trio of top 20 ranked tournament qualifiers on his way to a 5th place finish and automatic NCAA invitation.

Upset Special

Senior Logan Everett of Army West Point will have his hands full with a first round matchup with Missouri super frosh, Jaydin Eierman. However, Everett's savvy and experience could be the difference maker, especially if Everett can keep it close, push the pace and make conditioning a factor late in the match.

Spey's Spredictions

1. Kevin Jack, North Carolina State
2. Dean Heil, Oklahoma State
3. Joey McKenna, Stanford
4. George DiCamillo, Virginia
5. Matthew Kolodzik, Princeton
6. Anthony Ashnault, Rutgers
7. Joey Ward, North Carolina
8. Randy Cruz, Lehigh

Yes, that makes two undefeated, number one ranked, number one seed going down in the finals, the second in a row. This time it's the Okie State Cowboy snapping off the losing end of the wishbone.

The reasoning behind this upset is Kevin Jack's nearly perfect record this year. The junior Wolfpacker's lone loss came during the first weekend of the season, a tiebreaker loss to #11 Randy Cruz back on November 13th. Jack's been tearing up the competition ever since, with wins over the #4, #5, #6 & #7 seeds. He also won the ACC, a conference that sports three top eight 141 pounders.

But the crown won't come easy, as Heil is one extremely tough out, as evidenced by his unblemished 27-0 record this year. Jack, however, has an impossibly tall build for the division and has been giving opponents fits all year with his stingy defense and supernatural lank. As such, I think the Connecticut native claims the 141 title for the Nutmeg State.

Watch Jack frustrate Ashnault at this season's Journeymen Tussle with his impregnable defense in the video below:
And here Dean Heil comes perilously close to giving up a no-control pin TWICE to Jimmy Gulibon earlier this year:
Though I'm predicting him battling back for third, I actually have McKenna losing in the quarterfinals to DiCamillo. The Wahoo senior is a three time bloodround loser, and I think he is due for a monster run through the first three sessions.

Ashnault will see a familiar foe in the quarterfinals in Matthew Kolodzik, where he'll win for the second time in four tries. That will make back to back semifinal appearances for Ashnault, who will enjoy the limelight until Heil sends Ashnault to the consolation semis. Kevin Jack will do likewise to Dangerous George DiCamillo.

Down in the consi bracket, we will see the reverse of the topside. McKenna will beat DiCamillo for third and Kolodzik will beat Ashnault for fifth. This is my way of chickening out and picking split matches for those duos when it very well could turn out the other way around.

For the final two podium spots, I think Ward avoids going anywhere near the bottom position against Randy Cruz and earns a seventh place finish and the third All American honor for the ACC. Tobacco Road erupts in celebration at the news.

There Will Be Bloodround

Like 133, this weight will see the vanquished careers of many an accomplished wrestler strewn across the bracket.

Meredith will run out of Cinderella power and fall to Kolodzik in the round of twelve. Nebraska's Colt McCrystal will be stopped by the crafty Mountain Hawk, Cruz. Gulibon will come up just shy of an All American laurel, unable to upset the Tarheel, Ward.

Finally, Jared Prince will have no answer for the granite like defense of McKenna, and will also fail to place, although I would not bet on anyone stopping him in the future.

Think you can make better picks? There's a very good chance you can! Here's the 141 bracket. Let me know what you think, and enjoy the championship, wrestling fans!

.

We now begin our look at the middle weights with 149.

The conductor is Zain Retherford, and his cargo is pain. We all know this train is neither stopping nor slowing down -- all we can do is get out of the way.

Quick show of hands: who here is on a 59-match win streak? Thank you all for not clowning around and keeping your arms at your side. The only one with a hand in the air right now wrestles for Penn State at 149, and he hasn't lost a collegiate match since March of TWO THOUSAND AND FOURTEEN.

Zain is the defending national champion and enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed (duh). Most of last year's All-Americans also return in a very top heavy weight class.

It should also be noted that Retherford has had two scares this year and is thus not totally invincible. He needed overtime to beat Iowa's Brandon Sorensen in a dual meet and managed "only" a 2-1 win over Anthony Collica in a dual against Oklahoma State, which is why you see Collica's and Sorensen's names below in the list of contenders.

We'll take a look at those three and a couple others next, followed by dark horses, and a full set of predictions and analysis (2017 NCAA tournament seeds in parentheses).

Title Contenders

(1) Zain Retherford, Penn State
(2) Anthony Collica, Oklahoma State
(3) Lavion Mayes, Missouri
(4) Micah Jordan, Ohio State
(5) Brandon Sorensen, Iowa

The junior from Benton, PA, has been in a league of his own the last two years, straight up bullying almost everyone he's faced since coming off a redshirt in 2015.

But the No. 2 and 5 seeds (Collica and Sorensen, respectively) did, as mentioned, give Retherford a run for his money this year. Collica, a senior, and Sorensen, a junior, are both tough, gritty, fundamentally sound wrestlers who aren't going to back down from any challenge, no matter how fearsome the reputation of their opponent.

While those two would like nothing more than a chance to dethrone Retherford, they'll have to maneuver their way through a crowded field, which is easier said than done.

Sorensen has traded wins with No. 4-seeded Ohio State sophomore Micah Jordan. Likewise, Collica split a pair of matches with third-seeded Lavion Mayes, a Missouri senior. Collica's win over Sorensen in a dual this year was likely the difference-maker for the seeding committee when it awarded the Cowboy the No. 2 spot in the bracket.

Dark Horses

(13) Alfred Bannister, Maryland
(14) Steve Bleise, Northern Illinois
(US) Sahid Kargbo, George Mason

Terrapin sophomore "Baby J" Bannister has the muscle and the guts to go upper body with anyone in the bracket. He will be a handful for any opponent.

Huskie sophomore (referring to the Northern Illinois mascot, not the wrestler's build) Steve Bleise has been flying under the radar in the Mid-American Conference. However the MAC once again snuck five wrestlers into the tournament from just nine programs, and any one of them, including Bleise, will be a problem for the bracket.

George Mason senior Sahid Kargbo does not have much in the way of big wins on his resume, but he doesn't have many losses either. If the Alexandria, Virginia, native can cobble two wins together, he will go deeper in the NCAAs than any Patriots wrestler since Cayle Byers' round of 12 run at 197 pounds in 2009.

Upset Special

Besides our dark horses, keep an eye out for Alex Kocer from South Dakota State. While unseeded in the tournament, Kocer checks in at No. 14 in the Flo Top 20. It's a safe bet SD State head coach Chris Bono will have his entire contingent "hashtag jacked up" for the tourney, and No. 8 seed Patricio Lugo of Edinboro will have to be at the top of his game to avoid an early trip to the consolation bracket.

Spey's Spredictions

1. Zain Retherford, Penn State
2. Lavion Mayes, Missouri
3. Anthony Collica, Oklahoma State
4. Brandon Sorensen, Iowa
5. Micah Jordan, Ohio State
6. Solomon Chishko, Virginia Tech
7. Max Thomsen, Northern Iowa
8. Steve Bleise, Northern Illinois

No upsets in the finals this time. Zain may end up wrestling a full seven minutes, but he's one of the safest bets in the tournament. I also expect him to pick up a lot of bonus points along the way, probably by throwing in suffocating legs and turning opponents through sheer brute force.

Watch Zain go to work on Micah Jordan and win by tech fall in last week's Big Ten Championship final:

Missouri's Mayes avenged his only two losses this year, (to UNI's Max Thomsen and Oklahoma State's Collica). I think he'll power his way past Collica in this season's rubber match to make the finals.

I think Sorensen likewise rebounds from a disappointing Big Ten finish and wins his rubber match with Jordan, in what will likely be an exhausting test of wills in the quarterfinals.

Also making it to the quarterfinals will be No. 9 seed Justin Oliver of Central Michigan, No. 7 Max Thomsen of Northern Iowa, and No. 6 Solomon Chishko of Virginia Tech.

Down in the consis, Collica will storm back from semifinal loss and battle through Jordan and Sorensen to claim third place. That will put MiJo in the fifth-place bracket with Chishko, where the Buckeye will hold seed and prevail.

Thomsen and, after an upset of Oliver in the bloodround, Steve Bleise of Northern Illinois, will compete for seventh place. The Panthers freshman will make it two in a row this year over his intra-conference rival.

There Will Be Bloodround

There are a lot of unknowns in this weight the further you move down the rankings. The thing I am expecting most out of this round is surprises. Nevertheless, I will brave the unknown and prognosticate all four bloodround matches, regardless of how wrong they may turn out to be.

In the final match of his career, Rutgers senior Ken Theobold gets beat by Micah Jordan. Central Michigan sophomore Justin Oliver's NCAA season is ended by Steve Bleise in the aforementioned upset. Baby J Bannister is stopped by Max Thomsen, and Princeton senior Jordan "Master Blaster" Laster is taken out by Solomon Chishko.

Think you can make better picks? There's a very good chance you can! Here's the 149 bracket. Let me know what you think, and enjoy the championship, wrestling fans!





We've reached the halfway point of our previews now with 157.

Penn State sophomore Jason Nolf wrestles most of his matches like some kind of big cat, toying with his prey before finishing them off for good. He's been held to less than a technical fall a grand total of three times this season and was in danger of losing exactly zero of those three matches. The undefeated Nolf is the NCAA tournament's No. 1 seed at 157 (duh).

No slight intended to any of the tremendous athletes in the weight class, but 157 was not considered the deepest weights at the beginning of the year. That situation has only been exacerbated by what appears to be a curse on the division. Several highly ranked wrestlers were forced to cut their seasons short due to injuries, including a last-minute scratch of No. 10 seed Brian Murphy of Michigan after the original brackets were drawn up and released.

Countering that trend, however, is Cornell senior Dylan Palacio reemerging from first-semester exile and proving he still has what it takes to compete. He won the EIWA Championship in dramatic fashion, with just five dual-meet matches on his record prior to the tournament.

Palacio is a title contender as well as a few others who we'll look at next, followed by dark horses, and a full set of predictions and analysis (2017 NCAA tournament seeds in parentheses).

Title Contenders

(1) Jason Nolf, Penn State
(2) Michael Kemerer, Iowa
(3) Joey Lavallee, Missouri
(4) Tyler Berger, Nebraska
(7) Dylan Palacio, Cornell

As tempting as it was to leave Nolf's name up as the only contender on the list, it wouldn't be fair to the other wrestlers who have a legitimate shot at the championship -- as slim as their odds may be.

Iowa freshman Michael Kemerer's only losses on the year came at the hands of Nolf. Nebraska sophomore Tyler Berger's only losses were to Kemerer, Nolf, and the recently scratched Brian Murphy.

Missouri junior Joey Lavallee has just a solitary loss this season to Lehigh's Jordan Kutler. Following 157's snakebitten theme, Kutler was a scratch from the EIWA Championship and thus ineligible for nationals.

Which brings us to the seventh-seeded Palacio, who is undefeated at 157 this year, but that only adds up to five matches. He's also the returning fourth-place finisher at 157 and very nearly qualified for the Rio Olympics while representing Uruguay (yes, that Uruguay). Palacio is the 2017 NCAA tournament's supreme wildcard.

Dark Horses

(11) Russell Parsons, Army
(US) Taleb Rahmani, Pittsburgh
(US) Aaron Walker, The Citadel

West Point senior Russell Parsons is ranked No. 8 in the Flo Top 20 but only received the No. 11 seed. He is a podium threat and was just one or two scrambles away from beating Palacio in the EIWA finals.

Pitt freshman Taleb Rahmani came from out of nowhere to win the ACC Championship last week in Raleigh, North Carolina. Panthers co-head coaches Matt Kocher and Drew Headlee appear to have Rahmani and the entire team peaking at just the right time.

Aaron Walker, representing the Citadel, is making his fourth and final trip to the NCAAs. He stumbled in the semis of the 2017 Southern Conference Championship but battled his way back for third. That kind of grit and tenacity will be invaluable in the three-day meatgrinder that is the NCAA tournament.

Upset Special

Besides our dark horses, keep an eye out for BJ Clagon of Rider. There is perhaps no streakier wrestler in the nation than Clagon. The Broncos junior followed up his fifth-place finish in his freshman year with a round-of-16 exit last year. He enters the tournament unseeded and drew the pigtail match. If Clagon gets by Colt Short of Cal Poly, he'll face Jake Short of Minnesota in the round of 32. Though seeded eighth, Short is the No. 9-ranked wrestler in the Flo Top 20, whereas Clagon holds the No. 13 ranking. If Clagon is wrestling on point and using his speed and leverage to his advantage, Short could end up in the consolation bracket earlier than anticipated.

Spey's Spredictions

1. Jason Nolf, Penn State
2. Michael Kemerer, Iowa
3. Dylan Palacio, Cornell
4. Joey Lavallee, Missouri
5. Tyler Berger, Nebraska
6. Joe Smith, Oklahoma State
7. Clay Ream, North Dakota State
8. Russell Parsons, Army

It's going to be 2 for 2 for Penn State in consecutive weights, and I think this may also be the largest margin of victory we see in the finals.

After winning Big Tens, Nolf expressed disappointment in himself for not bonusing his former high school club teammate, Michael Kemerer, as PSU was in a tight team race with Ohio State, a race they would ultimately and shockingly lose.

I don't think Nolf will allow himself or his coaches to be disappointed in his NCAA performance, and I think he bonuses his way through every match, claiming five souls on his way to his first NCAA title.

Watch Nolf break open a tied match against Minnesota's Jake Short in the Big Ten semifinals:

Kemerer will hardly have a cakewalk, but I expect him to reach the finals and secure a very respectable second-place finish in his first NCAA tournament.

Palacio will get by Central Michigan's tough Colin Heffernan in the round of 16 but lose to Kemerer in the quarters. I may later regret this prediction later, but I think Palacio pulls some magic out of his…hat and wins four consecutive matches in the consolations to claim third over No. 3-seeded Joey Lavallee in a minor upset.

Tyler Berger King (I'm so sorry for that) will make the semifinals, only to fall victim to Nolf's inexhaustible conditioning and then be upended by Palacio's wizardry in the consolation bracket to wind up in the fifth-place match. There he'll wrestle the peerlessly pedigreed Joseph Smith. I'm swayed by Berger's six wins over top 10 opponents compared to zero for Smith, who missed parts of the season due to injury, and will have to settle for sixth place.

In the last placement match, North Dakota State's Clay Ream, who will be upset by Palacio in the wrestlebacks, will have to settle for a podium spot slightly below his seed after he beats Russell Parsons, who will become the first All-American from West Point since Matt Kyler, who placed sixth at 141 in 2008.

There Will Be Bloodround

Expect more surprises in the 157 round of 12 matches, as literally dozens of wrestlers are capable of making it this far.

I think No. 9-seeded Arizona State redhshirt freshman Josh Shields goes down here, losing to a red-hot Parsons. Heffernan puts forth a valiant effort but will be taken out by Smith. Oklahoma senior Clark Glass is unable to extend his career any further when he is bested by Palacio, and finally Clagon's hot streak comes to an end when Ream defeats him in the bloodround.

Think you can make better picks? There's a very good chance you can! Here's the (updated) 157 bracket. Let me know what you think, and enjoy the championship, wrestling fans!


Now that we have our sweet, sweet brackets for the NCAA Wrestling Championships, it's time to take a closer look at the weight classes. We're doing a deep dive into each division, rolling out previews one at a time, so you can pour over and digest everything before the first whistle in St. Louis on March 16.

We now pass the midway point of our previews as we dig into 165.

Last year's NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner, Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer, graduated and is currently out on the international senior circuit trying to win freestyle medals.

Wisconsin's Issac Jordan returns, the other finalist from 2016, but his cousin and last year's third-placer, Bo Jordan of Ohio State, is wrestling up at 174.

Also bumping up a weight class from last year is Illinois junior Isaiah Martinez, who won last year's NCAA championship at 157 pounds. He's on a quest for a third NCAA title, and he will enter the tournament as the favorite to do so, sporting an undefeated record and the No. 1 seed.

We'll check out some of the contenders who are looking to knock off the heavily favored Martinez, followed by dark horses and a full set of predictions and analysis (2017 NCAA tournament seeds in parentheses).

Title Contenders

(1) Isaiah Martinez, Illinois
(2) Logan Massa, Michigan
(3) Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State
(4) Isaac Jordan, Wisconsin
(7) Anthony Valencia

While Martinez may have made it look easy, his schedule this year was anything soft. IMar earned the No. 1 seed by notching multiple wins over the tournament's No. 2-, No. 3-, No. 5-, No. 6-, and No. 9-ranked wrestlers in the Flo Top 20. By combining a rock-solid defense with a vast arsenal of attacks that he can hit at any point in a match, Martinez has been operating at a higher level than the rest of the field all season long.

For more evidence, just look at the records of our other top contenders. Massa only has two losses this year, both to IMar. Joseph has four losses, two to IMar, one to Isaac Jordan, and one to Keaton Subjeck of Stanford very early in the year. Jordan has four losses, one to Joseph and three to Massa.

I also included Anthony Valencia, who does have five losses on the year, two of which are to IMar, but has shown steady improvement as the season has progressed. His last non-IMar loss came all the way back in December 2, 2016. And though I am loathe to mix freestyle results in with folkstyle analysis, Valencia can at least say he knows what it's like to get his hand raised on a wrestling mat after competing against Martinez.

Dark Horses

(UR) Luke Zilverberg, South Dakota State
(US) Lorenzo De La Riva, CSU-Bakersfield
(US) Cole Walter, Lehigh

One could make a strong case that the seeding committee overlooked SD State junior Luke Zilverberg. Though unseeded in the tournament, Zilverberg is ranked 14th in the Flo Top 20 and has wins over multiple qualifiers. Zilverberg hails from the Big 12 Conference, a league that qualified an incredible seven wrestlers from just 10 schools at 165.

Lorenzo De La Riva is a tough 165-pounder from the underrated Pac-12, a conference that qualified three wrestlers from just six schools. LDLR (I hope that's a thing) also owns several wins over other national qualifiers, including a victory over No. 8 seed Dylan Cottrell of West Virginia.

Lehigh freshman Cole Walter had a nightmarish EIWA championship, finishing seventh after starting the tournament as the No. 2. However, Walter still has wins this year over All-American David McFadden (who's in the midst of a redshirt year for Virginia Tech) and Chad Walsh, the No. 5 seed from Rider. If Walter can shake off whatever was ailing him at the EIWAs, he'll be a dangerous opponent for anyone in the tournament.

Upset Special

Besides our dark horses, keep an eye out for Yoanse Mejias of Oklahoma. The junior college transfer hasn't had the most consistent season, but the 19th-ranked Sooner has some big time wins over national qualifiers, including 14th-ranked Luke Zilverberg, eighth-ranked Dylan Cottrell, and seventh-ranked Bryce Steiert. Pittsburgh's Te'Shan Campbell, who is the No. 10 see, will have to be wrestling at the top of his game if he wants to avoid the first-round upset.

Spey's Spredictions

1. Isaiah Martinez, Illinois
2. Anthony Valencia, Arizona State
3. Logan Massa, Michigan
4. Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State
5. Isaac Jordan, Wisconsin
6. Dylan Cottrell, West Virginia
7. Chandler Rogers, Oklahoma State
8. Chad Walsh, Rider

Having dispatched No. 2 seed Massa for the second time this year in the Big Ten finals, Martinez cemented himself as the clear favorite, and I am neither brave nor bold enough to pick against him. Martinez has two wins over Joseph, two over Valencia, one over Walsh, and one against No. 6 seed Daniel Lewis of Missouri.

I am, however, picking Arizona State redshirt freshman Anthony Valencia to score a few upsets on his way to the finals match. As alluded to earlier, Valencia hasn't lost to anyone not named Isaiah Martinez since the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December, and I am picking him to go on an upset run on his way to the finals for round three with IMar. But I'm even more persuaded by Valencia's glitch-in-the-matrix speed and a how'd-he-do-that creativity than his record. All that and an excellent head coach in Zeke Jones leads me to believe that Valencia is primed for an epic tournament.

I could also be talking myself into the all-California finals match I'd like to see, so take these predictions for what they're worth.

And this is the wrong style of wrestling, but this vintage freestyle match between Martinez and Valencia will give you a good idea of what Anthony is physically capable of:

Logan Massa will recover from his quarterfinal upset to make the consolation finals, where he will meet Big Ten rival Joesph. Massa will win the battle of freshman phenoms, in what I'm sure will not be the last meeting between these two outstanding talents.

Former finalist Isaac Jordan will battle back to the 5/6 match, where he will meet Dylan Cottrell. Jordan will return to Madison, Wisconsin, with fifth-place All-American honors, while the Mountaineers senior will score a commendable sixth-place step on the podium for West By Golly Virginia.

Though I may eat these words later, I think Chandler Rogers will beat the higher-seeded Daniel Lewis in the round of 12 to advance in the consolation bracket. Rogers and Lewis split matches this year. Rogers won by pinfall in the Southern Scuffle finals, whereas in a dual meet later the season, Lewis won a wild one 12-11.

In another prediction I will surely rue, I think Rider's Chad Walsh will be upset in the consolation bracket by Cottrell, despite Walsh getting the better of Cottrell in a dual meet earlier in the year to the tune of 7-4. Cottrell is on a 10-match win streak, with victories over David McFadden, Austin Matthews, and Rogers, and I think he keeps things in high gear at the NCAAs.

That would send him to the 7/8 match to meet Rogers. This one was tough, as Walsh has few bad losses but Rogers matches Walsh's best win against Cottrell and does him one better with a victory over Lewis. I'll be honest, I flipped a coin for this one, and the fates deemed Rogers the victor, and who am I to argue with fate?

There Will Be Bloodround

Consistently one of the most entertaining rounds in any weight class, 165's round of 12 should be no different, as high-caliber wrestlers can be found in abundance.

As mentioned earlier, I have Chandler Rogers ending sixth-seeded Daniel Lewis' season early. In a far less risky prediction, I think we'll see Logan Massa stop Cornell's EIWA champ, Brandon Womack, in the bloodround. MAC runner up Bryce Steiert of Northern Iowa will be sent packing by Big 12 champ Dylan Cottrell. And finally, the unpredictable Yoanse Mejias will be solved by a determined Chad Walsh.

Think you can make better picks? There's a very good chance you can! Here's the 165 bracket. Let me know what you think, and enjoy the championship, wrestling fans!


We start our analysis of the upper weights now with look at 174.

Last year's final featured one of the more entertaining bouts of the tournament, which saw 11th-seeded Ohio State freshman Myles Martin upset the No. 1 seed, Bo Nickal, 11-9. Nickal beat Myles in the three other times they faced each other in the 2015-16 season. Both wrestlers are keeping the drama going at 184 this season, creating an opportunity for two new finalists at 174.

Enter freshman phenom Zahid Valencia. Zahid, and his brother, Anthony, the No. 7 seed at 165, arrived at Arizona State two years ago with high expectations. After successful redshirt years, both brothers are delivering on the mat, but it's the younger Zahid who has really shined, entering his first NCAA tournament undefeated and with the No. 1 seed.

Four of last year's All-Americans return at 174, and 165's third-place finisher, Ohio State's Bo Jordan, bumps up a weight class. So Valencia will have plenty of challengers with whom to contend.

We'll look at those title contenders next, followed by dark horses, and a full set of predictions and analysis (2017 NCAA tournament seeds in parentheses).

Title Contenders

(1) Zahid Valencia, Arizona State
(2) Brian Realbuto, Cornell
(3) Bo Jordan, Ohio State
(4) Zach Epperly, Virginia Tech
(5) Mark Hall, Penn State
(6) Ryan Preisch, Lehigh

It didn't take long for Valencia to establish himself as a title contender. He won the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December over two time All-American Brian Realbuto of Cornell. Valencia keep a clean record all year long and hasn't dropped a match since last year's Midlands tournament, which he wrestled up at 184.

Watch ZMoney Valencia cruise to victory over Logan Gruszka at the Midlands Tournament:
A senior, Realbuto only has the one loss to Valencia this season. The New York native cemented his No. 2 seed when he edged Bo Jordan, then the top-ranked 174-pounder, in a dual meet late this season. Jordan is a threat not to be taken lightly, however. The Buckeyes junior has two third-place finishes in two attempts and will look to improve on that result this year.

Virginia Tech junior Zach Epperly has but a solitary loss on the year, to Lehigh sophomore Ryan Preisch, in sudden victory. Preisch, meanwhile, has only taken losses from Realbuto, Penn State's Mark Hall, and Rutgers' Jordan Pagano.

Hall, a freshman, will also be in the mix. He has five wins over top 10 opponents this year. Hall also knows a thing or two about preforming when the lights are on, having won the UWW Junior World Championships last August.

Dark Horses

(13) Taylor Lujan, Northern Iowa
(US) David Kocer, South Dakota State
(US) Josef Johnson, Harvard

Talented Panthers freshman Taylor Lujan has the ability to compete with anyone in the weight class. His creative, funky style makes for appointment viewing whenever he steps on the mat.

Coming in at No. 14 in the Flo top 20, SD State junior David Kocer is the highest-ranked, unseeded wrestler in the weight class. He will be a dangerous opponent, as will Josef Johnson, one of Harvard's team captains, who's racked up 29 wins on the year.

Upset Special

Besides our dark horses, keep an eye out for Peter Galli of Stanford. Galli needed an at-large bid to make the field and has had an inconsistent season. But the same can be said for his first-round opponent, No. 14 seed Lelund Weatherspoon of Iowa State. If Galli is on his game, he could send Weatherspoon to the consolation bracket earlier than expected in this first-round battle of seniors.

Spey's Spredictions

1. Zahid Valencia, Arizona State
2. Bo Jordan, Ohio State
3. Brian Realbuto, Cornell
4. Ryan Preisch, Lehigh
5. Mark Hall, Penn State
6. Zach Epperly, Virginia Tech
7. Kyle Crutchmer, Oklahoma State
8. Myles Amine, Michigan

I think we'll see all chalk make it to the quarterfinals, with the exception of the eighth- and ninth-seeded wrestlers. Neither Michigan's Myles Amine nor North Carolina's Ethan Ramos have much in the way of truly elite wins this year, but I liked what I saw out of Amine in the Big Ten tournament. I think the Wolverines freshman keeps the momentum going at NCAAs.

Those quarterfinal matches are going to be a treat for every tournament viewer. I think the top three seeds are going to prevail, but that the true frosh Hall will get the better of Epperly.

In top semifinal, I see Valencia getting by Hall, in what is, in my opinion, one of the most anticipated potential matches of the tournament. No result would surprise me, but Valencia has been too fundamentally sound all year long for me to bet against him here.

In the other semifinal, I have BoJo getting revenge on Realbuto. Again, no result would surprise me, and Realbuto did look sharp while winning the EIWAs last week. Jordan, however, had a pretty spectacular Big Tens, taking out Hall in thrilling final match. It may come down to who has more energy left after their quarterfinals matches -- Jordan has to beat Preisch and Realbuto has to take out Kyle Crutchmer -- but I think BoJo uses his dad strength to power his way to the finals.

A BoJo versus Z Valencia final would be truely popcorn worthy. Valencia has been wrestling like a veteran wise beyond his years and has a scary combination of strength and speed for a redshirt freshman. I think Valencia outmaneuvers Jordan to become the first Sun Devils national champion since Anthony Robles and Bubba Jenkins each took home the grand prize in 2011.

Below you can see Valencia's skills on display for yourself, as Zahid beats last year's sixth-place finisher, Lelund Weatherspoon of Iowa State, by a major decision at this season's Midlands.


Down in the consolation bracket, we will find out if the Preisch is right for the Mountain Hawk's rematch with Hall. Only Bob Barker and maybe Drew Carey know the outcome as of right now, but I am going with the Lehigh sophomore to avenge his Southern Scuffle loss.

You can watch Hall's semifinal Scuffle victory in it's entirety, including the costly third-period mistake that got Preisch pinned, right here:

In the consolation finals, I think Realbuto makes it 3 for 3 on the season over Preisch. Realbuto will have to go through Epperly to make the third-place match, but I think the Cornell senior makes the most of his final season and wrestles to seed.

In the fifth-place match, I also think Hall wrestles to his seed, toppling Epperly in the process. Three losses would triple Epperly's total on the year, but his best win this season would probably be 11th-ranked Ethan Ramos, and the losses I'm predicting would all come at the hands of wrestlers ranked either fourth (Hall) or second (Realbuto).

That leaves the 7/8 match, where I think it will be Oklahoma State senior Kyle Crutchmer beating Michigan freshman Myles Amine.

There Will Be Bloodround

The 174 weight class will see yet another quartet of ridiculously talented wrestlers kept from becoming All-Americans by the merciless bloodround.

Epperly will end Northern Illinois redshirt senior Trace Engelkes' career, capping off a season that saw Engelkes exceed all reasonable expectations, regardless of whether or not he makes the podium.

Amine will keep Iowa senior Alex Meyer from matching last year's eighth-place finish. Crutchmer will survive UNI's Taylor Lujan, who will no doubt redeem himself in subsequent years. Finally, Preisch will stop Ethan Ramos from placing for the second straight year.

Think you can make better picks? There's a very good chance you can! Here's the 174 bracket. Let me know what you think, and enjoy the championship, wrestling fans!


We continue our run through the weight divisions now with a deep dive into 184.

Gabe Dean, devourer of planets, destroyer of galaxies, dispatcher of opponents with extreme prejudice. The Cornell senior is a three-time All-American, two-time NCAA champion, and enters the tournament as the undefeated No. 1 seed.

The 184 weight class has been my personal favorite all season long. Not only do both of last year's finalists return but also both of 2016's 174-pound finalists, Myles Martin and Bo Nickal, moved up a weight, adding to an already crowded field.

Despite a bracket overflowing with talent, Dean has firmly established himself as the man to beat. He hasn't lost in over a year, riding a 39-match winning streak into St. Louis.

We will check out Dean and any title contenders next, followed by dark horses and a full set of predictions and analysis (2017 NCAA tournament seeds in parentheses).

Title Contenders

(1) Gabe Dean, Cornell
(2) Bo Nickal, Penn State

For a ridiculously deep weight class, our list of contenders is pretty skimpy. No disrespect intended to any of the other 184-pounders, but in my opinion this is Dean's title to lose.

I made an exception for Bo Nickal because of his unique style and ability. No one throws a greater variety of attacks at a more furious pace than Bo. From low ankle picks to double overhook trips, Nickal doesn't let up until the clock runs down to zero. It's that high-risk, high-reward repertoire of moves and commitment to go for broke at any and all times that makes me believe Nickal might stand a chance of slaying a giant like Dean.

One could make an argument for including Ohio State's Myles Martin, who recently beat Nickal in the Big Ten tournament and was last year's 174 national champion. However, Iowa's Sammy Brooks also majored Martin in the finals of that same tournament. Several other quality wrestlers can make similar arguments, but ultimately I don't think they are at Dean's level or possess Nickal's X-factor.

Dark Horses

(13) Bryce Carr, Chattanooga
(14) Dakota Geer, Edinboro
(US) Nick Gravina, Rutgers

Chattanooga's 15th-ranked Bryce Carr is having a very impressive redshirt freshman year in a tough weight class. He won the Southern Conference Championship in a year when the conference earned three NCAA bids at 184.

Dakota Geer is another 184 freshman who has impressed this season. The 14th-ranked Geer just won the EWL, competing for the Edinboro Fighting Scots, and will be a handful for anyone he sees in the tournament.

Rutgers junior Nick Gravina apparently qualified for the NCAAs while wrestling in the Big Ten tournament with a dislocated his shoulder. If his body allows him, the 16th-ranked Scarlet Knight could terrorize the bracket with vicious shrugs and an indefatigable gas tank.

Upset Special

Besides our dark horses, keep an eye out for Ville Heino of Campbell. One of two Finnish brothers, (yes, that Finland, the land of Finns), Heino has quietly creeping up the rankings and sits at No. 17 in the Flo Top 20. North Carolina State's 11th-ranked Michael Macchiavello is not going to go down without a fight, but you can bet Campbell head coach Cary Kolat will have Heino prepared for the possible upset.

Spey's Spredictions

1. Gabe Dean, Cornell
2. Bo Nickal, Penn State
3. Sammy Brooks, Iowa
4. Jack Dechow, Old Dominion
5. Myles Martin, Ohio State
6. Zach Zavatsky, Virginia Tech
7. TJ Dudley, Nebraska
8. Nolan Boyd, Oklahoma State

As impressive as Gabe Dean is, I don't think he is going to saunter into the finals after a slew of first-period pins. I expect Jordan Ellingwood, Jack Dechow, and Zach Zavatsky to give him a decent go in the middle three rounds of the tournament. That said, Dean will lay waste to all who oppose him. He will crush his enemies, see them driven from the land, and hear the lamentation of the women.

Sitting at a perfect 30-0 on the year, Dean also leads all Division I wrestlers with 17 pins. Were I voting for the Hodge Trophy award, it would go to Dean (assuming he wins the NCAA, not quite fait accompli).

In the finals, I will be rooting for Bo Nickal to give Dean all he can handle and more. And while I expect Nickal to put forth his maximum effort, alas, he is no Reed Richards, and he is not beating Galactus.

Here is Gabe Dean doing his Galactus impression at the EIWA finals:
I've been high on Old Dominion senior Jack Dechow all year long, and I think he's finally found his groove. Dechow missed the podium the last two years after placing fourth his freshman season, losing a close one to Dean in the third-place bout. This year, I think Dechow will see Dean in the quarterfinals and be sent to the wrestlebacks, where he will find a way to string a few wins and a couple upsets together, before being stopped by the mullet-fueled power of Sammy Brooks in 2017's third-place bout.

A sophomore following up a national championship season with a fifth-place finish is not unprecedented. J'Den Cox did it not but two years ago, so I don't think it's too crazy to predict that Martin ends up at No. 5 this year. Although MyMar looked masterful in his Big Ten semifinal victory over Nickal, he's had a few setbacks this year as well, and I think he'll continue his trend of uneven performances at the NCAAs. This will result in Martin reversing the outcomes of his Big Ten tournament, beating Brooks in the NCAA quarters but then losing to Nickal in the semis.

Down in the consis, I think we'll see Dechow again get the better of Martin, just like he did in the quarterfinals of this year's Midlands tournament, 7-4. Martin will then regain his mojo in the fifth-place match, where he'll beat Virginia Tech sophomore Zach Zavatsky.

Zavatsky will make the semis, however, beating Oklahoma State senior Nolan Boyd in a mild upset based on both seeds (No. 5 over No. 4) and Flo Rankings (No. 9 over No. 6). I made this call based on Zavatsky narrowly holding the edge in elite wins. ZZ has beaten the No. 4-ranked Martin and No. 11-ranked Michael Macchiavello, whereas Boyd's best wins are No. 12 Drew Foster and No. 14 Dakota Geer.

Which means Boyd will see returning finalist, TJ Dudley, in the seventh-place match. I felt wrong writing those names into that part of my bracket, but that goes to show just how insane this weight class is this year. And while it seems bizarre to have those two "only" placing 7/8, I don't think it's too outlandish for Boyd to take a loss to Zavatsky in the quarters and to Dechow in the consis, nor for Dudley to lose to Nickal in the quarters and Brooks in the consis. For the seventh-place match itself, I'll go with Flo Rankings over seeds and say Dudley wins in a squeaker.

There Will Be Bloodround

Similar to my feelings about most of the placement matches besides the finals, I don't have a ton of confidence in my round-of-12 pick. With so many talented and accomplished athletes and so few spots, these bloodround predictions are a mug's game.

Nonetheless, in the round of 12 I think we'll see Jack Dechow beat Dakota Geer, Nolan Boyd beat Binghamton junior Steve Schneider, TJ Dudley beat Bryce Carr, and lastly, Sammy Brooks will beat Indiana senior Nate Jackson.

Think you can make better picks? There's a very good chance you can! Here's the 184 bracket. Let me know what you think, and enjoy the championship, wrestling fans!


We reach the penultimate weight class of our previews now with 197.

Two-time NCAA champion, Olympic bronze medalist, a silky smooth set of pipes, magic fingers on the guitar strings, future Division I football player? J'den Cox is the ultimate renaissance man, (and I'm probably leaving some things off here, J'den Cox contains multitudes).

Cox is, to my knowledge, the only NCAA champion capable of doing Justin Bieber justice. Enjoy the dulcet tones in the following video:

Four of last year's All-Americans return at 197, including Cox, the defending title-holder.

Cox is the obvious top contender. We'll check in on him and a few others next, followed by dark horses and a full set of predictions and analysis (2017 NCAA tournament seeds in parentheses).

Title Contenders

(1) J'den Cox, Missouri
(2) Brett Pfarr, Minnesota
(3) Kollin Moore, Ohio State
(4) Jared Haught, Virginia Tech

The Missouri senior is our ninth undefeated No. 1 seed in the tournament. There is one more (spoiler alert, it's Kyle Snyder). This season, Cox has wins over the No. 2-, 3-, 4-, and 6-seeded wrestlers. So there really is no debate, Cox is the favorite, and he earned that status by wrestling and beating the best of the rest.

Minnesota senior Brett Pfarrvergnugen has wins over the No. 3 and 5 seeds and just two losses on the year, one to Cox and the other in the Big Ten finals to Kollin Moore. Only a freshman, Moore is already a Big Ten champ with 28 varsity wins, his only losses coming to Cox and Pfarr.

Virginia Tech's Jared Haught rounds out our quartet of contenders. The Hokies junior has just two losses on the season, a close dual-meet match against Cox and a pretty sound drubbing by Pfarr in the Cliff Keen Invitational finals.

Dark Horses

(13) Tom Sleigh, Bucknell
(14) Corey Griego, Oregon State
(US) Ben Honis, Cornell

Bucknell sophomore Tom Sleigh lost by riding time criteria after 11 minutes of wrestling in the EIWA finals. That loss could motivate him to big things at the NCAAs.

The Oregon State Beavers always do a tremendous job with their scheduling. Head coach Jim Zalesky makes sure his team wrestles top competition, despite being several time zones and a long plane ride away from most of the best programs in the country. That preparation could pay off at the NCAAs for the 16th-ranked, No. 14 seed sophomore Corey Greigo.

Cornell sophomore Ben Honis pinned 2016 All-American Brett Harner at the EIWA tournament last week. Check out associate head coach Damion Hahn give Honis' performance nine gator claps and an overhand downward fist pump:

Damion Hahn is excited about the Big Red's dominating day at EIWA's. Cornell has 4 finalist & leads the team score. https://t.co/7fZmuAQQxd pic.twitter.com/mtbcXQpMMr

— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) March 4, 2017

Upset Special

Besides our dark horses, keep an eye out for Brad Johnson of Oklahoma in his first round match against No. 15 seed Ricky Robertson of Wisconsin. The Sooners senior comes in at No. 17 in the Flo Top 20 rankings, whereas Robertson is slotted at No. 18, so this matchup is closer than it looks on paper. Nevertheless, Johnson is the underdog and Robertson the favorite, in the eyes of the seeding committee at least.

Spey's Spredictions

1. J'den Cox, Missouri
2. Kollin Moore, Ohio State
3. Brett Pfarr, Minnesota
4. Jared Haught, Virginia Tech
5. Matt McCutcheon, Penn State
6. Preston Weigel, Oklahoma State
7. Aaron Studebaker, Nebraska
8. Nathan Rotert, North Dakota State

Kollin Moore's Big Ten finals victory over Brett Pfarr was one of the most entertaining matches of the year. Those two clearly love to wrestle, and we're in for a treat if they meet again in the semifinals of the NCAAs. Moore has steadily improved in his three matches against Pfarr, narrowing the margin of defeat from the first to the second match and then claiming victory in the third. I think that trend will continue, or at least plateau, and the Buckeyes freshman will make the finals in his inaugural trip to the national tournament.

On the other side of the bracket, Cox will prove too elusive for Haught.

Here's Cox versus Haught from a dual meet back in November, a matchup I think we'll see again in the semifinals:

Then in the finals, I think we'll see Cox win his third NCAA title, where his otherworldly agility and mat savvy gives him the edge over Moore. I doubt, however, that this is the last time we'll see Moore in an NCAA finals match.

As much as I tried to make the rest of the bracket interesting, it's very difficult to justify upsets in this weight class. The top half of the division was very stable, other than Moore's rapid ascent to the top tier. I've got the top seven seeded wrestlers making it into the quarters with only North Dakota State junior Nathan Rotert, the 9th seed, registering an "upset," over the eighth seed, Rider senior Ryan Wolfe. In the Flo Top 20, however, Rotert is ranked ninth and Wolfe is 10th, so this is only technically an upset in the eyes of the seeding committee and Rider Broncos partisans.

In those quarterfinal matches, I think Cox will beat Rotert without too much trouble. Haught will scoot by Penn State's Matt McCutcheon in a close one. Moore will defeat Oklahoma State sophomore Preston Weigel, and Pfarr will beat Nebraska senior Aaron Studebaker like he did earlier this year (though he needed overtime to do so).

It's more chalk in the consolation bracket. I think it will be Pfarr over Haught for third. Cutch over Weigel for fifth, and Studes over Rotert for seventh. That doesn't mean we won't see any upsets at the NCAAs, just that I'm not predicting them given the evidence I have in front of me.

There Will Be Bloodround

The 197 weight class opens up quite a bit after you get passed the top tier, so I'm less confident in my bloodround picks (as usual). In any event, here's what we might see in our round-of-12 matches: McCutcheon beating Old Dominion senior Kevin Beazley, Rotert beating Corey Griego, Studebaker beating Tom Sleigh, and finally, Weigel beating Ryan Wolfe.

Think you can make better picks? There's a very good chance you can! Here's the 197 bracket. Let me know what you think, and enjoy the championship, wrestling fans!


It's here! The 10th and final NCAA Championship preview, which is the 285-pound weight class.

Hey it's the Snyder Man, reigning NCAA, world, and Olympic champion, no big deal.

Last year, Kyle Snyder beat two-time NCAA champ Nick Gwiazdowski in the tournament finals in Madison Square Garden, in what was quite possibly the best heavyweight match in collegiate history. Snyder is also a decent freestyle wrestler. Five months after becoming NCAA champ, Snyder won an Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro representing the United States. So you know, pretty decent.

Whether due to graduation, injuries, or redshirting, only two other heavyweight All-Americans from 2016 return for the 2017 edition. As such, there will be some new faces on the podium steps this year.

We'll take a look at our largest title contenders next, followed by dark horses and a full set of predictions and analysis (2017 NCAA tournament seeds in parentheses).

Title Contenders

(1) Kyle Snyder, Ohio State
(2) Connor Medbery, Wisconsin
(3) Ty Walz, Virginia Tech
(4) Jacob Kasper, Duke

The undefeated Snyder is, naturally, the No. 1-ranked heavyweight and odds-on favorite to win. He wrestled a limited college schedule this year, but his victory over Connor Medbery in the Big Ten finals sealed his status as the top seed. Even with just 12 NCAA matches under his belt coming into this season's tournament, Snyder has still beaten the fourth-, seventh-, eighth-, and 12th-ranked heavyweights. And when Snyder wasn't wrestling folkstyle, he was going to places such as Ukraine, Siberia, and Iran, to wrestle freestyle against the best heavyweights in the world. It is safe to say that lack of adequate competition will not be a factor for the formerly teenage world champion.


Kyle Snyder: Lofty and kinglike.

Wisconsin's Connor Medbery gave Snyder his toughest folkstyle match this year in the aforementioned Big Ten tournament, Medbery's only loss on the season. A senior, Medbery also has wins over the third-, fourth-, seventh-, eighth-, and 12th-ranked 285-pounders. His No. 2 seed is not in question.

Likewise, Virginia Tech senior Ty Walz is the clear No. 3, suffering just two losses this year, one to Medbery and one to Jacob Kasper. Walz is the anchor of a Hokies lineup that could very well see the top four weights earn All-American honors.

Duke's fourth-seeded Jacob Kasper is our people's champion, having bumped all the way to 285 from 184 after his sophomore year. This year has been the Blue Devil senior's breakout season, notching six wins over top 10 opponents.

Dark Horses

(14) Thomas Haines, Lock Haven
(16) Garrett Ryan, Columbia
(US) Gage Hutchison, Eastern Michigan

Lock Haven sophomore Thomas Haines has been piling up wins this season, notching 31 victories for the Bald Eagles. He's ranked all the way up at the 11th spot in the Flo Top 20. If he can find a way to climb even higher and make the podium, he'll become Lock Haven's fifth All-American since the 2000 tournament.

Garrett Ryan surprised many fans with an EIWA championship a week ago. It appears Ryan has perfected the "foot trap" single-leg snatch, made famous by Iranian Olympian Reza Yazdani (aka Yazdani the Greatest). If the Columbia junior can find his way to the medal stand, he'll be just the third Lions wrestler to do so in the last 18 tournaments.

Eastern Michigan junior Gage Hutchison has had an up-and-down season but showed flashes of brilliance at the CKLV and Midlands tournaments. If Hutchison can regain his midseason form, he could a problem for the heavyweight field.

Upset Special

Besides our dark horses, keep an eye out for Joseph Goodhart of Drexel. Goodhart has quietly had a very solid season for the Dragons, climbing all the way up to the 15th spot on the Flo Top 20. Stanford's Nathan Butler, the No. 10 seed, is likewise very solid but was done no favors by drawing Goodhart in the first round. Goodhart beat Butler earlier in the year at a dual meet, and Butler will have to be at the top of his game to avoid a similar outcome in the rematch.

Spey's Spredictions

1. Kyle Snyder, Ohio State
2. Ty Walz, Virginia Tech
3. Connor Medbery, Wisconsin
4. Jacob Kasper, Duke
5. Nick Nevills, Penn State
6. Tanner Hall, Arizona State
7. Michael Kroells, Minnesota
8. Denzel Dejournette, Appalachian State

I think everything will go according to plans in the first two rounds, and all top eight seeds will advance to the quarterfinals. Things will similarly continue on script in that round, and the top four seeds will make it to the semifinal round.

After an epic battle with Nick Nevills in the quarterfinals to secure Duke's third All-American honor since 2000, I think Jacob Kasper will run out of gas Friday night and Kyle Snyder turns the match into a takedown fest on his way to his third consecutive NCAA finals.

Watch Snyder throw a whopping 19 points on the scoreboard against Nick Nevills in the video below:

On the other side of the bracket, I think Ty Walz pulls off the upset and takes out Connor Medbery to make his first-ever NCAA finals appearance after two previous All-American runs. Medbery beat Walz in sudden victory in the finals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. However, I think Walz's regular-season loss to Kasper was a wake-up call, as he avenged that match in the ACC finals, and I think he'll be ready to do the same here.

Down in the consolation bracket, I think we'll see Medbery stomp his way to third place. He'll beat Nevills for the third time this season to reach the consi finals, where he'll meet Kasper. Kasper will be able to fend off a very tough Tanner Hall of Arizona State to reach that match, but his magical senior campaign will run out of juice and end with a loss to the redoubtable Medbery.

I think there is very little separation between Nevills and the next three wrestlers who will place above him (with Snyder operating one level up from there), so it wasn't a difficult decision penciling the crafty Nittany Lion in above Hall in the fifth place match.

In the battle for seventh place, I'm forecasting Minnesota senior, Michael Kroells, to beat Appalachian State senior, Denzel Dejournette, for the second time in the tournament. Unlike the 5/6 match, this was a difficult choice, as I am a big fan of Dejournette. Ultimately, the difference maker for me came down to Kroells having wrestled probably the toughest heavyweight schedule this season, and I think he replicates his 2016 achievement with another 7th place finish, his third time becoming an All American.

There Will Be Bloodround

Dejournette making the podium means one of the top eight seeded wrestlers will not. And though I would not be surprised in the slightest if I am forced to eat these words later, I think Dejournette beats the sixth seeded Oklahoma State senior, Austin Schafer, in the bloodround, keeping him off the podium. Though Schafer has only a solitary loss this season, a 10-3 decision to Jacob Kasper, he also does not have a lot of top tier wins. Victories over the 8th, 13th, 15th and 17th ranked heavyweights is certainly formidable, however Dejournette is right there with him with wins over the 12th (2X), 13th and 20th (2X) ranked heavies. Dejournette also had a closer match with Jacob Kasper, for whatever that is worth.

That might not be enough evidence for some, but I have a feeling the App State Mountaineer is due for a big tournament, and it was enough for me.

In the other bloodround matches, I think we'll see Nick Nevills knock off Joey Goodhart, Michael Kroells will beat Thomas Haines, and finally, Tanner Hall will end Edinboro sophomore Billy Miller's season.

Think you can make better picks? There's a very good chance you can! Here's the 285 bracket. Let me know what you think, and enjoy the championship, wrestling fans!