Blue White Illustrated

TOURNAMENT PREVIEW | WHEN March 21-23 WHERE Wells Fargo Center, Des Moines, Iowa LAST SEASON The heavily favored Nittany Lions took St. Louis by storm in 2012, winning their second consecutive NCAA team title while crowning three individual champs. In all, Penn State tallied 143.5 team points ��� 36 more than it compiled during its previous title run in 2011. It was also the highest point total in school history, the most by any Division I program in seven years and 25.5 more than second-place Minnesota. FAVORITES Penn State has spent the entire season ranked atop Intermat���s Tournament Power Index, a ranking system that employs a formula similar to the one used to determine the NCAA tournament���s final standings. The Nittany Lions also won the Big Ten tournament title, so many prognosticators are expecting a threepeat by the Nittany Lions. But they aren���t as heavily favored as the 2012 squad. The competition is a little stronger ��� Oklahoma State and Minnesota are contenders ��� and Iowa���s crowd is sure to give the Hawkeyes a big boost, especially during anticipated battles with Penn State at 125, 157, 174 and 285 pounds. The team title could be determined by the outcome of those weight classes. DARK HORSE Is Ohio State a dark horse or is it becoming a favorite? It���s hard to tell sometimes. The Buckeyes have spent most of the season ranked in the top five, and if the Stieber brothers reach their respective finals along with one additional Ohio State wrestler, this team could make the race awfully interesting. Look for Central Michigan to finish in the top 10. Also, North Dakota State has a few upset-minded wrestlers who could shake up the final results. OW CANDIDATES Whoever wins the 165pound blockbuster ��� that���s assuming Penn State���s David Taylor and Cornell���s Kyle Dake do actually meet ��� will likely be the favorite for the tournament���s Outstanding Wrestler award. But Penn State���s Ed Ruth has been nearly untouchable during the regular season, and if he steamrolls through the 184-pound bracket like he did a year ago at 174, he will deserve strong consideration. Two others to watch out for are Iowa���s Matt McDonough (125) and Tony Ramos (133). At least one Hawkeye wrestler is bound to do something special, given that the tournament is taking place in the center of the country���s largest wrestling fan base. Ohio State���s Logan Stieber (133), Oklahoma State���s Jordan Oliver (149), Kent State���s Dustin Kilgore (197) and Penn State���s Quentin Wright (197) could also be considered strong candidates. PENN STATE���S OUTLOOK With five returning All-Americans, Penn State has the bonus-point firepower to win its third title in a row. But it won���t come easy ��� not with the tournament taking place in Hawkeye territory. The Nittany Lions could send at least five wrestlers to the championship round, but, realistically, they could also finish with only one individual champ. Meanwhile, Iowa could have three wrestlers standing atop the podium when it���s all said and done, and Oklahoma State and Minnesota could have at least two. The Cowboys, Gophers and Hawkeyes are the biggest threats to Penn State, so look for this team race to come down to the final few bouts. During the past two seasons, Penn State clinched the team title before the final round even began. That���s unlikely to happen this year. WE IGHT -B Y -WE IGHT 125 After making the final as a true freshman, Penn State���s Nico Megaludis is on a mission for his first NCAA title. But he���ll have history ��� and a pesky Hawkeye crowd ��� working against him. Iowa���s Matt McDonough has competed in the past three NCAA finals, and last season he won his second title by topping Megaludis, 4-1. McDonough won a close 2-1 battle at the teams��� dual meet on Feb. 1. In all, McDonough holds a 4-0 career advantage over the Nittany Lion. But Illinois��� Jesse Delgado has beaten McDonough twice ��� most recently a 10-4 decision in the conference final. Missouri���s Alan Waters is still undefeated. They���re the only active wrestlers who have defeated McDonough. Depending on the pairings, this weight could be very interesting, but McDonough holds the edge in Iowa. FAVORITE Matt McDonough, Iowa DARK HORSE Trent Sprenkle, North Dakota State 133 Penn State���s Jordan Conaway has surprised a lot of opponents this season. He went from a relative unknown to the 13th-ranked 133pounder in the country heading into the Big Ten tournament. He could pull off another surprise by garnering All-America laurels as a redshirt freshman. That���s a legitimate possibility. With the top two ranked wrestlers ��� Ohio State���s Logan Stieber and Iowa���s Tony Ramos ��� heavily favored to meet in the final, the battle for the third-

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