125 Pounds (Rankings according to Intermat):
The Favorites:
No. 1 Matt McDonough, Sophomore (Iowa), Record: 23-1
McDonough is the defending NCAA champion at 125 pounds and backed up the title with another stellar season. The Hawkeye sophomore won his first Big Ten title with a 3-1 victory over No. 3 Brandon Precin (Northwestern). McDonough owns a pair of wins over Precin, as well as victories over No. 5 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) and No. 9 Jon Morrison (Oklahoma State). His high motor and constant pressure will be tough to overcome in Philadelphia.
No. 2 Anthony Robles, Senior (Arizona State), Record: 31-0
The Pac-10 champion is already a two-time All-American but has his eyes on the biggest prize. Robles has immense power and great hand control, which makes him arguably the most dangerous wrestler in the nation from the top position. The Sun Devil senior registered 22 technical falls this season, and among those 22 opponents were No. 7 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma) and No. 12 Jarrod Garnett (Virginia Tech). Robles also has wins over No. 6 Nic Bedelyon (Kent State), Patterson and No. 9 Jon Morrison (Oklahoma State) by major decision. He has never wrestled McDonough in his career.
No. 3 Brandon Precin, Senior (Northwestern), Record: 30-2
Precin was the Big Ten runner-up to McDonough, with both of his losses coming to the defending national champ. However, Precin handed McDonough his lone loss of the season and led 3-1 late in their second bout before getting caught and pinned. Precin is methodical on the mat with great intelligence and quick offense. The Wildcat senior owns wins over No. 5 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) and No. 11 Ryan Mango (Stanford). He is proven and will be a favorite to take the crown in Philadelphia.
No. 4 James Nicholson, Senior (Old Dominion), Record: 31-0
Nicholson has been the forgotten man at 125 pounds this year due to the lack of marquee matchups he gets by wrestling for Old Dominion. However, his talent on the mat speaks volumes, especially his defense that he turns into offense very quickly. The senior owns a win over No. 5 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) and two victories over No. 12 Jarrod Garnett (Virginia Tech). He's a little of a long shot, but don't be surprised to see him make a run at the crown.
Others to watch:
No. 5 Zach Sanders, Junior (Minnesota), Record: 29-4
No. 6 Nic Bedelyon, Junior (Kent State), Record: 23-3
No. 7 Jarrod Patterson, Sophomore (Oklahoma), Record: 25-7
Predicted Winner: Anthony Robles (Arizona State)