NCAA wrestling breakdown: Top qualifiers, team and individual predictions, TV and streaming schedule

Penn State’s Carter Starocci wrestles Virginia Tech’s Mekhi Lewis in a 174-pound final during the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan on Saturday, March 19, 2022. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

A look at the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

Schedule

Where: BOK Center, Tulsa, OK.

When: Thursday through Saturday

TV: ESPNU will televise early sessions daily; ESPN will televise night session each day

Live stream: All mats available with ESPN+ subscription+, TV coverage on ESPN.com with provider login

Teams with the most qualifiers

10 — Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech

9 — Minnesota, North Carolina State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State

8 — Iowa State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn, Rutgers, South Dakota State, Wisconsin

Iowa qualifiers (10)

125 — No. 1 Spencer Lee (Sr., 16-0)

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133 — No. 23 Brody Teske (Jr., 9-4)

141 — No. 1 Real Woods (Sr., 16-0)

149 — No. 8 Max Murin (Sr., 19-4)

157 — No. 14 Cobe Siebrecht (Jr., 13-6)

165 — No. 6 Patrick Kennedy (So., 19-3)

174 — No. 11 Nelson Brands (Sr., 10-6)

184 — No. 12 Abe Assad (Jr., 18-4)

197 — No. 14 Jacob Warner (Sr., 15-6)

Hwt. — No. 4 Tony Cassioppi (Sr., 21-3)

Iowa State qualifiers (8)

133 — No. 14 Zach Redding (Jr., 15-10)

141 — No. 24 Casey Swiderski (Fr., 11-10)

149 — No. 5 Paniro Johnson (Fr., 17-4)

157 — No. 25 Jason Kraisser (Sr., 17-13)

165 — No. 1 David Carr (Jr., 22-0)

184 — No. 5 Marcus Coleman (Sr., 19-3)

197 — No. 13 Yonger Bastida (Jr., 16-7)

Hwt. — No. 8 Sam Schuyler (Sr., 17-3)

UNI qualifiers (7)

133 — No. 15 Kyle Biscoglia (Jr., 19-9)

141 — No. 14 Cael Happel (So.,16-6 )

149 — No. 15 Colin Realbuto (Jr., 19-6)

157 — No. 22 Derek Holschlag (Sr., 25-7)

165 — No. 17 Austin Yant (Sr., 18-6)

184 — No. 1 Parker Keckeisen (So., 22-1)

Hwt. — No. 13 Tyrell Gordon (Jr., 18-11)

Former Iowa prep qualifiers (6)

125 — No. 26 Jack Wagner (North Carolina/UNI/Iowa Bettendorf, 22-8)

133 — No. 32 McGwire Midkiff (North Dakota State/Council Bluffs Jefferson, 15-11)

149 — No. 10 Michael Blockhus (Minnesota/UNI/Crestwood/New Hampton, 17-5)

174 — No. 13 Cade DeVos (South Dakota State, 25-7)

197 — No. 7 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State, 23-2)

Hwt. — No. 24 Boone McDermott (Rutgers/Iowa Central/Dubuque Wahlert, 16-5)

2022 top 3 teams

1. Penn State 131 1/2

2. Michigan 95

3. Iowa 74

Returning 2022 champions

Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State, 133)

Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell, 149)

Keegan O’Toole (Missouri, 165)

Carter Starocci (Penn State, 174)

Aaron Brooks (Penn State, 184)

Max Dean (Penn State, 197)

Other returning champions

Spencer Lee (Iowa, 125)

David Carr (Iowa State, 157/165)

Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech, 165/174)

2023 top seeds

125 — Spencer Lee, Iowa

133 — Roman Bravo-Young, Penn State

141 — Real Woods, Iowa

149 — Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell

157 — Austin O’Connor, North Carolina

165 — David Carr, Iowa State

174 — Carter Starocci, Penn State

184 — Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa

197 — Nino Bonaccorsi, Pitt

Hwt. — Mason Parris, Michigan

Team outlook

The team title is Penn State’s to lose. The Nittany Lions have six seeded sixth or better, including five in the top three of their weights, which does not include defending NCAA champion and No. 9 seed Max Dean at 197.

Iowa is the only other team with two No. 1 seeds in Spencer Lee (125) and Real Woods (141), but fourth-seeded heavyweight Tony Cassioppi, No. 6 seed Patrick Kennedy at 165 and No. 8 Max Murin (149) are the only others projected to make the podium. The Hawkeyes wrestled strong at the Big Ten tournament and are one of four teams with a full lineup in the field. They will have to continue that effort from the Big Tens to have a shot of dethroning Penn State.

The rest of the standings could be interesting to watch. Nebraska has depth and Cornell has some big-point scores like 149-pounder Yianni Diakomihalis, who is going for his fourth NCAA title like Lee. Missouri has a full lineup and is coming off a Big 12 title.

Don’t overlook Iowa State. The Cyclones are projected to place seventh, but David Carr leads the way. If some wrestlers compete to their capability, including 13th-seeded Yonger Bastida who was ranked in the top two earlier this year, the Cyclones could make a run at the top five.

UNI’s best finish is 13th under Coach Doug Schwab. The Panthers have the potential for a top-12 to top-15 finish, but they need a few to join top-seeded Parker Keckeisen (184) on the awards stand.