Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals
  Jan. 18-19, 2003  St. John Arena  Columbus, Ohio   
  In the history of the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals, this may be one of the deepest fields to date. A total of 11 of the top 15 teams in the country according to the latest NWCA Division I Wrestling Poll will be in attendance, including two-time defending NCAA team champion Minnesota, top-ranked Oklahoma State and No. 2 Iowa.    More teams are showing balance throughout their lineups this year, especially those present in this dual tournament. This will create exciting first round matchups, as well as competitive duals throughout the rest of the event.    This is a grueling tournament spanned over two days. One slip-up, and a top team can be in the consolation bracket. Just ask Ohio State, who downed Oklahoma State and Oklahoma last season. Against Oklahoma, Tommy Rowlands of Ohio State pinned Leonce Crump in overtime of the final bout to give the Buckeyes a remarkable come-from-behind win. The tournament performance boosted Ohio State to a No. 2 national ranking.    Who will be this year's hero? What team will make its mark?    Seeds were based on the Jan. 15 NWCA Coaches Team Poll    #1 Oklahoma State vs. Northern Iowa  The Cowboys may be the most balanced team in the nation this year. Seven wrestlers in their lineup have claims to being a national title contenders, including Skyler Holman (125), Johnny Thompson (133), Zack Esposito (141), Shane Roller (157), Tyrone Lewis (165), Chris Pendleton (174) and Muhammed Lawal (197). Northern Iowa will only be favored at two weights: at 184 lbs. with Jordan Holm and at 285 lbs. with Paul Hynek. The three swing matches in this dual are at 141 lbs. where the Panthers Dylan Long will get a rematch with Esposito, 149 lbs. where UNI's Jon Garvin will matchup with Jerrod Sanders and at 174 lbs., where Eric Hauan of Northern Iowa will face off with Pendleton. In November, Esposito defeated Long 5-2 at the Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha. This marquee matchup will have major implications on seeding at the NCAA Tournament in March. At the same tournament, Pendleton narrowly defeated Hauan by a 3-2 score.  TheMat.com Prediction: Oklahoma State, 26-10    #8 Arizona State vs. Missouri  This is one of the better matchups of the first round and it could come down to the last match. The Sun Devils are led by NCAA finalist Eric Larkin at 149 lbs. along with All-American candidates Dana Holland at 141 lbs. and Kellan Fluckiger at 285 lbs. Arizona State has become a more balanced squad than they appeared in the pre-season, thanks to the emergence of Holland and Fluckiger, but 157-pound Rocky Smart and 165-pound Nick Frost have added a lot to this lineup as well. Arizona State's biggest holes are at 125, 174 and 184 lbs., which plays into the hands of Missouri. The Tigers have a solid squad from top to bottom. There is not one wrestler on this team that stands out as a superstar, but all of them together make a lethal combination and are a big reason Missouri is highly regarded nationally. Key matchups will be at 141 lbs. (Holland vs. Missouri's J.P. Reese), 149 lbs. (Larkin vs. Missouri's Jeremy Spates), 157 lbs. (Smart vs. Missouri's Kenny Burleson), 165 lbs. (Frost vs. Missouri's Tyron Woodley) and 285 lbs. (Fluckiger vs. Missouri's Kevin Herron). All of these matches could go for either team. Bonus points will decide this dual meet, but the first team to win two or three matches in-a-row will have the upper hand as well.  TheMat.com Prediction: Missouri, 17-16    #5 Ohio State vs. Ohio University  Even though Ohio State earned a #5 seed, this team may be drastically underrated. Defending NCAA champion Tommy Rowlands (285 lbs.) leads a talented Buckeye squad that only has one weak weight in their lineup (125 lbs.) 157-pound Keaton Anderson, 165-pound Johnny Clark, 174-pound Blake Kaplan and 197-pound Anton Talamantes have been on top of their games so far this season, and none appear close to a burn-out. These five wrestlers are the main reason the Buckeyes should win this dual. Ohio brings in 149-pound All-American Jake Percival to help score some points. 133-pound Anthony Carrizales also brings a lot to this table and to this point in the season, has not been on the national radar. This is a big tournament for him to prove he belongs with some of the best in the nation. The two biggest individual matches will occur at 149 lbs. and 165 lbs. At 149, Percival and Josh Daugherty will face off, while Ohio's Luke Moore, a strong All-American candidate, will match up with Clark at 165. This is a statement dual for Ohio University. It is an improving team, but they must first win some of the individual battles before they can think about winning the in-state war.  TheMat.com Prediction: Ohio State, 24-9    #4 Cornell vs. Michigan State  Cornell has become the new Beast of the East, and with three wrestlers going to the NWCA All-Star Meet (125-pound Travis Lee, 149-pound Dustin Manotti and 184-pound Clint Wattenberg), this team's success is warranted. While these three, all Midlands finalists, are the leaders of this squad, it has been the uplifting performances of 157-pound Gabe Webster, 174-pound Tyler Baier, 197-pound Matt Greenberg and 285-pound Buck McLamb that have put this squad over the top. They are one of the most balanced teams in the nation, and head coach Rob Koll has been waiting for an opportunity to show the nation that this team belongs with the best. Michigan State is improved over years past, but there are a lot of holes in this lineup that should set this team back in the first round. 125-pound Nick Simmons, 149-pound Karl Nadolsky, 157-pound Gray Maynard, 174-pound Rashad Evans and 197-pound Nik Fekete are all competitive nationally, and could pose problems for the Big Red. The intriguing rematch at 125 lbs. between Lee and Simmons, a rematch of the 2001 Junior National finals, will highlight this dual. Cornell's Manotti, Webster, Baier and Greenberg also face competitive matches against top national competition which gives them an opportunity to silence their critics.  TheMat.com Prediction: Cornell, 19-12    #3 Minnesota vs. Iowa State  The Gophers are getting healthier by the day, and with 184-pound Damion Hahn's health still improving, this team is looking to get back into the national title hunt. 133-pound Ryan Lewis, 149-pound Jared Lawrence and 157-pound Luke Becker have been the usual suspects this season, though Becker had a slip-up recently against Shane Roller of Oklahoma State. The Gophers did appear tired in the Oklahoma State dual, but expect that to change in this dual and this tournament. Minnesota heavyweight Garrett Lowney is doubtful to start in this tournament, which lowers the level that this team can compete at. The Cyclones have struggled all season, but are hoping to start new with the second half of the year. Defending NCAA champion Aaron Holker (141 lbs.) will be looking to score bonus points for Iowa State. All-American Zach Roberson (133 lbs.) will also hope to score a major upset over Lewis. Transfers Trever Smith (197 lbs.) and Scott Coleman (285 lbs.) step into the Cyclone lineup for the first time, and coaches feel these two can have a major impact for the rest of the year. Coleman transferred from BYU, where he was a teammate of Holker. For Iowa State to win this dual, they will have to avoid giving up bonus points and look for at least one upset.  TheMat.com Prediction: Minnesota, 26-10    #6 West Virginia vs. Oklahoma  The Mountaineers truly gained from the luck o