The title at 125 pounds is truly up for grabs this year. None of the top wrestlers have performed consistently this year. Legitimately speaking, there are seven or eight wrestlers that could mow through this tournament and come away with an individual title.    Luke Eustice, the probable No. 2 seed this year, lost in the finals two years ago as a No. 7 seed. A similar scenario could play out this season as well.    Noticeably absent this year at this weight class are NCAA champion Travis Lee of Cornell, who bumped up to 133 pounds, NCAA runner-up Chris Fleeger of Purdue, who is seeking an Olympic redshirt, and All-American Nick Simmons of Michigan State, who is also seeking an Olympic redshirt. Only two of last year's All-Americans return this year, Jason Powell of Nebraska and Bobbe Lowe of Minnesota.    Top Contenders  Jason Powell, Sr. (Nebraska) - A lot of wrestling fans think that Powell has paid his dues, and it is now his turn to be on top. He was fifth in the NCAA two years ago and third last year, but for a wrestler with that type of experience, he has not dominated his competition like he should be. There could be two scenarios - either he is cutting too much weight, or he is overtrained. Either way, he appears tired on the mat, which has led to some very sluggish performances in the past two months. This is Powell's last chance at an NCAA title and he is in a deep weight class. That was proven when he lost in the Big XII finals. If Powell does not set a dominating tone early in this tournament, it may never be his turn.    Luke Eustice, Sr. (Iowa) - The best wrestler in the Iowa lineup may also be the best wrestler at 125 pounds. Though Eustice denies it, his loss in the Big Ten finals to Tom Clum may be the best thing to happen to him right before the NCAA Tournament. Look for him to be re-focused and have his sights set high in this tournament. Eustice has had a stellar season, recording four major decisions and four technical falls in 23 wins. While he likes to be aggressive, he can be complacent at times on the mat. In his losses to Clum and Tom Noto this year, he was the victim of quick, first-period takedowns. If Eustice fixes that issue, he may finally get the title he had a minor glimpse of in 2002.    Matt Valenti, So. (Pennsylvania) - This may be the most dangerous wrestler at 125 pounds. Fact is, since the Midlands, Valenti is 18-1, winning six of those matches by fall. Valenti is a very physical wrestler, a style that poses problems for most of the Big Ten and Big XII wrestlers at this weight class. Expect him to force the issue offensively in his matches. If all seeds holds true, Valenti will meet up with Eustice in the semifinals. Both wrestlers have very exciting styles. As a freshman last year, Valenti lost a 1-0 match in the round of 12, leaving a sour taste in his mouth for the past year.    Tom Clum, So. (Wisconsin) - Three months ago, not many would have predicted Clum to be seeded as high as he will be in this tournament, but what a difference some big wins make. Clum has lost only four matches this year, but his only two losses since the start of December are to Eustice and Valenti, both overtime losses. He avenged his loss to Eustice with a 5-3 decision in the Big Ten finals. Clum has lightning quick feet, and a great single-leg. It was apparent in his Big Ten finals match with Eustice, that opponents can get in on his legs. To make up for that weakness, he has become a good counter-defender. The Badgers had a remarkable recruiting year, and if Clum can continue to grow in this tournament, the future is looking bright for this program.    The Others  Sam Hazewinkel, Fr. (Oklahoma) - Who would have thought a Greco-Roman wrestler could also come in reach with a 125-pound title? This talented freshman may be the one to do it. With many wrestling observers still wondering why he didn't seek an Olympic redshirt year, Hazewinkel has quieted all doubters with 30 wins, and, are you ready Greco critics, scoring a lot of points in the process. He has averaged over seven points per match in his 24 wins by decision. His other six wins are by fall.    Tom Noto, Sr. (Hofstra) - Noto is a big 125-pounder. He has great strength for this weight class, and he is tough to bring down, unless you catch him right after weigh-ins. That is when he has lost his matches to most of the wrestlers seeded above him. His only major win this year is over Eustice at the Midlands. With a little extra motivation, such as the tragic situation with Hofstra coach Tom Ryan this year, Noto could be sky-high by the end of the year.    Kyle Ott, So. (Illinois) - The knock on Ott is that he lets minor injuries affect him in a major way. If he can stay healthy, mentally and physically, then this is one of the best wrestlers in the nation. His only losses this year are to Clum and Mimi Miller, though he missed out on a lot of tough competition in December due to some of those injuries. Ott is as good as they come from his feet, and he is tough to score on. Look for him to make a deep run in this tournament.    Joe Dubuque, So. (Indiana) - Dubuque came into his own at the Big Ten Tournament last weekend, destroying Mark Moos and defeating Bobbe Lowe before barely losing to Eustice and Ott. He is a first-period wrestler. Dubuque likes to score early, and in big fashion. If he can get some early points on the board, he is one of the toughest wrestlers in the nation to defeat.    High-Impact Freshmen  Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma), Mark McKnight (Buffalo), Mark Moos (Michigan)    
NCAA Finals: Tom Clum (Wisconsin) vs. Matt Valenti (Pennsylvania)  
TheMat.com's Pick: Matt Valenti (Pennsylvania)  
All-American Dark Horse: Efren Ceballos (Cal State-Bakersfield)    
Projected Top 4 Seeds  1. Jason Powell, Nebraska  2. Luke Eustice, Iowa  3. Matt Valenti, Pennsylvania  4. Tom Clum, Wisconsin    2004 Qualifiers (36)  1st ACC - Christian Smith (Duke)  2nd ACC - Jeremy Hartrum (North Carolina State)  1st Big Ten - Tom Clum (Wisconsin)  2nd Big Ten - Luke Eustice (Iowa)  3rd Big Ten - Kyle Ott (Illinois)  4th Big Ten - Joe Dubuque (Indiana)  5th Big Ten - Bobbe Lowe (Minnesota)  6th Big Ten - Mark Moos (Michigan)  7th Big Ten - Adam Smith (Penn State)  8th Big Ten - John Velez (Northwestern)  1st Big XII - Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma)  2nd Big XII - Jason Powell (Nebraska)  3rd Big XII - Grant Nakamura (Iowa State)  1st CAA - Tom Noto (Hofstra)  2nd CAA - Jose Leon (Boston University)  3rd CAA - Rob Rebmann (Drexel)  1st East Region - Ben Watson (Slippery Rock)  1st EIWA - Matt Valenti (Pennsylvania)  2nd EIWA - Mario Stuart (Lehigh)  3rd EIWA - Mike Mormile (Cornell)  4th EIWA - Jeff Sato (Columbia)  1st EWL - Peter Derstine (Clarion)  2nd EWL - Casey Brewster (West Virginia)  3rd EWL - DeAngelo Penn (Cleveland State)  1st MAC - Mark McKnight (Buffalo)  2nd MAC - Drew Opfer (Kent State)  1st PAC-10 - Jesse Miramontes (Cal State-Fullerton)  2nd PAC-10 - Tommy Schurkamp (California-Davis)  3rd PAC-10 - Vic Moreno (Cal Poly)  4th PAC-10 - Efren Ceballos (Cal State-Bakersfield)  5th PAC-10 - Tanner Gardner (Stanford)  6th PAC-10 - Christian Staylor (Arizona State)  1st Southern Conference - Ryan McClester (Citadel)  2nd Southern Conference - Matt Pitts (Tennessee-Chattanooga)  1st West Region - Chris Helgeson (Northern Iowa)  2nd West Region - Christian Bowerman (Fresno State)