165 pounds is the weight class for waiting recently. Joe Heskett had to wait his turn for the title, as did last year's champion Matt Lackey. The only trend is that the past three champions in this weight have been in the finals the year before. That bodes well for Troy Letters, who last a 6-3 decision last year to Lackey.    This weight class is senior-laden. Seven of the projected top 10 seeds from this year will graduate, leaving Letters (if he stays at 165).    With so many talented wrestlers in their final NCAA Tournament appearance, expect some intense matchups in the early rounds all the way through the end of the tournament. How deep is this weight class nationally? One 2003 All-American, Tyron Woodley, is an injury replacement out of the Big XII.    Top Contenders  Tyrone Lewis, Sr. (Oklahoma State) - Possibly the most athletic wrestler so far in this decade, Lewis has had a great career. He is on target to join the short list of four-time Division I All-Americans at the end of this year, but that isn't good enough for him. He wants a title. Last year, he lost to Troy Letters in the semifinals in a match that should be on ESPN Classic. This year, Lewis fired back, downing Lewis in Stillwater to even the series, and all but lock up the No. 1 seed. Even with his loss to Jacob Volkmann near the end of the season, he should still get it. Lewis is tough to wrestle because of his great quickness. He has a great ankle pick, which he doesn't use nearly enough, and a deadly inside trip. He can put anybody on their back at any time - just ask Letters. This is Lewis' last chance at that elusive title. Expect him to dominate opponents in the early rounds while also racking up some bonus points for the Cowboys. If all seeds hold true, look for a great semifinal rematch with Volkmann.    Troy Letters, So. (Lehigh) - With five of the top seven seeds being seniors, most would think Letters is one of those. But he's not. He's only a sophomore. He is built like He-Man and can pummel like him too. Letters has mastered the art of domination. Out of 30 wins this year, he has recorded 11 falls, eight major decisions and four technical falls. In his other seven wins, he has averaged over eight points per match. This is one wrestler that will go after his opponents from the opening whistle and not let up until the match is over. Because of his brute strength, he is very tough to score on. Usually when he gives up points, it is his mistake, which is why his match with Lewis earlier this year may have helped him more than it helped Lewis. He is excellent from his feet, but is deceptively good from the top position as well, something you wouldn't expect out of someone with his build in this weight class. In the NCAA finals last year, he was just out-experienced. This year, he has all the experience in the world, even though he is a sophomore.    Matt King, Sr. (Edinboro) - The only thing that may be keeping King from being the top seed in this tournament is a holiday loss to Chris Stith. Oh, how that could have changed the face of this bracket, but it didn't. And instead, King is likely to be the third seed and looking at a semifinal match with Letters. King has always struggled in the big match. He owns a win over Jacob Volkmann this year, but when the spotlight is on, he has usually struggled. He must change that in this tournament. While he is the last of the top four seeds anybody expects to win this title, he is just as good as anyone here. King is a very good mat wrestler, which is why he can hang with Lewis or Letters types. He is tough to turn, and he doesn't just ride to get an extra point at the end of the match. He rides to turn. If he matches up with Letters in the semifinals, expect some serious mat wrestling from both of them. In an All-Star Dual match with Lewis, King was unable to finish any shots, though he stayed aggressive throughout the match. That same strategy is his best bet to get into the finals this year.    Jacob Volkmann, Sr. (Minnesota) - You may not like the way he wrestles, but he wins. Volkmann's matches continue to be about as exciting as staring at a wall, but somehow he gets the job done. Over the last four years, not many wrestlers have been as consistent as Volkmann. He was the surprise member of that Minnesota team that had 10 All-Americans in 2001. He was also an All-American last year, losing only to Lackey in the semifinals. For his career, Volkmann is 2-2 against Lewis, going back to a match at the 2001 NCAA Tournament when Volkmann won. A fourth seed is perfect for him. Lewis is a wrestler he is familiar with. Volkmann is not short and stocky, but he is nearly impossible to score on. It is also very rare to see Volkmann score a lot of points, and he has actually never wrestled better than he has this year. His Vision Quest double arm-bar over John Clark in the Big Ten finals, showed that he has the ability to score points in bunches.     The Others  Pat Owen, Sr. (Michigan) - Owen is a thrower. He loves to put opponents on their backs. No matter what the score is, he is always looking for a point in the match where he can score some nearfall points. He has rallied more offense from his feet this year, using as high-crotch and a double-leg at times. Owen's matches are always fun to watch. He was losing 6-0 to Matt McCarty in the Big Ten Tournament before coming back with an 11-9 win. Michigan coaches will expect some leadership from Owen in this tournament. It is the first time in a while that Michigan has a great chance of coming home with a team trophy.    Ralph Everett, Sr. (Hofstra) - Everett is strong and stable on his feet, which makes him a tough matchup for anyone. He has lost to Owen, Letters and David Bolyard, though he came back to beat Bolyard two weeks later. Everett has picked up his offense lately, and it has helped him to win 10 of his last 11 matches this year. Everett was one match away from being an All-American last year at 174. He has the ability to put together a consistent tournament.    David Bolyard, Jr. (Central Michigan) - Bolyard bumped up in weight this year, and the change has made all of the difference. Outside of a couple of setbacks, one of which was a 9-3 loss to J.J. Holmes in the MAC Tournament, he has been better than ever. Bolyard gave Letters one of his toughest matches of the year, taking him to overtime. He sometimes loses confidence during matches, which is his downfall. If Bolyard can stay focused, he is one of the top five wrestlers in the country. But if he gives up a takedown and lets that get to his head, he is done.    High-Impact Freshmen  Nick Hayes (Northwestern)    
NCAA Finals: Jacob Volkmann (Minnesota) vs. Troy Letters (Lehigh)  
TheMat.com's Pick: Troy Letters (Lehigh)  
All-American Dark Horse: J.J. Holmes (Eastern Michigan)    
Projected Top 4 Seeds  1. Tyrone Lewis, Oklahoma State  2. Troy Letters, Lehigh  3. Matt King, Edinboro  4. Jacob Volkmann, Minnesota    2004 Qualifiers (34)  1st ACC - Tim Foley (Virginia)  2nd ACC - Dustin Kawa (North Carolina State)  1st Big Ten - Jacob Volkmann (Minnesota)  2nd Big Ten - John Clark (Ohio State)  3rd Big Ten - Pat Owen (Michigan)  4th Big Ten - Ben Hay (Illinois)  5th Big Ten - Kelly Flaherty (Wisconsin)  6th Big Ten - Cole Pape (Iowa)  7th Big Ten - Nick Hayes (Northwestern)  1st Big XII - Tyrone Lewis (Oklahoma State)  2nd Big XII - Jacob Klein (Nebraska)  3rd Big XII - Nick Passolano (Iowa State)  1st CAA - Ralph Everett (Hofstra)  2nd CAA - Leighton Brady (Boston University)  1st East Region - Jaso