When six of the 2003 All-Americans either graduated or did not return to their teams this year, most thought the 184-pound weight class was the weakest in the country. But then 2002 174-pound champion Greg Jones moved up in weight, Ben Heizer improved, and some of the best young wrestlers in the nation emerged. All of a sudden, this is a solid weight class.    And did we mention that Jake Rosholt, last year's champion, is back?    This is not a weight where it seems that upsets will occur early. The top seeds have all proven without a doubt that they deserve them. But the battles from the quarterfinals until the end should make this a very fun weight class.    Top Contenders  Greg Jones, Jr. (West Virginia) - One year ago at this time, there isn't a wrestling fan alive that thought Jones could be beat going into the NCAA Tournament. He was undefeated as a sophomore, and was the defending champion. But the pressure got to him, and he was knocked out of the tournament in the third consolation round. Of course, that was also at 174 pounds. This year, Jones moved up in weight, and once again, he is undefeated at 21-0 and the top seed. However, the pressure on Jones is not quite the same as it was last year. In fact, there may be more pressure on the defending 184-pound champion, Jake Rosholt, a wrestler Jones is yet to face. One competitor Jones has beaten this year is Ben Heizer, whom Jones controlled in their last meeting at the All-Star Dual. Jones scored five takedowns in that match, showing his quickness and dominance on his feet. Jones is still a little small for this weight class, but he is growing into it slowly. His athleticism is unmatched, which gives him a slight advantage. But when it comes to mat wrestling, where he seems to struggle heavily at times, then strength could come into play in the later rounds of this tournament. The key to Jones winning this year will be for him to get early leads. If he scores one or two takedowns in the first period, his opponents will be forced to come at him strong the rest of the match, which plays into Jones' hands.    Ben Heizer, Sr. (Northern Illinois) - Heizer is a big, strong wrestler. He is the second highest returning All-American from last year, and has proven himself as one of two legitimate national title contenders within the Mid-American Conference. Heizer is a great defensive wrestler, and his mat wrestling is as good as it gets. He only has three losses this year, but one of those was an injury default. The other two were to Jones. He showed his ability in the Midlands finals, going to a tiebreaker with Jones, but was mauled in the All-Star Dual. Those points in the All-Star Dual were the only offensive points he gave up after November. Northern Illinois coaches did a great job of scheduling for Heizer this year. They made sure he had tough matches at various points throughout this season, a tough task for a MAC school. That is the reason he garners the second seed, and that is the reason he is prepared for this tournament. As one of only a few seniors in a fairly young weight class, Heizer needs to dominate early. He needs to break the confidence of his opponents. Obviously, if he gets into the quarterfinals, that strategy won't work, but it will get him some good warm-ups before that round. A potential semifinal match between Heizer and Jake Rosholt should have wrestling fans excited. It is a great matchup of two similar styles. While Rosholt has more flare, Heizer has more power, making it intriguing to any wrestling observer.    Jake Rosholt, So. (Oklahoma State) - The defending NCAA champion is seeded third? When Rosholt won the title last year, message boards hounds were already saying he would never win another title again. Most waited, and hoped for, a flop from the sophomore this year. Not so. Outside of two embarrassing losses right after the holiday break, Rosholt has been on fire, winning 12 of 13 matches including the Big XII title. He is quick on his feet and a real athlete, but if he gets on top, that is where the match can turn ugly. On strength of schedule, Rosholt may deserve the second seed, but the difference between second and third is minimal. Either way, he is supposed to make the semifinals, and it would be against Heizer. Rosholt could have easily been named the Outstanding Wrestler last year, with his dominating performance throughout the tournament. And opponents beware, Rosholt is a much better wrestler this year than he was last year. He does not make many mental errors, though they will pop up every now and then. And we know, he has only been in one full postseason, but based on his results last year and his results so far this year, you can't help but to think that Rosholt is one of those kids who has a knack for turning it up when he flips his calendar to March.    The Others  Eric Bradley, So. (Penn State) - Bradley has seemingly come out of nowhere this season. He wasn't even in the starting lineup last year, though a senior All-American, Mark Becks, was. Bradley seems to have learned from his predecessor, and then some. This youngster has been poised all season long, losing only to Jones and twice to Brian Glynn. He is the type of wrestler who continues to push the action in his matches. Bradley likes to work on his feet. He has proven he can score on nearly any wrestler in the nation. The hardest part to swallow for opponents? He gets better with every match.    Travis Pascoe, Jr. (Nebraska) - If seedings hold true, Pascoe is going to have to go through both of the Big Ten Bradleys, Eric and Paul. And that is just to get to the semifinals. That does not bode well for Pascoe, who seems to struggle with opponents that have great stamina and force the action and pace of the match. After starting the year undefeated, Pascoe is only 3-5 since the start of February. He is giving up takedowns at an alarming rate for coaches, and he just doesn't seem to be in the match during the third period. If he has a lead at that point, he is more holding on than anything. Pascoe, one of the most talented wrestlers in this weight class, needs to get his lungs back before this tournament, or he could be an upset special.    Matt Pell, Fr. (Missouri) - For a wrestler who was competing at 157 pounds last season, Pell has made a remarkable adjustment to a weight class that is nearly 30 pounds higher. He has really started to come on strong. Pell is good on his feet and on the mat, but he still struggles when matching up strength-wise with his opponents. He is getting closer, but still not quite there, which may be enough to hold him back from a serious title run this March. But, last year, another freshman from the Big XII who struggled through the early parts of the season and lost the Big XII final made an incredible postseason run to the NCAA title. Sound familiar?    High-Impact Freshmen  Kurt Backes (Iowa State), Justin Dyer (Oklahoma), Matt Pell (Missouri)    
NCAA Finals: Greg Jones (West Virginia) vs. Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma State)  
TheMat.com's Pick: Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma State)  
All-American Dark Horse: Alex Clemsen (Edinboro)    
Projected Top 4 Seeds  1. Greg Jones, West Virginia  2. Ben Heizer, Northern Illinois  3. Jake Rosholt, Oklahoma State  4. Eric Bradley, Penn State    2004 Qualifiers (36)  1st ACC - Frank Cornely (Duke)  2nd ACC - Mark Canty (North Carolina)  1st Big Ten - Eric Bradley (Penn State)  2nd Big Ten - Paul Bradley (Iowa)  3rd Big Ten - Ben Wissel (Purdue)  4th Big Ten - Nate Mesyn (Michigan State)  5th Big Ten - Jo