125
No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri) vs. No. 4 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State)
Tomasello is putting up major points from the top position. Will he be able to keep up the production against Waters? Unlikely. A win for Tomasello may include back points, but would come from limiting Waters uncanny ability to pick up scramble takedowns, and fight on the edge.
No. 6 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) vs. Zeke Moisey (WVU)
The most impressive of the tournament's upset special Moisey is he is in a great position to knock off Iowa's Gilman. He'll need to stay aggressive, find his cheap turn from top and frustrate the young Hawkeye. Will Gilman slam his way out from bottom?
133
No. 13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) vs. No. 1 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota)
Brewer destroyed George DiCamillo in the quarterfinals and though his one season loss stands out, he is wrestling better than his opponents. Can Dardanes keep up the pace and find offense? Brewer has too few holes in his game. No junk, just forward pressure and creative finishes.
No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa) vs. No. 7 Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State)
A matched packed with storylines. To win Gulibon will need to wrestle with the same wit he used in the quarterfinals. For his part Clark will need to crack the intensity and lean on the Hawkeye faithful.
141
No. 1 Logan Stieber (OHST) vs. Kevin Jack (NC State)
A great run for Kevin Jack, but expect a blowout win for Stieber en route to his fourth title.
No. 11 Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) vs. No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro)
Mecate can't be counted out of any match, but he'll be faced into a brutal back-and-froth with Mitchell Port. A returning national finalist, Port can make his way to the finals, but will need to avoid giving up points early.
149
No. 1 Drake Houdasheldt (Missouri) vs. No. 5 Chris Villalonga (Cornell)
A dynamic semifinal pairing that has the potential to end up with a football-like score. Houdasheldt will need to work on the mat to get past a Villalonga wrestling better on Day two than on Day One.
No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis, (Northwestern) vs. No. 3 David Habat (Edinboro)
The defending NCAA champion has done nothing to impress fans of action. Ankle rides, front headlocks and a Virginia basketball- like defense earned him the yawn-inspiring 2-1 quarterfinal advancement. Habat, coming off a bad conference tournament, seems to have found his attacks. Can he open up Tsirtsis?
157
No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. No. 4 James Green (Nebraska)
Ahh! The most anticipated rematch of the year. Will Green be able to avoid the powerful counters of Imar? Likely, but he'll also need to finish his offense and score points. The 2-0 win for Imar was his closest, but Green can't generate a takedown then two points is more than Imar will need.
No. 2 Brian Realbuto, (Cornell No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota)
Realbuto is coming off a stunning comeback against Ian Miller of Kent State. He'll have a rematch against Dylan Ness who he beat at the National Duals. To repeat he'll need to avoid the throws, but that might be tough to do. This is the NCAA tournament and Ness is going to be Ness.
165
No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 5 Bo Jordan (Ohio State)
The top seed keeps rolling, but as Dieringer progresses further he'll need to deal with more complicated opponents and Jordan is all types of complicated. The Buckeye is fast, flexible and able to score in bunches. He's also got great defense. To win Dieringer needs to get in and finish without hassle.
No. 6 Taylor Walsh (Indiana) vs. No. 15 Ethan Ramos (North Carolina)
Ramos landed in a great spot after Pierce Harger tore his shoulder in warmups. Walsh should handle the Carolina wrestler with ease, and should find a fall.
174
No. 8 Tyler Wilps (Pitt) vs. No. 12 Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State)
Wilps was overlooked for much of the year, but found the space to beat undefeated Kokesh in the quarters. He's big and strong and should outgun Crutchmer who has won three straight decisive matches.
No. 3 Michael Evans (Iowa) No. 2 Matthew Brown (PSU)
Push repeat on this classic 174-pound matchup! Throw out the records and be ready for a barnburner.
184
No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. No. 13 Vic Avery (Edinboro)
A perennial almost-there, Avery cruised against Meeks in the quarters and will face a sluggish Dena in the semifinals. Should Avery find the type of offense he's keyed into this tournament Dean will be in major trouble. For his part Dean needs to score early and get Avery out of the match.
Kenny Courts (Ohio State) vs. No. 7 Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh)
Courts has kept three matches close against equal opponents. Brown should manage this match and find the victory by 3-4 points.
197
No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) vs. No. 4 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State)
Cox is almost impossible to take down, but if there is a man for the job it's Kyle Snyder with an NCAA team title on the line. Both wrestlers struggled to gain separating in their quarterfinal wins and look for a low-scoring affair that may come down to riding time and Cox's ability to keep Snyder low on his ankle.
No. 3 Kyven Gadson (ISU) vs. No. 10 Conner Hartmann (Duke)
Hartmann has been overlooked and dismissed over the years. The Duke wrestler has s complete game, but look for him to be outmatched by Gadson's explosive counters and open attacks. To win Hartmann will need a takedown and plenty of top control.
285
No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) vs. No. 5 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin)
Gwiz is arguably the best wrestler heading into the semifinals. While Medbery is wrestling a decent tournament, he'll need to finish shots and defend with perfection is he's to make it to the NCAA finals.
No. 6 Adam Coon (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Michael McMullan (Northwestern)
A match featuring two of the sprightliest heavyweights in history will be the perfect way to close out Friday's championship round.
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