Breaking down what to expect from Rutgers wrestling for the Big Ten Tournament

Five Rutgers University wrestlers were pre-seeded into positions for this weekend’s Big Ten Tournament in Ann Arbor, Michigan that would enable them to automatically qualify for NCAA Tournament, if they wrestle to those seeds.

The Big Ten Tournament, which the University of Michigan will host, will take place Saturday-Sunday

The schedule is as follows:

Saturday: 10 a.m: First round, quarterfinals, wrestlebacks; 5:30 p.m;: Consolation bouts, wrestlebacks; 7:30 p.m.: semifinals.

Sunday: 1 p.m.: Consolation bouts, seventh-place bouts; 4:30 p.m.: First, third and fifth-place bouts.

The first session Saturday, the semifinals and the championship bouts will be on the Big Ten Network.

The other sessions will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.

Big Ten automatic NCAA allocations by weight

125: 9; 133: 9; 141:9; 149: 9; 157: 10; 165: 8; 174: 7; 184: 9; 197: 9; HWT: 9. (88 total).

The NCAA Tournament is March 16-18 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

There are 284 automatic berths to the NCAA Tournament through the seven conference tournaments, which will all take place this weekend.

The NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet to select the 46 at-large berths March 7. The national tournament will be seeded March 8 at 8 p.m.

Rutgers wrestlers pre-seeded in NCAA automatic qualification spots

Redshirt freshman Dean Peterson (9 at 125), but is likely to move up a spot with the announcement Wednesday that Ohio State's Malik Heinselman has withdrawn from the tournament due to an injury

Graduate student and returning NCAA qualifier Joe Heilmann (7 at 133).

Sophomore and returning NCAA qualifier Joey Olivieri (7 at 141).

Freshman Brian Soldano (8 at 184).

Redshirt junior Boone McDermott (6 at heavyweight).

Rutgers wrestling: Joe Heilmann has All-American in sight entering Big Ten Championships

Rutgers wrestlers not pre-seeded in NCAA qualification spots

Redshirt freshman Anthony White (10 at 149).

Sophomore Andrew Clark (13 at 157).

Redshirt sophomore Robert Kanniard (12 at 165).

Junior and 2021 NCAA 174-pound eighth-place finisher Jackson Turley (10 at 174).

Redshirt junior and two-time NCAA qualifier Billy Janzer (11 at 197).

The tournament will be officially seeded by the league’s 14 head coaches Friday.

Big Ten Tournament pre-seeds

125

1. Spencer Lee (Iowa).

2. Liam Cronin (Nebraska).

3. Matt Ramos (Purdue).

4. Eric Barnett (Wisconsin).

5. Patrick McKee (Minnesota).

6. Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern).

7. Malik Heinselman (Ohio State) (Has withdrawn from the tournament due to an injury, it was announced Wednesday. He will be replaced by redshirt freshman Andre Gonzales. The pre-seeds from seven on down will likely be adjusted.

8. Braxton Brown (Maryland).

9. Dean Peterson (Rutgers).

10. Jack Medley (Michigan).

11. Gary Steen (Penn State).

12. Tristan Lujan (Michigan State).

13. Jacob Moran (Indiana).

14. Maximo Renteria (Illinois).

133

1. Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State).

2. Jesse Mendez (Ohio State).

3. Lucas Byrd (Illinois).

4. Chris Cannon (Northwestern).

5. Dylan Ragusin (Michigan).

6. Aaron Nagao (Minnesota).

7. Joe Heilmann (Rutgers).

8. Brody Teske (Iowa).

9. RayVon Foley (Michigan State).

10. Taylor LaMont (Wisconsin).

11. Henry Porter (Indiana).

12. Kyle Burwick (Nebraska).

13. Dustin Norris (Purdue).

14. Jackson Cockrell (Maryland.

141

1. Real Woods (Iowa).

2. Beau Bartlett (Penn State).

3. Brock Hardy (Nebraska).

4. Frankie Tal Shahar (Northwestern).

5. Jacob Bergeland (Minnesota).

6. Danny Pucino (Illinois).

7. Joey Olivieri (Rutgers).

8. Parker Fillius (Purdue).

9. Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio State).

10. Cole Mattin (Michigan).

11. Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin).

12. Jordan Hamdan (Michigan State).

13. Cayden Rooks (Indiana).

14. Kai Miller (Maryland).

149

1. Sammy Sasso (Ohio State).

2. Austin Gomez (Wisconsin).

3. Yahya Thomas (Northwestern).

4. Max Murin (Iowa).

5. Shayne Van Ness (Penn State).

6. Michael Blockhus (Minnesota).

7. Graham Rooks (Indiana).

8. Ethen Miller (Maryland).

9. Chance Larmer (Michigan).

10. Anthony White (Rutgers).

11. Dayne Morton (Nebraska).

12. Jake Harrier (Illinois).

13. Peyton Omania (Michigan State).

14. Jaden Reynolds (Purdue).

157

1. Peyton Robb (Nebraska).

2. Levi Haines (Penn State).

3. Kendall Coleman (Purdue).

4. Chase Saldate (Michigan State).

5. Cobe Siebrecht (Iowa).

6. Will Lewan (Michigan).

7. Michael Carr (Illinois).

8. Trever Chumbley (Northwestern).

9. Garrett Model (Wisconsin).

10. Derek Gilcher (Indiana).

11. Brayton Lee (Minnesota).

12. Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State).

13. Andrew Clark (Rutgers).

14. Michael North (Maryland).

165

1. Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin).

2. Cameron Amine (Michigan).

3. Patrick Kennedy (Iowa).

4. Alex Facundo (Penn State).

5. Carson Kharchla (Ohio State).

6. Caleb Fish (Michigan State).

7. Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern).

8. Danny Braunagel (Illinois).

9. Andrew Sparks (Minnesota).

10. Bubba Watson (Nebraska).

11. Nick South (Indiana).

12. Robert Kanniard (Rutgers).

13. Stony Buell (Purdue).

14. John Martin-Best (Maryland).

174

1. Carter Starocci (Penn State).

2. Mikey Labriola (Nebraska).

3. Ethan Smith (Ohio State).

4. Bailee O’Reilly (Minnesota).

5. Edmond Ruth (Illinois).

6. D.J. Washington (Indiana).

7. Nelson Brands (Iowa).

8. Troy Fisher (Northwestern).

9. Max Maylor (Michigan).

10. Jackson Turley (Rutgers).

11. Cesar Garza (Michigan State).

12. Dominic Solis (Maryland).

13. Josh Otto (Maryland).

14. Cooper Noehre (Purdue).

184

1. Aaron Brooks (Penn State).

2. Kaleb Romero (Ohio State).

3. Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota).

4. Matt Finesilver (Michigan).

5. Abe Assad (Iowa).

6. Layne Malczewski (Michigan State).

7. Lenny Pinto (Nebraska).

8. Brian Soldano (Rutgers).

9. Dylan Connell (Illinois).

10. Taylor Dow (Wisconsin).

11. Evan Bates (Northwestern).

12. Ben Vanadia (Purdue).

13. Clayton Fielden (Indiana).

14. Kevin Makosy (Maryland).

197

1. Max Dean (Penn State).

2. Silas Allred (Nebraska).

3. Zac Braunagel (Illinois).

4. Cameron Caffey (Michigan State).

5. Jacob Warner (Iowa).

6. Jaxon Smith (Maryland).

7. Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State).

8. Braxton Amos (Wisconsin).

9. Michial Foy (Minnesota).

10. Nick Willham (Indiana).

11. Billy Janzer (Rutgers).

12. Andrew Davison (Northwestern).

13. Brendin Yatooma (Michigan).

14. Hayden Filipovich (Purdue).

HWT

1. Mason Parris (Michigan).

2. Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State).

3. Tony Cassioppi (Iowa).

4. Lucas Davison (Northwestern).

5. Trent Hillger (Wisconsin).

6. Boone McDermott (Rutgers).

7. Tate Orndorff (Ohio State).

8. Jacob Bullock (Indiana).

9. Jaron Smith (Maryland).

10. Hayden Copass (Purdue).

11. Garrett Joles (Minnesota).

12. Ryan Vasbinder (Michigan State).

13. Matt Wroblewski (Illinois).

14. Austin Emerson (Nebraska)

Rutgers' potential matchups

Peterson, who went 5-3 in Big Ten dual-meet bouts during the season, will likely be in the same quarterfinal bracket as No. 1 seed and three-time national champion Spencer Lee of Iowa.

If he moves up to the No. 8 seed, he could wrestle Michigan's Jack Medley in the first round. Peterson defeated Medley 3-1 on a late takedown on Jan. 22.

Heilmann, who went 5-3 in Big Ten dual-meet bouts, will wrestle No. 10 seed Taylor LaMont of Wisconsin in the first round.

The winner will wrestle No. 2 seed Jesse Mendez of Ohio State in the quarterfinal. Mendez defeated Heilmann 5-1 on Jan. 15.

Olivieri, who went 5-2 in Big Ten dual-meet bouts, would wrestle No. 10 seed Cole Mattin of Michigan in the first round.

The winner will wrestle No. 2 seed Beau Bartlett of Penn State in the quarterfinal. Olivieri defeated Mattin 3-1 on Jan. 22 and was majored 12-1 by Bartlett on Feb. 10.

Soldano, who went 3-4 in Big Ten dual-meet bouts, will wrestle No. 9 seed Dylan Connell of Illinois. He defeated Connell 5-2 in a Midlands wrestleback semifinal on Dec. 30.

The winner will wrestle No. 1 seed and two-time national champion Aaron Brooks of Penn State in the quarterfinal. Brooks defeated Soldano by technical fall on Feb. 10.

McDermott, who wrestled in just two Big Ten dual-meets because of a knee injury he sustained on Jan. 8 while wrestling Rider’s David Szuba, will wrestle No. 11 seed Garrett Joles of Minnesota in the first round. McDermott won both his Big Ten dual-meet bouts.

The winner will wrestle No. 3 seed Tony Cassioppi and three-time All-American Tony Cassioppi of Iowa in the quarterfinal.

White, who went 2-6 in Big Ten dual meets, will wrestle No. 7 seed Graham Rooks of Indiana. Rooks defeated White 7-1 on Jan. 13.

Clark, who was 1-7 in Big Ten dual meets, will wrestle No. 4 seed Chase Saldate of Michigan State. Saldate defeated Clark 5-0 on Jan. 20.

Kanniard, who missed much of the season due to various injuries and is just 4-3 and 1-2 in Big Ten bouts, will wrestle No. 5 seed Carson Kharchla of Ohio State. Kharchla was seventh in the NCAA Tournament last year.

Turley, who is just 8-10 overall and went just 3-5 in Big Ten dual meets and 2-5 in on the mat bouts in conference dual meets, will wrestle No. 7 seed Nelson Brands of Iowa. Brands is the nephew of Iowa head coach Tom Brands.

The winner of that bout will wrestle No. 2 seed Mikey Labriola of Nebraska. Labriola defeated Turley 6-2 on Feb. 12, but Turley trailed just 3-2 in the third period and was close to a go-ahead takedown. Labriola is 24-0 and is a four-time All-American.

Janzer, who is 6-10 and went just 3-5 in Big Ten dual meets and 2-5 in on the mat conference dual meets, will wrestle No. 6 seed Jaxon Smith of Maryland.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers wrestling: Big Ten Tournament breakdown, analysis