With the 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships coming up this weekend, Rivals wrestling analyst Lex Knapp has decided to go one by one in each weight class offering his predictions and a breakdown of the top and bottom halves of the bracket.
With that being said, let's take a look at the 133-pound bracket.
THE TOP SEED -- Roman Bravo Young (Penn State)
THE DARK HORSE -- No. 5 Austin DeSanto
THE NITTANY LION – No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young
TOP HALF OF BRACKET.....
Prior to the seeds coming out, many fans probably thought if Roman Bravo-Young ran into Austin DeSanto, it would be in the 133-lb final. That, however, is not the case as DeSanto drew the fifth seed, and would see RBY in the semi-final round. DeSanto’s path to a semi-final match with RBY is not an easy one, though. He will likely see four-time national qualifier, Micky Phillippi, in the pre-quarters. DeSanto would then run into Virginia Tech’s Korbin Myers in the quarterfinal round, who took fourth at 133-lbs last season. A DeSanto/Myers quarterfinal will be one of the more intriguing bouts of that round, and it would not be a surprise to see either guy win. My pick is DeSanto to beat Myers, leading to what feels like the 100th rematch between DeSanto and RBY. From there, I think RBY pulls off his sixth consecutive win over DeSanto, and comes out of the top half of the bracket to make the finals.
BOTTOM HALF OF BRACKET....
Two-time NCAA finalist, Daton Fix, is undoubtedly the favorite to come out of the bottom side of the bracket, but there are plenty of tough competitors in the mix who could give Fix a run for his money. Michael McGee, Lucas Byrd, and Chris Cannon were All-Americans at this weight last year, and fell on this side of the bracket. Byrd and Cannon could likely meet early on, as they are in line for a pre-quarter matchup. The winner of that would run into Fix in the quarters. Dylan Ragusin is one to keep an eye on here, and could make a lot of noise. Ragusin made the tournament as a true freshman last season, and with a year of experience under his belt, is certainly a podium contender. Despite the depth on this side of the bracket, it is hard to pick against Fix. Fix has two heart-breaking NCAA finals losses, and is going to be coming into this tournament hungrier than ever. I like him to meet RBY in the finals for a rematch of the 2021 133-lb final.
THE NITTANY LION SKINNY.....
Roman Bravo-Young will look to defend his 133-lb crown, but he will have to earn the right to call himself a two-time champion. Following a possible match-up with former All-American, Rayvon Foley, in the quarter-final round, RBY could see rival Austin DeSanto in the semi-final round. The history between RBY and DeSanto is well documented, with RBY winning the last five meetings. Of course, aside from one injury default by DeSanto, the matches have been very tight. Regardless if it is DeSanto, or a very game Korbin Myers, that RBY sees in the semi-finals, I like RBY to make it out of the top half of the bracket, setting up a 2021 NCAA final rematch with Daton Fix. I am sure, like the last go- around, it will be a very competitive match, but I have RBY coming out on top and repeating as the 133-lb National Champion.
PREDICTIONS.....
1. Bravo-Young (Penn State)
2. Fix (Oklahoma State)
3. DeSanto (Iowa)
4. Myers (VT)
5. McGee (ASU)
6. Byrd (Illinois)
7. Foley (Michigan State)
8. Ragusin (Michigan)
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