As we always do at this time, we have begun our projected seeding for the upcoming Big Ten championships at Rutgers. I will do one every weekday, continuing here with 165 pounds.

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The seeding rules changed once again this year. In 2019, they seeded all 14 guys if a weight had eight or more automatic qualifier allocations. This year, they are seeding every entry at all 10 weights no matter what the allocations look like.

This weight class has a few guys who have missed the majority of the season with injuries that will make this one difficult to seed, plus a tricky injury default to consider.

Seed Projections: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157

Projected 165 Seeds

1. Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State
2. Alex Marinelli, Iowa
3. Evan Wick, Wisconsin
4. Isaiah White, Nebraska
5. Shayne Oster, Northwestern
6. Ethan Smith, Ohio State
7. Danny Braunagel, Illinois
8. Bailee O’Reilly, Minnesota
9. Drew Hughes, Michigan State
10. Kyle Cochran, Maryland
11. Brett Donner, Rutgers
12. Tyler Meisinger, Michigan
13. Tanner Webster, Purdue
14. Dillon Hoey, Indiana

Vincenzo Joseph is a clear one seed and is in search of his first Big Ten title. He beat the guys seeded 2-8 with the exception of Danny Braunagel as he missed the Illinois dual. Alex Marinelli beat Evan Wick, Isaiah White, and Ethan Smith while finishing ahead of Shayne Oster and Braunagel at Midlands.

At the three seed, Wick beat White, Smith, Braunagel, Bailee O’Reilly, and Hughes, also finishing ahead of Oster at Midlands. White lost to the three guys seeded ahead of him, but pinned Smith who split with Oster, so he lands in the four spot.

Oster won seven straight matches to close out that season. Over the course of that win streak, he avenged losses to Smith, who beat Oster twice at CKLV, and Braunagel, who bested Oster at Midlands. The Wildcat senior has also defeated Drew Hughes and Kyle Cochran.

After dropping down from 174 last year, Ethan Smith is looking at the six seed. The Buckeye took out Braunagel 3-1 in their only meeting this season, and majored O’Reilly and Cochran. His loss to Reece Hughes to start the year is also part of why he is below Oster, who was 1-0 against Reece.

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Braunagel had a great season, only losing to Wick, Oster, and Smith in conference. O'Reilly beat Drew Hughes, who beat Cochran to set the 8/9/10 spots. Tyler Meisinger wrestled in three of Michigan's last five duals, so we're going with him for the Wolverines. Brett Donner beat Meisinger 8-3 on February 1.

Tanner Webster has been the starter for Purdue since Midlands. He only won one match in their nine second-semester duals, beating Dillon Hoey of Indiana 6-4 in the intrastate rivalry.

It is unclear who Indiana is sending. Hoey has wrestled in the Hoosier’s past four duals and five of the last six. He has no wins in conference and lost to his teammate Davey Tunon at the Michigan State Open. Tunon’s only other Big Ten win was over Reece Hughes of Michigan at the MSU Open.