NCAA Releases Coaches Panel Rankings, Conference Qualifying Spots
Feb 24 | Wrestling
Each qualifying tournament was awarded pre-allocations to the national tournament based on regular-season performance by conference wrestlers through February 20. The pre-allocations are determined using a sliding scale of a .700 winning percentage, top 30 coaches' rank and top 30 ratings percentage index (RPI) with a maximum of 29 pre-allocations per weight class. Once again, the Big Ten Conference leads the way with 88 pre-allocations.
For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his conference tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each conference was awarded a minimum of one automatic bid per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA championship spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at conference tournaments based solely on place-finish.
After all the conference tournaments have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 43 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 8, while brackets and seeding will be announced on NCAA.com at 6 p.m. on March 9. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers.
The coaches' rankings are determined by a vote of 14 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the seven conferences. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. Wrestlers must have five Division I matches in the weight class to be considered with at least one within the last 30 days.
The RPI is a calculation that consists of three factors: winning percentage, opponent winning percentage (strength of schedule) and opponent's opponent winning percentage (opponent's strength of schedule). Only matches against Division I opponents at the designated weight class count towards the RPI and a wrestler needs to have wrestled 15 matches to be ranked.
Six Scarlet Knights - Dylan Shawver (125), Joseph Olivieri (133), Sebastian Rivera (141), Michael VanBrill (149), John Poznanski (184) and Greg Bulsak (197) - remained in the third installment of the coaches ranking. All six, along Boone McDermott (HWT), hold an RPI.
The NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee did determine it will not consider for championship selections, including conference pre-allocations, any results from extra matches that ended with injury defaults where the wrestlers did not wrestle.
NCAA Championships Qualifier Breakdown|
Conference |
125 |
133 |
141 |
149 |
157 |
165 |
174 |
184 |
197 |
285 |
Total |
|
Atlantic Coast Conference |
3 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
39 |
|
Big 12 Conference |
6 |
6 |
7 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
8 |
4 |
7 |
6 |
58 |
|
Big Ten Conference |
10 |
10 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
12 |
11 |
9 |
88 |
|
EIWA |
4 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
42 |
|
Mid-American Conference |
1 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
22 |
|
Pacific-12 Conference |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
23 |
|
Southern Conference |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
15 |
|
Pre-Allocations |
29 |
29 |
28 |
29 |
28 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
28 |
287 |
|
At-Large |
4 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
43 |
Coaches Rank (Through Matches Feb. 24)
| Wrestler (Weight) | First Ranking | Second Ranking | Third Ranking |
| Dylan Shawver (125) | 22 | 29 | 28 |
| Joseph Olivieri (133) | 18 | 17 | 16 |
| Sebastian Rivera (141) | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Michael VanBrill (149) | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| John Poznanski (184) | 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Greg Bulsak (197) | 6 | 11 | 11 |
NCAA RPI (Through Matches Feb. 24)
| Wrestler (Weight) | First RPI | Second RPI |
| Dylan Shawver (125) | 10 | 14 |
| Joseph Olivieri (133) | 12 | 13 |
| Sebastian Rivera (141) | 3 | 3 |
| Michael VanBrill (149) | 3 | 7 |
| Robert Kanniard (157) | 33 | NR |
| John Poznanski (184) | 7 | 14 |
| Greg Bulsak (197) | 4 | 8 |
| Boone McDermott (HWT) | 22 | 28 |
Players Mentioned
