WIN Magazine Preseason Poll

NEWTON, Iowa - WIN Magazine has released its annual preseason Tournament Power Index (TPI) & Rankings, and the Illinois wrestling squad comes in at 11th. The TPI predicts how teams will finish in the 2015 NCAA National Championships, which are set to take place in St. Louis, Mo.

The Illini are projected to have two grapplers earn All-American honors in March. Jesse Delgado, the two-time defending NCAA champion at 125 pounds, is projected to earn a three-peat. The other member of the Orange and Blue slated to earn a top-eight finish is 2014 NCAA qualifier Zane Richards, who WIN has sixth at 133 ponds.

A trio of Illini who qualified for the 2014 NCAA National Championships cracked the top 20 in WIN's rankings. Nikko Reyes comes in at 11th in the 184-pound weight class, while Jackson Morse is 13th at 165 pounds. At 141 pounds, Steven Rodrigues is slated for 19th.

Two wrestlers red-shirted as freshmen are expected to make some noise when they make their Illinois debuts. Isaiah Martinez just missed a top-eight ranking, as he is expected to finish ninth at 149 pounds. Brooks Black garnered a preseason ranking of 19th at heavyweight.

Caleb Ervin, a 2013 NCAA qualifier, is expected to bounce back from a season marred by injury. WIN has him pegged for 20th at 149 pounds.

The Illini begin the season on Saturday, Nov. 1 with wrestle-offs at Huff Hall. The first competition against opponents not wearing the orange and blue will be at the Illini Quad on Sunday, Nov. 9, in Huff Hall.