Wrestle the man, not his reputation or the name or the reputation of the school on his singlet.

The seven Oregon State wrestlers at this year’s NCAA wrestling championships aren’t expected to place. But they can’t go into the tournament, which begins at 9 a.m. today at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, with what assistant coach Jeff Cardwell calls “the big-eye syndrome.”

“The first time I went (to nationals) I was a freshman and was overwhelmed with the number of people” cheering for Iowa, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State or the other perennial powers, the two-time Beavers all-American (1986, 1987) said last Thursday in recalling the first of his four NCAA appearances.

“In one of my matches, I could hardly hear the whistle it was so loud. You have to block that out of your mind, not have the big-eye syndrome, and just treat it as another match.

“You have to realize that it’s just a wrestling mat, I’m wrestling, and I’m going to do my job.”

The tournament runs through Saturday night.

The Beavers haven’t cracked the top 20 since 2001 or the top 10 since 1998 but coach Joe Wells said he believes their fortunes could change this year.

“Get three or four all-Americans and a top-10 finish, that would be great,” Wells said. “That’s what we’re looking at.

“Is that a lot to ask? Yeah, it is. But that’s what we’re shooting for.”

OSU’s entrants (junior 125-pounder Eric Stevenson; junior 133-pounder Bobby Pfennigs; sophomore 141-pounder Kyle Larson; senior 157-pounder Tony Hook; junior 174-pounder Jeremy Larson; senior 197-pounder Dan Pitsch, and senior heavyweight Ty Watterson), are intent on improving OSU’s 39th-place finish at the 2005 nationals and get the Beavers back into the top 20.

“If we have guys winning matches, you’re going to score points,” said Kyle Larson, a first-time NCAA participant. “Bonus points are big. The majority of the guys, their goals are met when they make the national tournament.

“They don’t care what happens. If we get (paired against) those guys, we need to make bonus points. We want to place.”

Hook made nationals as a freshman and sophomore but didn’t win his first match there until last year. That was a major breakthrough he said he believes could lead to bigger things this year.

“Now I don’t have any pressure,” Hook said. “I finally got one (win) under my belt, I know I can do it. I always knew I could, but it’s pretty tough. This year I’ll try to get four or five and become an all-American.

“I’m going to leave everything out there. And it won’t only be last year that helps me, it will be the three previous years, too.”

A major key is the first-round draw. None of the Beavers are seeded, so they could be matched with a No. 1-ranked opponent, or another unseeded competitor.

“A lot just depends on the draw, wherever you get thrown,” Kyle Larson said. “The coaches have just been preaching to make sure you take one match at a time and to wrestle the body, not the name.

“There’s definitely the possibility I could place, if I get that right draw.”

Kyle’s older brother, Jeremy, was 1-2 at the 2005 championships, and had a sound piece of advice for his younger brother.

“He told me to make sure you’re ready for every match,” Kyle said.

Hook said the biggest thing he’s learned is that everyone at NCAAs is a quality opponent, that a moment’s inattention can result in a quick defeat.

“Everybody is legit, top in their conference. Going in there the first time you don’t really recognize that,” he said. “You know that everybody is going to be tough, but you have to know that you’re also tough because you’re there, too.”

Cardwell placed sixth at 150 pounds in 1986 and seventh at 158 pounds. He wasn’t a household name in wrestling circles, just like this year’s OSU entrants, but managed to concentrate on what he needed to do rather than worry about more-heralded opponents.

“We’re going to run into some big-time program names,” Cardwell said. “If you’re going to place you’re going to run into some big-name guys.

“You’ve just got to wrestle your match. You have to know what the guy does, but not be so concerned about what he does that you don’t do your tricks, your stuff.

“We want the guys to wrestle up to their ability, not go two-and-out.”