The Missouri wrestling team faces the most important month of the season, with the Big 12 Conference Championships Tournament on March 3 followed by the NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 15.

The Tigers will have the benefit of wrestling in each tournament in their home state. The Big 12 Championships will be held at the Hearnes Center, and the NCAA Championships will take place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

“Anytime you’re home it’s great,” coach Brian Smith said. “Having it at home means that Missouri crowd is going to be here, which makes it special. It’s the perfect storm with having this and the national tournament in St. Louis.”

Missouri will have a slew of wrestlers contending for the top spot in their respective weight classes this weekend. In addition to sophomore Alan Waters and junior Brent Haynes, who are favorites to win their divisions, Smith expects junior Mike Larson and redshirt freshmen Devin Mellon and Drake Houdashelt to be favored.

“I don’t look at it as just one or two,” Smith said. “If we can get guys to compete at the highest level, we are going to have success individually and as a team.”

This weekend will be particularly special to Mike Larson, who will have his family in town from California to see him wrestle for only the second time in his collegiate career.

“This could be the last Big 12 tournament, and it’s here in the Hearnes,” Larson said. “We have a chance to win it, and I have a chance personally to win it, and I’ve got my folks coming down from California, so I’m just really excited.”

Although each wrestler in the lineup expects to have a shot at a Big 12 title, Waters has placed added pressure on himself after a disappointing finish to a stellar freshman season a year ago. Waters finished with a 1-2 record at the 2011 NCAA Championships.

“I was really upset with the way I ended up at nationals last year,” Waters said. “A lot of the kids that placed there I had beaten. That has helped me this year. Now I know the right mindset going into nationals to not make the same mistakes.“

Waters said the 2011 experience has given him additional confidence heading into these two crucial tournaments.

“I know what I have to do,” Waters said. “My experience gives me the confidence, just knowing that I’ve been here before and I’ve beaten these kids, so it’s nothing different.”

Even with Waters being a sophomore, Smith was not hesitant to suggest his top-ranked wrestler could win the national title.

“Alan Waters is a very competitive person,” Smith said. “Alan has one goal in mind, and that’s to win the national title. He’s never satisfied, and he wants to get better. You go tell that kid it’s not his year, and you might have yourself a scuffle. He can’t comprehend losing.”

That experience and mentality has Smith confident in his entire team, despite having only one senior in the lineup.

“I don’t consider this a young team, because this group has been through a lot of battles,” Smith said. “If we go in and wrestle like we’re supposed to, we can beat anyone. It’s a matter of just going out and doing your thing.”

With the high energy in the Missouri wrestling room, the team can’t hit the mat soon enough, Larson said.

“I just wish it was closer because we’re all ready to go right now,” Larson said.