Okay, MatBrat, I'll be the lone non-snarky voice.
Probably little to no politics involved in the decision at 184...or any other weight. If politics were involved, they would favor either of the other two wrestlers. Wilcke is a 5th-year senior, 3-year starter from Iowa who is well-liked personally. Nelson is a blood relative.
There's no political pressure from the administration, as far as I'm aware.
No one can speak for Brands, as most of us would've gone with Wilcke, who is a proven commodity at NCAAs and good for 2-4 points, which is within a point or two of what most expect Assad to score. Presumably Brands feels Assad has the best chance to score the most points at NCAAs, and this is a year where even a point or two can impact the team race, and he's not going to take any chances.