Today, the Iowa men’s tennis team will travel to Michigan State for the Big Ten singles tournament — the Hawkeyes’ last tourney of the fall season.

After arriving home Sunday night from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association regional tournament in Tulsa, Okla., the team had limited time to prepare for this weekend’s slate. That hasn’t fazed the Hawks, though.

“Guys always want to feel like they’ve played enough,” Iowa assistant coach Steve Nash said. “Most of these guys thrive on the experience of playing sets.”

The team spent its short stay in Iowa City working out kinks experienced during the meet in Oklahoma through intrasquad match play.

Regarded as one of the toughest conferences in the nation with eight teams ranked in the top 75, this weekend’s Big Ten tournament should reflect the conference’s parity.

Of those eight teams, Ohio State, NCAA runner-up last year, ranks the highest at No. 2, followed by No. 12 Illinois. Iowa is significantly further down the list at No. 60, according to the preseason rankings. The Hawkeyes’ official season begins in the spring.

Because of a region change this year, Iowa didn’t get a chance to play many Big Ten teams this fall. This weekend’s conference tournament may provide an opportunity to do a bit of scouting.

“We’re going to see how other guys’ styles match up with our own,” Nash said. “Then, we’ll store it in our heads and adjust for that when dual meets come around.”

The subject of playing style is a big part of deciding which Hawkeye will compete at what position during the spring season.

With the Iowa lineup still undecided, the Big Ten singles tournament has special significance. It will be the last meet the Hawkeyes will compete in until Jan. 1, 2010.

“Every time they get out on the court and play, it’s part of the decision-making for what’s going to happen second semester,” Iowa head coach Steve Houghton said.

Right now the team, sophomore Marc Bruche said, is “very close” in terms of distribution of talent throughout the 12-man roster.

After the weekend, players will have a six week hiatus consisting of mainly individual work. With such a long break, keeping everyone motivated is not an easy task,

“We try to inspire them to do all they can,” Houghton said. “But it really comes down to them.”

For the first time the Big Ten singles tournament will host a doubles competition, making the name a bit of a contradiction.

The doubles team of sophomore Will Vasos and senior Tommy McGeorge will try to continue play dominantly after last week’s regional event. In Tulsa, Vasos and McGeorge made the quarterfinals after defeating the No. 2-ranked doubles team from Oklahoma along the way.

“We’re just trying to build off the tournaments we’ve done well in,” Vasos said.

Last year, Iowa’s Christian Bierich won the singles title, following in the footsteps of former-Hawkeye Bart van Monsjou, the runner-up in 2007. Could an Iowa three-peat appearance be in the cards?

“The field is open enough that one of our guys could get on a hot streak and get there or close, at least,” Houghton said. “Anything is possible.”