By Blake Dowson
Nearing the end of the fall, Big Ten men’s tennis is gearing up for the conference singles and doubles tournament, which will take place Nov. 6-9.
The competition will be the last before a two-month break. With most of the fall season in the rearview mirror, The Daily Iowan took a look at where conference teams stand ahead of the last major tournament of the calendar year.
1) Ohio State
At the top of the Big Ten standings seemingly every season, this year will be no different for the Buckeyes. Head coach Ty Tucker has been the head man since 1999 and has compiled 455 wins. The Buckeyes sent two players to New York this fall for the National Championships. Ohio State was in the Sweet 16 a year ago.
2) Illinois
Illinois lost four seniors from last year’s team that made it to the Sweet 16, then reloaded this year with an impressive recruiting class. Illinois had two players qualify for the round of 32 at the All-American Tournament earlier this fall, with Aron Hiltzik making it to the round of 16.
3) Northwestern
Northwestern returns a ton of experience to a team that registered a win in the NCAA Tournament a season ago. The Wildcats will be led by six upperclassmen, including Sam Shropshire, who qualified for the consolation championship at the All-Americans this fall.
4) Minnesota
After an NCAA Tournament appearance a year ago, Minnesota will again be a force at the top of the Big Ten. The Gophers return five players from an NCAA Tournament team.
5) Penn State
A top-50 team a year ago, the Nittany Lions will be senior-led. Leonard Stakhovsky, second team all-Big Ten a year ago, looks ready for a big season. Penn State only lost one player from last year’s squad.
6) Iowa
The Hawkeyes are on their way to becoming a top team in the Big Ten. Matt Hagan may be gone, but there is more experience on the team this season and a transfer in Robin Haden that seems capable of carrying the team. Senior Dom Patrick is set to have a big year as well.
7) Nebraska
Nebraska is another team that could surprise people in the Big Ten this season. The Cornhuskers climbed as high as No. 58 in the rankings a season ago and return every player this year. Watch for Nebraska to knock off some ranked teams this season.
8) Indiana
The Hoosiers had a very good showing at the Regional Championships, with senior Sam Monette qualifying for the singles finals. Monette and Daniel Bednarczyk also qualified for the doubles finals. Indiana returns nine players from a team that finished fifth in the Big Ten last season.
9) Michigan State
The Spartans will have a young squad this year, with only one senior on the roster and six underclassmen. Michigan State could be a sleeper pick in the Big Ten this season.
10) Wisconsin
The Badgers have played better this fall under first-year head coach Danny Westerman, but they have a long way to go. Wisconsin sent two players to the All-Americans this fall, but neither registered a victory.
11) Michigan
The Wolverines are young. Really young. The roster boasts two juniors and no seniors, along with five sophomores and three freshmen. This could be a learning year for Michigan, which finished 10th in the Big Ten last year with three wins in conference.
12) Purdue
Although Purdue only lost one player from last year’s team, the Boilermakers are again destined for the basement of the conference. Two years removed from an NCAA Tournament appearance, the Boilermakers went 0-12 in the Big Ten a year ago.
