Men’s Tennis
First-Round Games
No. 11 Purdue (3-16, 0-10) vs. No. 6 Penn State (13-5, 5-5): Looking for its first conference victory, Purdue will have trouble finding it against Penn State in the conference tournament. Behind the duo of Mark Barry and Malcolm Scatliffe, the Nittany Lions look to build on their strong finish this season after winning three of their last four contests.
Daily Pick: Penn State
No. 10 Wisconsin (8-13, 2-8) vs. No. 7 Minnesota (8-12, 5-5): At first glance, this matchup looks like an upset in the making. Wisconsin shut out Minnesota 7-0 in their meeting earlier this season. With Avery Ticer and his 20-7 overall singles record, the Gophers will have their way with the Badgers and move on to face second-seeded Ohio State.
Daily Pick: Minnesota
No. 8 Michigan State (12-12, 4-6) vs. No. 9 Iowa (10-11, 2-8): If history repeats itself, this match should be no contest. In their meeting during the regular season, Michigan State crushed Iowa 6-1. Both the Hawkeyes and Spartans only were able to squeeze out one win in their last six competitions. Michigan State has the edge in this one and won’t let Iowa avenge the big loss.
Daily Pick: Michigan State
Quarterfinals
No. 4 Indiana (12-11, 6-4) vs. No. 5 Northwestern (11-11, 6-4): The Wildcats haven’t forgotten about their last home loss. Indiana barely escaped with a win against NU earlier this season, and the Cats won’t let that happen again. If the Cats come to play and stay cool, they will have the upper hand.
Daily Pick: Northwestern
First-Round Byes
No. 3 Michigan (14-9, 7-3): After a disappointing 2003-2004 season, Michigan rebounded this year with seven wins in conference play. Two Wolverines recorded 20 singles wins, but that means nothing in the conference tournament. A storybook season will come to an end in the semifinals against rival Ohio State. The streaking Wolverines just don’t have the depth to get it done this time around under the leadership of first-year coach Bruce Berque.
No. 2 Ohio State (17-7, 8-2): Coming into the tournament as the second seed once again, the Buckeyes have one more blemish on their conference record this year. That loss came at the hands of NU, which snapped the Buckeyes’ six-match winning streak. Ohio State’s other Big Ten loss came in Champaign, and its next loss will be at the same venue. With Davin Mullings earning Big Ten Player of the Week honors two weeks ago, the Buckeyes will come close but won’t be able to finish the job.
No. 1 Illinois: (20-3, 10-0): With another undefeated season in conference play and home-court advantage at the conference tournament, the Illini are looking for their eighth Big Ten tournament title in the last nine years. Their last loss to a conference foe came in 2001 against Ohio State in the conference tournament. Illinois comes in with a six-match winning streak, and the Illini are on pace to win three more. Doubles play will be the key for the Illini, as they are undefeated this season after earning the doubles point. Nothing can stop the Illini right now as they will slice and dice through the competition.
Daily Pick: Illinois wins the tournament
— Compiled by Jason Prager
