Hoosiers gear up for last regular season match

Looking to finish strong after four straight conference losses, the IU wrestling team will try to break its losing streak this weekend in their last regular season match of the year. The squad travels north to East Lansing, Mich., Sunday to face the 1-12 Michigan State Spartans in the last tune up before the Big Ten Tournament two weeks later. \nThe Spartans will be the first unranked opponent the Hoosiers have wrestled since Jan. 24, a fact coach Duane Goldman hopes can work to his team's advantage.\n"We've got one Big Ten win, and every team we've lost to is ranked in the top 20," Goldman said. "Michigan State's record is not indicative of their ability. It's all about match-ups, and we got our work cut out for us."\nThe Spartans dropped ten matches in a row before earning their first and only victory of the year against Kent State. The team is coming off losses to No. 9 Penn State and No. 20 Ohio State last weekend. \nA bright spot for Michigan State has been the grappling of Andy Simmons. The No. 9 sophomore, who is 23-7 on the year, has four straight Big Ten wins in a row at 141 pounds, quite an accomplishment in the talent-rich conference. Simmons will be tested in a showdown with IU's Coyte Cooper, 34-1 overall and undefeated in the Big Ten.\nUp in the air is the status of IU's Pat DeGain at 197 pounds. The senior injured his ankle two weekends ago but has steadily shown improvement in his quest to get back in the lineup.\n"We don't know if we're going to have him back," Goldman said. "He's somewhat day-to-day. We really missed him last week. We hope to have him back as soon as possible, but we don't want to jeopardize his Big Ten Tournament possibilities."\nDeGain, who hails from Clarkston, Mich., sounded more optimistic about the possibilities of his return this weekend and performing in front of his family.\n"I wrestled today (Wednesday), and I felt awesome," DeGain said. "I'm looking to be back this weekend. I got fans back at home that will be there. It'll be nice. I should be 100 percent."\nThe Hoosiers are coming off four straight Big Ten losses. The lowest ranked team IU has faced is No. 15 Purdue. While the coaches and wrestlers acknowledge the competition will help them in preparation for the all-important Big Ten Tournament in two weeks, the losses have not affected the team's confidence and intensity.\n"The last couple of teams we've wrestled have been ranked, and we battled hard and did not let down at all," said redshirt freshman Josh Buuck. "We're going to come out on top at the right time and peak now at the end of the season."\nThe meet commences at 1 p.m. The Hoosiers then take a two-week rest before the Big Ten Tournament. \nGoldman said he definitely wants to win but also has the big picture in mind. \n"It's always good to win, but it doesn't change what's in front of us," he said. "It won't change the things we need to work on and the ways we need to prepare for the Big Ten."\n-- Contact staff writer Colin Burns at coaburns@indiana.edu.