Hoosiers head north in pursuit of signature wins

March is over and so is basketball season, but it is never too late to talk about bubble teams. \nHoping to make the 64-team NCAA Tournament in May, the No. 71 IU men’s tennis squad (12-7) is on the outside looking in. But the Hoosiers could greatly improve their resume this weekend if they beat both No. 45 Wisconsin (9-8) and No. 57 Northwestern (7-10). \n“I think if we do that we’d be making some real steps to getting into the NCAA (tournament),” IU coach Ken Hydinger said. “So beating these guys on the road would be huge.”\nThe Hoosiers are 1-6 against ranked opponents, with their lone win coming against Furman, currently ranked No. 65 in the Fila Collegiate Tennis rankings. One of those six losses came at the hands of DePaul, a team no longer among the top 75 teams in the nation.\nIU will head north for an afternoon affair vs. Wisconsin on Saturday, looking for its fifth straight win against the Badgers and eighth straight in Madison, Wisc. \nLed by No. 111 Jeremy Sonkin and the No. 37 doubles team of Nolan Polley and Moritz Baumann, Hydinger said Wisconsin has “big hitters” throughout its lineup. He said a Badger home-court advantage might be a factor, too. \n“The weather is supposed to be bad up there,” Hydinger said. “They’re particularly effective on their indoor courts, which are really suited to their game.”\nNorthwestern, IU’s Sunday opponent, is also led by a ranked player in No. 107 Christian Tempke. While Hydinger said Northwestern also has a tough lineup, it’s not as powerful as Wisconsin’s. \n“I’m not saying they play any worse, but I’m saying they’ve got a lot of guys (who are) a little more all-court players,” Hydinger said.\nThe Hoosiers would love to get a pair of victories this weekend, sitting just ahead of Minnesota, Northwestern and Wisconsin in the Big Ten standings.\n“It’s going to require everyone to play their best, and hopefully if we all play well, we should win (the matches),” sophomore Mak Kendall said.\nJunior Dara McLoughlin will play a key role in the matches as one of the top players on the team and the hottest player of late, winning five straight singles matches. McLoughlin, said he is very relaxed and confident on the court, so he is optimistic about the team’s matches this weekend.\n“I think they’re really good opportunities for us to move up in the rankings, help us in the Big Ten and (give us) a chance for the NCAAs,” he said. “I think they’re tough (matches) but definitely winnable.”