The Badgers huddle up around head coach Danny Westerman in Miami

Men's Tennis

Five things to know: A full plate

Wisconsin’s opening weekend welcomes DePaul and Northern Illinois to the Nielsen

Men's Tennis

Five things to know: A full plate

Wisconsin’s opening weekend welcomes DePaul and Northern Illinois to the Nielsen

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin heads into the new season with a full docket on their plate. The Badgers welcome DePaul and Northern Illinois to the Nielsen Tennis Stadium on Friday and Sunday, respectively. 

1. Westerman's wing: Head coach Danny Westerman previews the Badgers' weekend ahead:

"Really excited to kick off the year against DePaul. They are always a very tough regional opponent. We see a lot of them in the fall between a couple different tournaments. We know each other well and we know what to expect. We have a lot of new guys in our lineup this year - it's going to be interesting to see how they respond. I know they are excited. We just have to manage some emotions with it being the first match of the year. You never really know how it's going to feel until you play, but I'm really excited to see our guys get out there and battle hard tomorrow."

2. Wisconsin's last time out:  Wisconsin used an ultra-talented field to help prepare a young Cardinal and Red squad for an intense dual season. The Badgers faced off against Texas, Ole Miss, and Miami at the Miami Invitational. Wisconsin picked up some key wins in the singles and doubles category against the powerhouses. The Badgers look to use the experience gained to perform well in the season-opening debut at the Nielsen. 

3. Scouting DePaul: The Badgers' first foe is DePaul, a team that has faced familiar opponents to the Cardinal and White. DePaul kicked off their season against Green Bay, a match they won 4-3. But the Blue Demons faced a lot more resistance against Big Ten competitor Minnesota. The Gophers routed DePaul 7-0 to level out the Blue Demons starting record to 1-1.
 
Wisconsin swiftly dismissed DePaul 6-1 in last year's season opener.
 
4. Scouting Northern Illinois: Northern Illinois is also off to a 1-1 start in the new year. The Huskies traveled to Des Moines for two matches against Drake and Tennessee Tech. NIU fell to the Bulldogs in a nail-biter, 3-4, but tallied a bounce back win against Tennessee Tech a day later, 5-2.
 
5. Need to know: Keep up with all things Wisconsin men's tennis on Twitter (@BadgerMTennis), on Instagram (WisconsinTennis), and on UWBadgers.com.
 
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