The sun hardly ever shines. It rains all the time. The temperatures range from the frigid 30s to the beautiful 70s. We all know what this means: April Madness.

Well, we may not all know what that means. Late April means it is Big Ten Championship season in golf and tennis, two of Illinois’ most successful sports. On April 29 last year, both the men’s tennis and men’s golf teams brought home Big Ten Championship trophies, and it could happen again this year.

Last year, as the men’s golf reporter, I went to the men’s golf Big Ten Championships. The atmosphere was fun, just like other tournament settings, though the crowd lacked the size of PGA events.

Illinois went into the last day leading, but fell behind after a rough start. The Illini needed a comeback — which included a terrible roll resulting in a triple-bogey for Indiana’s top golfer, Chase Wright — on the last two holes to beat its playing partner Indiana and take home its fourth-straight Big Ten title. Illinois and Indiana weren’t the favorites coming in, but it didn’t matter. Golf can come down to the roll of one ball, and even the best shot can go bad. Like Tiger Woods’ perfect shot that hit the pole and rolled into the water at the Masters.

Mike Small’s squad will go for a five-peat this weekend in French Lick, Ind. Defending NCAA champion Thomas Pieters will try to continue Illinois’ run of consecutive individual Big Ten champions in place of Luke Guthrie, keeping both individual and team trophies in Champaign.

The men’s tennis team is also coming off an improbable Big Ten Championship. The Illini came in as a No. 3 seed and ended Ohio State’s 92-match conference winning streak. This year, Illinois drove Ohio State to the limit, but was edged 4-3 by the Buckeyes. The Illini come in as a No. 4 seed and could play the Buckeyes in Saturday’s semifinals.

The men aren’t the only ones competing for a Big Ten title, though both of the men’s squads are better positioned to make a run.

The Big Ten tournament provides the women’s tennis team with a chance to bolster its NCAA tournament resume. The Illini are on the bubble for the tournament, but a strong showing could solidify their chances. Illinois comes in as a No. 5 seed and defeated last-place Michigan State on Thursday to play Purdue on Friday.

Across from Small’s squad at French Lick, the women’s golf team is a heavy underdog, but remember: The past is the past. The regular season no longer matters. From here, the season starts anew.

Unlike football, where the BCS takes away postseason upset potential, the postseason in golf and tennis allows a combination of luck and unrealized talent to make noise.

March Madness may get all the hype, but last-weekend-of-April madness can be almost as much fun.

Johnathan is a sophomore in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @IlliniColumnist.