NCAA 2015-2016 General Talk

[Clemson_tennis]

I did not see a thread for this season. Here is an article I wrote about some early season teams that are improved from last year and some that are down from last year.

This year should be pretty interesting. We had a lot of top teams pushed by underdogs in the opening weekend. Maybe that speaks to the parity that exists this year.

 

[SECFAN]

I agree that there seems to be a lot of parity at least early on it's showing that.

 

[Clemson_tennis]

Oklahoma State barely edges Wake Forest. Wake kinda lacked that killer instinct last year and this is an early sign that they still don't have it. Need to bounce back strong vs Oklahoma or it could be a disappointing trip to the Sooner State

 

[Deacon Drive]

OK State led most of the match, though it ended up being very close overall. Last year Wake was great when Bogaerts played well and just good when he didn't, and that looked to be true tonight. If Bogaerts can regain his consistency and speed he will make Wake a much tougher team.

 

[Clemson_tennis]

does anyone feel like the doubles point is too quick now? Like there have been plenty of matches so far this year with 20 minute doubles points.

 

[deacbb]

My guess is Okie St, based upon their match against TCU and yesterday vs. Wake, will finish the season in the top 15. Yesterday was very close, but outside of just a few moments right after Ho won to make it 2-1, I really felt like Okie St was in control. Now, obviously if Dennis Ups can close out the first set the whole match would probably have been different. I hate that Romo isn't playing better. I'd put him back at 4 until he rounds into form and we move outside. The Sooners will be tough. Wake has to win the dubs point in my opinion.

 

[ClarkC]

does anyone feel like the doubles point is too quick now? Like there have been plenty of matches so far this year with 20 minute doubles points.

That's what happens when authoritarian, clueless, and wussy are all traits of the same people and they are in charge.

 

[epaige]

does anyone feel like the doubles point is too quick now? Like there have been plenty of matches so far this year with 20 minute doubles points.

It so should be to eight. Six is absurd. Do powers that be really think more people will come to matches now?

 

[NastyWinners]

Why isn't Mackie McDonald ranked in the ITA singles rankings?

 

[TopDawg]

Why isn't Mackie McDonald ranked in the ITA singles rankings?

He didn't play any collegiate matches in the fall - the rankings in January are based of the fall results. He'll be ranked when the next singles rankings come out since he beat Austin Smith today.

 

[andfor]

It so should be to eight. Six is absurd. Do powers that be really think more people will come to matches now?

My observations is that the crowds don't leave now during the duals as they have in the past after the doubles. Don't believe it's due to the 6 game doubles set, but due to the no break and no singles warm up after the dubs is over and singles play begins. Would the 2 extra games making the doubles proset a 8 game set really mess up the 3 hour match time goal of the NCAA/ITA? Doubt it.

 

[Clemson_tennis]

My observations is that the crowds don't leave now during the duals as they have in the past after the doubles. Don't believe it's due to the 6 game doubles set, but due to the no break and no singles warm up after the dubs is over and singles play begins. Would the 2 extra games making the doubles proset a 8 game set really mess up the 3 hour match time goal of the NCAA/ITA? Doubt it.

Yes. I can't tell you how many times I would promote a Clemson match and get a decent amount of people from my classes/the club team/co-workers in athletics etc to come to matches. I would get so frustrated when the players,coaches and officials would mull around lazily after doubles ended. It lost the crowd's interest entirely. People would sit there for like 5 minutes and see nothing going on on the courts and start to file out before singles even started. So the lack of a real is a great thing.

But the 6 game no-ad set makes doubles almost a complete crapshoot.

 

[NastyWinners]

He didn't play any collegiate matches in the fall - the rankings in January are based of the fall results. He'll be ranked when the next singles rankings come out since he beat Austin Smith today.

Ah okay, I definitely missed that. Thank you!

 

[DUPio]

Tulsa playing with fire scheduling two solid teams on the same day. After losing a 4-3 battle to Purdue they lost the doubles point to Wichita St.

 

[andfor]

Tulsa playing with fire scheduling two solid teams on the same day. After losing a 4-3 battle to Purdue they lost the doubles point to Wichita St.

After a few results including the close match to WSU, got to figure they are not a real top 30 team.

BTW, got to give OkState a nod for a top 10 spot after their beatdown on Wake and Wake then beating OU. Saw the Pokes play a few weeks ago and thought they could be a top 15-20 team, didn't see this coming. While it's still early things can easily change. Pokes are very good.

 

[JLyon]

After a few results including the close match to WSU, got to figure they are not a real top 30 team.

BTW, got to give OkState a nod for a top 10 spot after their beatdown on Wake and Wake then beating OU. Saw the Pokes play a few weeks ago and thought they could be a top 15-20 team, didn't see this coming. While it's still early thing can easily change. Pokes are very good.

They have a big match with Arkansas next Sunday, both teams should be Top 15 by end of the year

 

[Clemson_tennis]

They have a big match with Arkansas next Sunday, both teams should be Top 15 by end of the year

That's a stretch for Arkansas. They are much improved but top 15 would be a massive jump. Probably closer to 30-25 range

 

[Clemson_tennis]

Matches are a lot shorter now. Oklahoma State clinched vs NC State in 1 hour and 50 minutes. And while it was fairly one-sided it was not THAT big of a rout which means even more lopsided matches could go an hour and a half. Did the ITA intend to turn college tennis from a long sport to one of the shortest in the NCAA. Under 2 hours is comparable to the length of wrestling duals and volleyball matches.

Kinda makes me wary of driving 3 hours (6 hour round trip) to go see a potentially under 2 hour match this Friday. (USF vs Minnesota)

 

[deacbb]

Last year many of the conferences elected to go back to the 8-game pro-set and ad-scoring after the "ITA indoor season." Will that be the case this year as well? I assume the NCAA tournament will be the old format?

 

[TopDawg]

Last year many of the conferences elected to go back to the 8-game pro-set and ad-scoring after the "ITA indoor season." Will that be the case this year as well? I assume the NCAA tournament will be the old format?

You would be assuming wrong - NCAAs are going to use no-ad this year and 6 game doubles sets.

 

[deacbb]

That sucks. So every college tennis match this year is going to use 6-game pro set for dubs and no-ad scoring for singles and dubs? That really sucks.

 

[JLyon]

That sucks. So every college tennis match this year is going to use 6-game pro set for dubs and no-ad scoring for singles and dubs? That really sucks.

Possible but conferences can still make up their own minds, although now most conferences will probably go with the flow, hopefully to spare confusion, even within conference (i.e. 2015 -- SEC used different format for Men versus Women)
I honestly do not mind no-ad, yes it stinks but if it brings some more fans and allows more men's teams to remain then it is a necessary evil.
I do however feel the doubles should be an 8 game pro-set and find it hard to believe coaches do not feel the same way. a pro-set in doubles would add maybe 5-10 min, so very little when most matches are now being finished in under 2.5 hrs (at Women's level) and even quicker with the Men.

 

[Clemson_tennis]

Nice job by Virginia recap misspelling Hiltzik in 2 different ways.

 

[gully]

I attended one match that was called at 4-0 in 70 minutes.

 

[frog1288]

The NCAAs doing no ad is unreal.

 

[TopDawg]

Couple of things i found out last week that'll share - Alex Jesse hasn't been playing singles for Illinois due to a foot injury otherwise he'd be playing #5, Dominic Cotrone has had some neck issues, might be a pinched nerve, so that's why he didn't play against Oklahoma State. It may have already been mentioned but Ryan Shane didn't play against Illinois due to shoulder issues - he said it hasn't been 100% this year and he hasn't been practicing much because of the discomfort.

 

[andfor]

Hopefully they are open to tweaking the system and at least consider moving the dubs to an 8 game pro-set.

 

[illzoni]

I've watched a few MTSU home matches at the new indoor facility.

Anyway, here's how they're looking at the doubles...
Similar to any one singles match, it's best of three sets, except those three sets are played by three separate doubles pairings. Hence, doubles awards one point the same way any singles match does.

 

[Clemson_tennis]

Generic question for fans of certain teams. What would you take as a more positive sign for your team and what would you prefer? A 7-0 loss where 5 of the 6 matches go to 3 sets and each player had a chance to win. Or a 4-3 loss where you got blown out on 3 courts but blew out the opponent on 3 courts as well?

 

[jaggy]

Nice job by Virginia recap misspelling Hiltzik in 2 different ways.

And they are arrogant remember, nice streams there though.

 

[Nostradamus]

That sucks. So every college tennis match this year is going to use 6-game pro set for dubs and no-ad scoring for singles and dubs? That really sucks.

yea, doubles is like just a 1 set drill, lol. it is like practice and has become irrelevant........... and No ad scoring is so bad because you can get lucky and win the game on netcord. and why is it Returner's choice on picking side and not the server's choice ?

 

[jaggy]

Generic question for fans of certain teams. What would you take as a more positive sign for your team and what would you prefer? A 7-0 loss where 5 of the 6 matches go to 3 sets and each player had a chance to win. Or a 4-3 loss where you got blown out on 3 courts but blew out the opponent on 3 courts as well?

So many variables here, depends on which player does what really, i think as long as you can see some kind of progress you feel ok

 

[azn_lefty_roddick_jr]

Generic question for fans of certain teams. What would you take as a more positive sign for your team and what would you prefer? A 7-0 loss where 5 of the 6 matches go to 3 sets and each player had a chance to win. Or a 4-3 loss where you got blown out on 3 courts but blew out the opponent on 3 courts as well?

I'd lean towards a 3-4 loss, my reasoning being that at least 3 of your players know how to close and that it came down to a poor doubles point... Even if your other 3 players got blown out, bad singles match-ups happen all the time in college tennis so it's not on the losing players' ability to compete.

An 0-7 loss with chances to win on almost all courts, on the other hand, just means that you have a team that didn't practice playing no-ad points, or playing under pressure. They can "fight", but not "compete" with the best.

 

[Nacho]

Generic question for fans of certain teams. What would you take as a more positive sign for your team and what would you prefer? A 7-0 loss where 5 of the 6 matches go to 3 sets and each player had a chance to win. Or a 4-3 loss where you got blown out on 3 courts but blew out the opponent on 3 courts as well?

Interesting thought; I think if I were a fan of say Toledo and they took UNC to 7 close matches but lost them all, I would feel they were competitive and walk away optimistic. But if it were UGA doing the same thing, I would be disappointed. But like someone else said so many other variables.

 

[jcgatennismom]

Generic question for fans of certain teams. What would you take as a more positive sign for your team and what would you prefer? A 7-0 loss where 5 of the 6 matches go to 3 sets and each player had a chance to win. Or a 4-3 loss where you got blown out on 3 courts but blew out the opponent on 3 courts as well?

If you won 3 matches vs a ranked team, the winning players' singles ranking would go up provided they played ranked players. That would give those players more of chance to qualify for the single championship in May. However, a 7-0 loss by an unranked team vs a highly ranked team would be a positive sign that the team should win more matches in the future. I think of Louisville that had 3 close matches vs VA-two of them had matchpoints and another went 3 sets. If that team with a lot of freshman came close to winning matches against a #2 team, certainly that is an encouraging sign that they should have close matches vs ranked teams outside the top 20 if they play like they did vs VA. I did not watch the stream-just read about it afterwards.

On another note, isn't ironic the Middle Tennessee and East Tennessee State are ranked higher than Univ of Tenn? Of course the top 7-8 on the team who play at East and Middle Tenn. State are all international. On UTR, some are listed as US, but on the website, their country of origin is listed. I thought UTR got the country from the roster list or ITF-not sure where they pull the info on if the country is different than on the roster.

 

[andfor]

If you won 3 matches vs a ranked team, the winning players' singles ranking would go up provided they played ranked players. That would give those players more of chance to qualify for the single championship in May. However, a 7-0 loss by an unranked team vs a highly ranked team would be a positive sign that the team should win more matches in the future. I think of Louisville that had 3 close matches vs VA-two of them had matchpoints and another went 3 sets. If that team with a lot of freshman came close to winning matches against a #2 team, certainly that is an encouraging sign that they should have close matches vs ranked teams outside the top 20 if they play like they did vs VA. I did not watch the stream-just read about it afterwards.

On another note, isn't ironic the Middle Tennessee and East Tennessee State are ranked higher than Univ of Tenn? Of course the top 7-8 on the team who play at East and Middle Tenn. State are all international. On UTR, some are listed as US, but on the website, their country of origin is listed. I thought UTR got the country from the roster list or ITF-not sure where they pull the info on if the country is different than on the roster.

Add Memphis to the top of the rankings in Tennessee. UofM also beat Vandy this year.

As for UTR not sure how they pull the country of origin. Could be they played a tournament and signed up as living in the U.S. and that's where the country info came from. Some may have graduated from a U.S. H.S. and gained a Green Card/Visa that allows them to now consider the U.S. a home country.

Not sure exactly why UT has declined since the days of JP Smith, Rhyne Williams and Tennys Sandgren. I would chalk it up to a couple down recruiting cycles and expect to see them back in the top 30 in the next year or two. At other schools we've all seen examples of bad luck with a player getting hurt, transferring, not panning out, or eligibility issues. Not making excuses for UT, I'm far from a cheerleader for them, however I know they've had a few unlucky breaks in the last few years.

 

[Nacho]

Add Memphis to the top of the rankings in Tennessee. UofM also beat Vandy this year.

As for UTR not sure how they pull the country of origin. Could be they played a tournament and signed up as living in the U.S. and that's where the country info came from. Some may have graduated from a U.S. H.S. and gained a Green Card/Visa that allows them to now consider the U.S. a home country.

Not sure exactly why UT has declined since the days of JP Smith, Rhyne Williams and Tennys Sandgren. I would chalk it up to a couple down recruiting cycles and expect to see them back in the top 30 in the next year or two. At other schools we've all seen examples of bad luck with a player getting hurt, transferring, not panning out, or eligibility issues. Not making excuses for UT, I'm far from a cheerleader for them, however I know they've had a few unlucky breaks in the last few years.

I have noticed UT struggling, used to be a powerhouse. I feel like someone commented that there are some inner problems on the team, hopefully they straighten those out if thats the issue its a supportive tennis community up there!

 

[Vicious Vik]

I have noticed UT struggling, used to be a powerhouse. I feel like someone commented that there are some inner problems on the team, hopefully they straighten those out if thats the issue its a supportive tennis community up there!

Stop it. There is only 1 UT

 

[ClarkC]

Stop it. There is only 1 UT

I wondered how long it would take for a Tulsa fan to object.

 

[jcgatennismom]

For those of you who are interested in cross divisional play, NAIA powerhouse Georgia Gwinnett easily beat D1 Tenn Tech 7-2 today. Supposedly GGC is UTR 80 for Power 6 rating while Tenn Tech is a 74. However I dont know how accurate GGC's UTR is ; they had played 7 dual matches in February before this weekend but only 3 home matches have been entered into ITA results. That team won't have any challenges their first 15 matches; they have only dropped 7 lines over the first 10 matches. It will be interesting how they play in April when they play 4 out of the top 10 D2 schools; last year their only 2 losses were vs top D2 schools. They kill the other NAIA schools; I dont think they even dropped a line vs any other NAIA schools last year. The top D2 are UTR 78 (player average is UTR 13) and that is probably a best guess of GGC's level. In other cross divisional play D2 powerhouse Armstrong State (UTR 78) beat D1 George Mason (UTR 70) this week. Too bad the top 5 D2 teams and GGC dont ever get to play higher D1 teams (UTR 75+); they might be competitive with teams ranked 30-75 in the ITA for D1. I dont think they could beat a top 30 team-could possibly win 2 lines. At least players from those teams do get to play D1 players in fall invitationals and some have notched good wins.

 

[Nacho]

For those of you who are interested in cross divisional play, NAIA powerhouse Georgia Gwinnett easily beat D1 Tenn Tech 7-2 today. Supposedly GGC is UTR 80 for Power 6 rating while Tenn Tech is a 74. However I dont know how accurate GGC's UTR is ; they had played 7 dual matches in February before this weekend but only 3 home matches have been entered into ITA results. That team won't have any challenges their first 15 matches; they have only dropped 7 lines over the first 10 matches. It will be interesting how they play in April when they play 4 out of the top 10 D2 schools; last year their only 2 losses were vs top D2 schools. They kill the other NAIA schools; I dont think they even dropped a line vs any other NAIA schools last year. The top D2 are UTR 78 (player average is UTR 13) and that is probably a best guess of GGC's level. In other cross divisional play D2 powerhouse Armstrong State (UTR 78) beat D1 George Mason (UTR 70) this week. Too bad the top 5 D2 teams and GGC dont ever get to play higher D1 teams (UTR 75+); they might be competitive with teams ranked 30-75 in the ITA for D1. I dont think they could beat a top 30 team-could possibly win 2 lines. At least players from those teams do get to play D1 players in fall invitationals and some have notched good wins.

Thats interesting. Those NAIA's have different rules so they can have people on their roster who might have played ATP challenger events and taken money (I think). I agree it would be cool to see them play some D1's because they have such a strong line up. I would for one like to see them play

 

[Nostradamus]

lets win it all Cardinal

 

[Clemson_tennis]

Jared Hiltzik going off on officiating at the Illinois/Kentucky match. He claims that a shot that Bushamuka hit was in the alley and the out call was overruled. And then says he was overruled on an obviously out serve at 2-0 in the 3rd set breaker and was hence defaulted due to it being his 4th overrule.

 

[JLyon]

Jared Hiltzik going off on officiating at the Illinois/Kentucky match. He claims that a shot that Bushamuka hit was in the alley and the out call was overruled. And then says he was overruled on an obviously out serve at 2-0 in the 3rd set breaker and was hence defaulted due to it being his 4th overrule.

4th ovverrule is pretty rare case, but if it was 4th overrule that is game penalty and if in TB then that is the match

 

[Clemson_tennis]

4th ovverrule is pretty rare case, but if it was 4th overrule that is game penalty and if in TB then that is the match

yeah but his point was that all the overrules were bad ones. He said Brain Page is the most fair line callers he knows and even he was overruled 3 times today. He is accusing the UK umpires of being extremely biased and playing a direct role in UK's upset win.

 

[Deacon Drive]

Jared Hiltzik going off on officiating at the Illinois/Kentucky match. He claims that a shot that Bushamuka hit was in the alley and the out call was overruled. And then says he was overruled on an obviously out serve at 2-0 in the 3rd set breaker and was hence defaulted due to it being his 4th overrule.

Are there any potential ramifications from this? Coaches criticizing referees in college basketball and football can get fined by the league in which they are in. Can players be suspended for these types of comments and what they imply?

 

[The Dawgs]

It's so irritating to me that when someone plays 4 matches against a weak team in one day. In my opinion it cheapens the sport. After all if tennis is such a "grind", how can a team play 4 matches in one day against the same team. Sure, we all know that coaches do that to inflate their won-loss record, so that when there contract is up for renewal, they can claim all those wins. In all likely hood the names of the teams they beat will never come up in that discussion. Yesterday, Arkansas women, visited Jackson State. They played 4 matches, using the 1-4 scoring system. One doubles and 4 singles. Of course they didn't lose a match all day, as expected. What makes it worse is that they are currently the #26 ranked team in the country. They don't have to do this. Coaches like that are just bad for the game.

 

[ClarkC]

Coaches don't do this to help in their contract negotiations. You have to have a .500 record to get into the NCAA tournament. This has been discussed many times on this board.

 

[frog1288]

TCU beats aTm 4-3 in a 3rd set tiebreaker (12-10)

 

[chris-swede]

so many surprises....with SMU taking the biggest win, that is crazy this season......everything is changing so fast, and i do not trust Nwestern and Arky as Top16 Teams while Oklahoma is only #18
Teams like Stanford, Ole Miss and Baylor are in real danger to miss out the NCAAS