Regionals - the road to indoors!

[mikej]

Some of the regional sites begin next weekend, so I thought I'd get this thread started (maybe all are the same weekend?, I didn't bother browsing around other teams' pages). Duke hosts Michigan, Pepperdine, and VT...starting with a Michigan match that could be tricky (#5 Texas needed a third set in the deciding match to edge Michigan yesterday). Anyway, it should be a good barometer for how good Duke is at this point in the year, even if I wish they had an easier road so there wasn't a risk of not making it out of regionals (and the resulting firestorm I'm sure I'd receive from the Stanford crowd, and rightly so).

The top two for Michigan absolutely throttled Texas's top two players, losing nine games in four sets - we'll see if Cunha and Carleton can do a better job. I feel pretty good about the possibility of matching Texas at the 3-6 positions, winning three of those four points. Clearly Evan King is going to be a force this year for the Wolverines - he certainly gave Kudla a run for his money at last year's US Open, losing 6-4 in the third.

[ClarkC]

Here is a link to the ITA page about the indoor regionals (a.k.a. the ITA Kick-off Weekend).

You can see the groupings and click on links to the host site.

A lot of the groups will be easy pickings for the host. There are some tough groups. Louisville hosts Tulsa and Ole Miss. Duke, Kentucky, Georgia, and Illinois groups look like there will be some good matches.

[mikej]

Originally Posted by ClarkC

Here is a link to the ITA page about the indoor regionals (a.k.a. the ITA Kick-off Weekend).

You can see the groupings and click on links to the host site.

A lot of the groups will be easy pickings for the host. There are some tough groups. Louisville hosts Tulsa and Ole Miss. Duke, Kentucky, Georgia, and Illinois groups look like there will be some good matches.

illinois-nd and uga-unc do look like good ones, and i don't think anyone would be overly surprised if mississippi took down childs and louisville...should be a fun weekend

are these seedings just based on last year's final rankings? usc upstate as a 2 seed?

and another question (i'm glad there are some college tennis gurus on this board that typically have the answers to this kind of stuff - ahem clarkc and automator) - is there any way to predict how the regional winners fall into the main indoors draw as of now (a la world cup brackets)? or will it be based on the most recent rankings just before the main shindig?

[Automator]

The Kick-off weekend is set up this way:

Following the final poll of the season, the ITA starts calling the schools starting at #1 about hosting, provided they have the necessary facilities. Once they get 15 hosts sites, the weekend locations are set.

The next step is the next schools in the end season rankings are put in order according to their final poll ranking. They are phoned one-by-one and asked which site they want to go to. This was done on June 3rd. Oklahoma was the first team called, and picked Illinois, the lowest ranked team to host. Duke's regional was full before any team agreed to go to Tennessee, USC, Florida or Virginia.

The draft results are here.

So, the reason USC-Upstate is a two seed is because they were the first team to choose to go to Tennessee's regional. The higher ranked teams avoided the Vols for reasons that should be rather obvious.

I'm fairly certain the teams are placed in the draws based on the team rankings released immediately prior to the event, with the caveat that teams from the same conference are generally not permitted to play in the first round.

[mikej]

Originally Posted by Automator

The Kick-off weekend is set up this way:

Following the final poll of the season, the ITA starts calling the schools starting at #1 about hosting, provided they have the necessary facilities. Once they get 15 hosts sites, the weekend locations are set.

The next step is the next schools in the end season rankings are put in order according to their final poll ranking. They are phoned one-by-one and asked which site they want to go to. This was done on June 3rd. Oklahoma was the first team called, and picked Illinois, the lowest ranked team to host. Duke's regional was full before any team agreed to go to Tennessee, USC, Florida or Virginia.

The draft results are here.

So, the reason USC-Upstate is a two seed is because they were the first team to choose to go to Tennessee's regional. The higher ranked teams avoided the Vols for reasons that should be rather obvious.

I'm fairly certain the teams are placed in the draws based on the team rankings released immediately prior to the event, with the caveat that teams from the same conference are generally not permitted to play in the first round.

Great info as always, thank you. That draft process is certainly very unique, I like it. Anyone at your host site is someone who wanted a piece of you, sounds fiery, haha.

[Automator]

Well, sorta. I think you can argue that the teams playing at Virginia, Tennessee, Florida and OSU wanted to play and had to go somewhere.

[Fedace]

I really like Virginia's chances to win the regionals this year.

[jaggy]

I work at Indiana and go to watch all their games. My alma maters San Diego State so tough one there, wish I could go watch.

[Fedace]

Originally Posted by jaggy

I work at Indiana and go to watch all their games. My alma maters San Diego State so tough one there, wish I could go watch.

They are playing at USC. They have full Webcam coverage of all their home matches. and i am sure they will have the webcam on this weekend. + Maxim usually goes to USC and records the matches during the regionals. but Sadly enough, Indiana will probably draw USC in the 1st round and get beat up pretty quickly....

[jaggy]

Yes but it will be a good experience for Indiana. The last 2 years they have been the highest ranked team not selected for the NCAAs so they need to change that this year, better opponents may help.

[Automator]

Originally Posted by Fedace

but Sadly enough, Indiana will probably draw USC in the 1st round and get beat up pretty quickly....

Indiana is the 3 seed and will play 2 seed BYU in the first round. USC will play San Diego State.

[ssgator80]

Interesting that FSU decided to go out west to UCLA. GaTech decides to stay in state and take on rival Georgia on their home court.

[db379]

The way Stanford dispatched Sac state 7-0 without losing a set yesterday, it's going to be interesting to see how they match up to the top teams!

[Automator]

Originally Posted by db379

The way Stanford dispatched Sac state 7-0 without losing a set yesterday, it's going to be interesting to see how they match up to the top teams!

I think there's a potential for an interesting match or two on Saturday for Stanford, but I seriously doubt any of the three teams coming to town this weekend will pose much of a threat. A Klahn-Lipman match could be intriguing. I have a higher opinion of Lipman than Harbatsiuk.

Now, if you're saying that a whitewashing of an unranked team indicates that Stanford is capable of competing with the "Big 3" of USC, Tennessee and UVA, I'd suggest maybe waiting for a larger sample size of matches.

[db379]

Originally Posted by Automator

I think there's a potential for an interesting match or two on Saturday for Stanford, but I seriously doubt any of the three teams coming to town this weekend will pose much of a threat. A Klahn-Lipman match could be intriguing. I have a higher opinion of Lipman than Harbatsiuk.

Now, if you're saying that a whitewashing of an unranked team indicates that Stanford is capable of competing with the "Big 3" of USC, Tennessee and UVA, I'd suggest maybe waiting for a larger sample size of matches.

I wasn't talking about this w-e matches, but against top teams, later on. Of course, Sac state is no match but it's more the way they played and dominated which felt good. In average, for all 6 singles, Stanford lost less than 2 games per set! That sends a strong message. By comparison, USC lost one match against the same Sac St. team last week. It doesn't mean much, but I like the way everyone played at their respective position. Klahn will be a match for any #1, Clayton is a strong #3, Hirschman a strong #5-6, and Lin a pretty good #4. Stanford doubles are also among the best in college tennis, so I feel there's a good matchup with the top teams.

[mikej]

duke bludgeoning michigan early on

cruised to 8-3 and 8-4 dubs victories, and marchese back from a serious injury continuing his dominance at #6 w a quick 1,2 win

and devils with first set wins at 4 of the other 5 positions...including cunha and carleton taking it to guys that bashed #5 texas's top 2...

this team may not be UVA, UTenn good, but they're looking good to be right in the mix at the head of the second tier...also there's no way texas is still a top 5-caliber team if they struggled so much with these wolverines, unless they just had a horrid day

update: 4-0, that took about an hour and a half, maybe 2, nice to be looking way better than the current #5 team early in the season with 2 freshmen playing high in the lineup...go duke!

[ClarkC]

Originally Posted by mikej

duke bludgeoning michigan early on

cruised to 8-3 and 8-4 dubs victories, and marchese back from a serious injury continuing his dominance at #6 w a quick 1,2 win

and devils with first set wins at 4 of the other 5 positions...including cunha and carleton taking it to guys that bashed #5 texas's top 2...

this team may not be UVA, UTenn good, but they're looking good to be right in the mix at the head of the second tier...also there's no way texas is still a top 5-caliber team if they struggled so much with these wolverines, unless they just had a horrid day

The Texas ranking, like most team rankings at this point, is based mostly on last year's team. They are not #5 for real, and soon will not be. Staying in the top 10 will be a problem.

Duke LiveStats show that it is already over, 4-0.

[Fedace]

Originally Posted by ClarkC

The Texas ranking, like most team rankings at this point, is based mostly on last year's team. They are not #5 for real, and soon will not be. Staying in the top 10 will be a problem.

Duke LiveStats show that it is already over, 4-0.

What, no live video ??

[Automator]

I think it's a premium service you have to pay for.

[mikej]

Originally Posted by Automator

I think it's a premium service you have to pay for.

yep, not cheap either...greedy b#$%ards...anyway, it's over - 7-0

michigan, please choose more wisely in the draft next time...durham did not treat you kindly