Greatest college players of all time

[Clemson_tennis]

With Johnson's win today he must be put into the GOAT discussion. Who was the greatest college player of all time? This is about strictly their college careers, not life after college. So guys like McEnroe,Blake don't really count.

who is in the discussion along with Johnson> I have only been closely following college tennis since around 2006. but I have done some research of the past to try and understand.

Bob Bryan
Somdev Devvarman
Matias Boeker

and...?

[jaggy]

Michael Pernfors

[floridatennisdude]

Bob Bryan...Triple Crown in 98

[JLyon]

Alex O'Brien
Triple Crown Champion @ Stanford in 1992 and a Team Titles in 1989 and 1990

[swanpm20]

Could you maybe talk about some of their credentials along with the names please? I know almost nothing about the history of college tennis so have no idea what these guys accomplished in college except Johnson and Devvarman...

Great thread.

[jaggy]

Pernfors was a juco transfer and I believe he won the 2 singles he entered back to back, not sure how the team (Georgia) fared. Correct me if I am wrong, going from memory here.

[andfor]

Sargis Sargsian in 2 years compiled the following at ASU - Became the first NCAA Singles Champion in school history in 1995 while earning All-American honors in both of his years in Tempe. He won four collegiate Grand Slam titles, becoming the first Sun Devil to ever win a Grand Slam event, as well as the 1995 NCAA Player of the Year Award. Sargsian also earned the 1995 Pac-10 Player of the Year, was twice named to the All-Pac-10 team, and finished his collegiate career ranked #1 in the nation. The native Armenian finished his Sun Devil career with an 82-17 singles record and a 42-21 doubles mark. Sargsian eanred a bachelor's degree in business in 1995.

[Satsuma Illini]

Sargis Sargian
'95 NCAA Champion
'94 All-American Champion
'94 ITA Indoors Champion
'95 ITA Indoors Champion
1995 No. 1 Ranking

What andfor said!

[andfor]

Originally Posted by jaggy

Pernfors was a juco transfer and I believe he won the 2 singles he entered back to back, not sure how the team (Georgia) fared. Correct me if I am wrong, going from memory here.

You're correct. This is a cool old article. http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...g=6631,3600533

[duusoo]

John Whitlinger.

NCAA Champion
4 yr State Champion
2X Orange Bowl Winner

Flat out John was a fantastic player.

[andfor]

Originally Posted by duusoo

John Whitlinger.

NCAA Champion
4 yr State Champion
2X Orange Bowl Winner

Flat out John was a fantastic player.

College only. No junior or pro results.

[andfor]

I think you have to consider guys like J. McEnroe and Jimmy Connors who came in and win the NCAA Freshman year and do so in dominating fashion. Not saying they were the best ever but deserve to be in the conversation.

Look at some of the players in the draw.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...d+tennis&hl=en

McEnroe - 24-0 single and team champion
http://www.gostanford.com/hof/mtennis.html

Jimmy Connors - UCLA First freshman ever to win the NCAA D1 singles title.
http://www.uclabruins.com/genrel/ucla-100-70.html Scroll down to 1971 men's tennis team.

[andfor]

Only our friends who venture here could appreciate this. A must read for tennis historians and college tennis nuts!

http://www.insidetennis.com/archive/0506_college.html

[Satsuma Illini]

Originally Posted by andfor

Only our friends who venture here could appreciate this. A must read for tennis historians and college tennis nuts!

http://www.insidetennis.com/archive/0506_college.html

I've seen that before. Very disappointing list for me. LOL. 2003 Illinois; team, singles, and doubles champions, 32-0 record, ITA Indoors title, never lost more than 2 points a dual match until the championship round. Would go on to stretch the winning streak to 64 matches. Nowhere on the list so meh for me.

[andfor]

Originally Posted by Satsuma Illini

I've seen that before. Very disappointing list for me. LOL. 2003 Illinois; team, singles, and doubles champions, 32-0 record, ITA Indoors title, never lost more than 2 points a dual match until the championship round. Would go on to stretch the winning streak to 64 matches. Nowhere on the list so meh for me.

Would not say it's perfect by any means. Interesting to see and debate. You are correct that 2003 Illini team deserves mention.

[Satsuma Illini]

Originally Posted by andfor

Would not say it's perfect by any means. Interesting to see and debate. You are correct that 2003 Illini team deserves mention.

Very interesting reading though. Good to read up on the great college teams. Thanks for posting it again.

[bluetrain4]

Originally Posted by jaggy

Pernfors was a juco transfer and I believe he won the 2 singles he entered back to back, not sure how the team (Georgia) fared. Correct me if I am wrong, going from memory here.

Pernfors won NCAA titles in 1984 and 1985, after he transferred from a Forida JUCO, where he had won a national JUCO title. He led Georgia to the team championship his senior year (1985).

[andfor]

Originally Posted by bluetrain4

Pernfors won NCAA titles in 1984 and 1985, after he transferred from a Forida JUCO, where he had won a national JUCO title. He led Georgia to the team championship his senior year (1985).

See my post #9 http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...11&postcount=9

[B1G Tennis]

I don't know a ton about his college career, but I do know Arthur Ashe was a three time All-American who won a team and singles championship in 1965 at UCLA. Only a few months after that, he was the hero of the US' Davis Cup win, beating Rafael Osuna (a candidate for this honor in his own right) in the first match of the final. Ashe's Davis Cup teammate from that year was another candidate for this honor, Dennis Ralston. He won three team titles at USC, won doubles twice, and won the Individual Title twice.

I think the 1960s was the last time that truly world class players stayed in college for four years, so I think that the guys who excelled in those years were probably the best.

The only other name I can throw out is Pancho Segura. I know very little about him, although I own some autographed memorabilia of his. What I do know is that he was the last guy to three-peat in singles (he did it during WW2), and that he was considered arguably the best player on Earth in the Early 1950s.

Of the guys I have seen play college, though, Johnson is the clear #1. With his winning streak and the four straight team titles, I think he has to be considered #1. Had he won doubles this year, i'm not sure one could have made a case against him.

[TennisKid1]

Isner should be up there