A dream final tomorrow between the 2 best teams in the country. They both deserve to be here and something has to give. Amherst has been to 3 consecutive finals, but the past 2 times they were up against a superior team. Now, they are up against an equivalent team and need to grind out a win. Something has to give tomorrow and many will remember the epic quarterfinal these 2 teams played last year. Emory swept doubles and ended up losing, and I'm pretty sure that is the only time in the 5 years of the 9-point system that's happened to Emory.
Chris Goodwin's only D3 singles loss in his 3 year career was to Mark Kahan last year. Those 2 will meet tomorrow. Dillon Pottish's only D3 singles loss in his 2 year career was to Austin Chafetz last year. Pottish, Goodwin and Egan are now a combined 43-0 this year in singles play. If all 3 of them win, that means Amherst needs 5 of the 6 remaining matches, a very tall task against an Emory team with a very formidable 1 and 3 doubles team and a not too shabby bottom of the lineup either. Amherst desperately needs 2 of the doubles matches. The other thing that's interesting to me is that Moritz Koenig isn't starting singles. I think it's a questionable to move to bench your senior captain who pretty much single handedly took you to the final last year with 2 ridiculous wins. He would be up against Noah Simonson tomorrow, the same player he beat last year to clinch the match against Emory. No disrespect to Andrew Jung, I just think it's a shocker Koenig is not in the lineup.
If Amherst gets up 2-1, it's anyone's match. But to beat Emory, you have 2 choices: get up in doubles or beat their top 2. Neither of those is easy, but the first is easier. Emory has done a great job winning close doubles matches this year, see the CMS match and today. You can't count on getting down in dubs and then winning 3 through 6 against the Eagles, so Amherst needs to start well and grab the lead.
I like Herst to win at 1 and 2 doubles, and I think Chafetz steps up tomorrow and gets a win against Egan, couple with wins at 4 and 6 to give Amherst the title in a really close 5-3 or 5-4. It really is anyone's match, but doubles is the key for both teams because of the depth and quality of both singles lineups.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
My Picks
I'm going to break down each match the next few days but for now...my picks.
Emory d. Middlebury 5-1
Wash U d. Kenyon 5-1
Amherst d. Trinity (TX) 5-1
CMS d. Williams 5-2
Emory d. Wash U 5-2
Amherst d. CMS 5-3
CMS d. Wash U 5-1
Amherst d. Emory 5-4
Emory d. Middlebury 5-1
Wash U d. Kenyon 5-1
Amherst d. Trinity (TX) 5-1
CMS d. Williams 5-2
Emory d. Wash U 5-2
Amherst d. CMS 5-3
CMS d. Wash U 5-1
Amherst d. Emory 5-4
General Quarterfinal Discussion
In my opinion, four lopsided quarterfinals and three teams who can potentially win it all. A lot of good storylines here, headlined by CMS trying to win the national title on their home court. They have an opener against Williams, which is a team with a very similar make-up to CMS. The Stags just do everything a little bit better than Williams. In the semifinal, potentially awaiting CMS is Amherst, the 2-time defending NCAA runner-up. The Jeffs desperately want that national title and traditionally have played their best tennis in May. In the way for Amherst is Trinity (TX), appearing in their 2nd consecutive Elite 8. They had high expectations entering this season and didn't really meet them, but they find themselves still playing and have a lot of experienced players. On the other half of the bracket, the clear favorite to advance to the championship match is Emory, who enters as the #1 seed and has strung together an undefeated regular season. Their top 3 singles players are undefeated in D3 play and they are very focused on winning their first national title since 2006. They take on defending national champion Middlebury, who only returns 1 starter from last year's team and is very young. They finished 3rd in NESCAC after winning the conference several years in a row. The last quarterfinal pits Wash U against Kenyon, and I don't see either of these teams as a true threat to win the title. Wash U is looking for their 4th consecutive Final 4 appearance and Kenyon is back in the Final 8 after a one-year hiatus.
I think it would be great to see semis between Emory-Wash U and CMS-Amherst. That has the best current rivalry in D3 along with a match between two unbelievable teams. When you look at the top 3, it really is anyone's tournament to win. This will be about who wants it the most and who executes, because talent wise there is not a large difference.
I think it would be great to see semis between Emory-Wash U and CMS-Amherst. That has the best current rivalry in D3 along with a match between two unbelievable teams. When you look at the top 3, it really is anyone's tournament to win. This will be about who wants it the most and who executes, because talent wise there is not a large difference.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Sweet 16 Results and Brief Thoughts
Emory d. NC Wesleyan 5-0
Emory did what they had to do and got through the regional, but at the same time I'm disappointed in NCW's doubles. They were just outclassed in doubles and an interesting stat is the last 5 times they stepped on the court with a top 10 opponent, they are a combined 1-14 in doubles. That's just not going to get it done, no matter how strong your singles play is. They will never get above that 9-12 range playing doubles like this, so their coaches and players have to go back to the drawing board for next season. Obviously they hung with Emory in singles which was a good accomplishment, but no one in the country can come back from a doubles sweep against Emory this year. As a final note, W&L's Will Hall played in the regional semifinal against NCW and won his doubles match, giving W&L it's only point in a 5-1 loss. An unbelievable performance and comeback from Hall. Emory moves on to the Final 8 and is certainly a top 3 favorite, if not the top favorite.
Middlebury d. Bowdoin 5-2
Another case of two even teams and Midd getting the doubles sweep. You can't win after getting swept in doubles and even though Bowdoin played tough in singles, Midd hung on for the win. Certain programs just know how to win no matter who's on their team, and Midd is one of them. Bowdoin has their typical season, as they just can't manage to get over the hump. Steve Sullivan had a fantastic career, but Peters one upped-him in this match and made the score 4-2 instead of 3-3, a very big difference. Coach Barr did a good job with this year's Midd team, although they would need an incredible effort to top Emory. I liked Bowdoin's chances in the round of 16 after they crushed a good MIT team, and I bet the Engineers wish they were put in a different regional. Midd gets the job done to return to their 10th straight Elite 8.
Kenyon d. Mary Wash 5-1
As expected, not too much mystery here. A good win for Mary Wash against Kalamazoo to get them back the the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008, but they just didn't have enough to beat Kenyon. The Lords swept doubles and things were just about over after that. Kevin Ye lost twice for Kenyon which was uncharacteristic, and they can't afford that to happen in the quarterfinal against Wash U. Kenyon was rewarded for their fantastic season with this easy regional and they have a great shot to make their first ever Final 4. On another note, I personally thought Coach Thielke got robbed, as Marty Perry won Central Region Coach of the Year. Thielke did an unbelievable job putting Kenyon as high as #6 this year and I thought he not only deserved regional honors, but also national.
Wash U d. Whitewater 5-1
Wash U was just a little too talented for Whitewater and that showed, although I think the Warhawks should be very proud of what they accomplished in this regional. A win over Whitman and a Sweet 16 appearance was a wonderful accomplishment. They also had to be pleased taking a point from Wash U in doubles. A disappointing end to an interesting season for Whitman, who got their wish to be shipped out of California and didn't take advantage of it. The inability to attract top recruits shows when Whitman plays talented teams, but I feel as though Whitewater is a team they should be beating. I'm not quite sure what happened to them in that match, but I'm sure that had to be a very tough loss. For Wash U to really make a splash in NCAAs, they will need to play great doubles, as their flaws have shown this year. They come in as the 4th seed, but I don't see them as a serious threat to win it all.
Trinity TX d. Chicago 5-2
I criticized the Tigers singles, but this is what got them through to the Final 8, which is exactly where they belong. They had a real war against Gustavus which they were lucky to get through, but that can be expected against a team that fights as hard as the Gusties. I was worried about their singles heading into the Sweet 16 match because they struggled against a Gustavus team that hasn't done much in singles this year. Chicago went down 2-1 in singles against Grinnell, but I attributed that to first time NCAA nerves. They showed their muscles in singles and I liked their chances heading into the regional final after Trinity's grueling match. Seeing Chicago take 2 of 3 doubles against Trinity was a shocker, and I honestly thought they were well on their way to victory after the doubles points. I think Trinity found that will that Chicago didn't have and took it to another level. They were able to use their experience of being there before to propel them to easy wins before Chicago could get on the board. Trinity enters the Final 8 much like last year: with nothing to lose. Chicago has to be happy with their season because this was a step in the right direction.
Amherst d. TCNJ 5-0
Amherst rolls without dropping a point as expected. Not too much else to say. The Jeffs are very focused heading into the Final 8 and have their eyes on the prize. I really like Amherst's chances and I'm sticking with my preseason pick. A great win for TCNJ against Skidmore and it was actually the only 5-4 match all weekend. They got revenge for a loss to Skidmore a couple weeks ago and had to learn a lot after playing Amherst. TCNJ's second Sweet 16 in 4 years and that's a great accomplishment for a program that doesn't get much national attention. Skidmore is up there when it comes to most disappointing teams this season. I thought they had a lot of talent but they were never able to put it all together. They did take back the conference from Vassar, but they have to expect much more from themselves than that.
Williams d. Johns Hopkins 5-0
Hopkins disliked the speed of the indoor courts at Williams, but you have to deal with what's thrown at you and Hopkins couldn't do it in the postseason as usual. Another solid season and poor ending for Hopkins who turns in their usual performance. They didn't just lose in this match, they got crushed. A really good win for Williams to get back to the Final 8. I would like their chances if they weren't playing CMS. The Ephs took care of business and hope to extend their season in a tough environment.
CMS d. Cruz 5-3
Unbelievable stuff from both teams. Cruz took that 2-1 doubles lead as I expected, but CMS used their advantage in talent to come back and win the overall match. Robbie Erani and Alex Johnson were the real heroes today, as they both came back from huge holes to turn the match in the Stags favor. It's the 2nd year in a row when Cruz has blown match points in the regional final. Last year I believe it was a doubles match. The Stags showed a ton of mental toughness and I love their chances at the Final 8 now after this confidence boost. Cruz has to be disappointed with this loss, especially on their home court, now having CMS go to the Final 8 2 years in a row out of the West.
Analysis on the way...
Emory did what they had to do and got through the regional, but at the same time I'm disappointed in NCW's doubles. They were just outclassed in doubles and an interesting stat is the last 5 times they stepped on the court with a top 10 opponent, they are a combined 1-14 in doubles. That's just not going to get it done, no matter how strong your singles play is. They will never get above that 9-12 range playing doubles like this, so their coaches and players have to go back to the drawing board for next season. Obviously they hung with Emory in singles which was a good accomplishment, but no one in the country can come back from a doubles sweep against Emory this year. As a final note, W&L's Will Hall played in the regional semifinal against NCW and won his doubles match, giving W&L it's only point in a 5-1 loss. An unbelievable performance and comeback from Hall. Emory moves on to the Final 8 and is certainly a top 3 favorite, if not the top favorite.
Middlebury d. Bowdoin 5-2
Another case of two even teams and Midd getting the doubles sweep. You can't win after getting swept in doubles and even though Bowdoin played tough in singles, Midd hung on for the win. Certain programs just know how to win no matter who's on their team, and Midd is one of them. Bowdoin has their typical season, as they just can't manage to get over the hump. Steve Sullivan had a fantastic career, but Peters one upped-him in this match and made the score 4-2 instead of 3-3, a very big difference. Coach Barr did a good job with this year's Midd team, although they would need an incredible effort to top Emory. I liked Bowdoin's chances in the round of 16 after they crushed a good MIT team, and I bet the Engineers wish they were put in a different regional. Midd gets the job done to return to their 10th straight Elite 8.
Kenyon d. Mary Wash 5-1
As expected, not too much mystery here. A good win for Mary Wash against Kalamazoo to get them back the the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008, but they just didn't have enough to beat Kenyon. The Lords swept doubles and things were just about over after that. Kevin Ye lost twice for Kenyon which was uncharacteristic, and they can't afford that to happen in the quarterfinal against Wash U. Kenyon was rewarded for their fantastic season with this easy regional and they have a great shot to make their first ever Final 4. On another note, I personally thought Coach Thielke got robbed, as Marty Perry won Central Region Coach of the Year. Thielke did an unbelievable job putting Kenyon as high as #6 this year and I thought he not only deserved regional honors, but also national.
Wash U d. Whitewater 5-1
Wash U was just a little too talented for Whitewater and that showed, although I think the Warhawks should be very proud of what they accomplished in this regional. A win over Whitman and a Sweet 16 appearance was a wonderful accomplishment. They also had to be pleased taking a point from Wash U in doubles. A disappointing end to an interesting season for Whitman, who got their wish to be shipped out of California and didn't take advantage of it. The inability to attract top recruits shows when Whitman plays talented teams, but I feel as though Whitewater is a team they should be beating. I'm not quite sure what happened to them in that match, but I'm sure that had to be a very tough loss. For Wash U to really make a splash in NCAAs, they will need to play great doubles, as their flaws have shown this year. They come in as the 4th seed, but I don't see them as a serious threat to win it all.
Trinity TX d. Chicago 5-2
I criticized the Tigers singles, but this is what got them through to the Final 8, which is exactly where they belong. They had a real war against Gustavus which they were lucky to get through, but that can be expected against a team that fights as hard as the Gusties. I was worried about their singles heading into the Sweet 16 match because they struggled against a Gustavus team that hasn't done much in singles this year. Chicago went down 2-1 in singles against Grinnell, but I attributed that to first time NCAA nerves. They showed their muscles in singles and I liked their chances heading into the regional final after Trinity's grueling match. Seeing Chicago take 2 of 3 doubles against Trinity was a shocker, and I honestly thought they were well on their way to victory after the doubles points. I think Trinity found that will that Chicago didn't have and took it to another level. They were able to use their experience of being there before to propel them to easy wins before Chicago could get on the board. Trinity enters the Final 8 much like last year: with nothing to lose. Chicago has to be happy with their season because this was a step in the right direction.
Amherst d. TCNJ 5-0
Amherst rolls without dropping a point as expected. Not too much else to say. The Jeffs are very focused heading into the Final 8 and have their eyes on the prize. I really like Amherst's chances and I'm sticking with my preseason pick. A great win for TCNJ against Skidmore and it was actually the only 5-4 match all weekend. They got revenge for a loss to Skidmore a couple weeks ago and had to learn a lot after playing Amherst. TCNJ's second Sweet 16 in 4 years and that's a great accomplishment for a program that doesn't get much national attention. Skidmore is up there when it comes to most disappointing teams this season. I thought they had a lot of talent but they were never able to put it all together. They did take back the conference from Vassar, but they have to expect much more from themselves than that.
Williams d. Johns Hopkins 5-0
Hopkins disliked the speed of the indoor courts at Williams, but you have to deal with what's thrown at you and Hopkins couldn't do it in the postseason as usual. Another solid season and poor ending for Hopkins who turns in their usual performance. They didn't just lose in this match, they got crushed. A really good win for Williams to get back to the Final 8. I would like their chances if they weren't playing CMS. The Ephs took care of business and hope to extend their season in a tough environment.
CMS d. Cruz 5-3
Unbelievable stuff from both teams. Cruz took that 2-1 doubles lead as I expected, but CMS used their advantage in talent to come back and win the overall match. Robbie Erani and Alex Johnson were the real heroes today, as they both came back from huge holes to turn the match in the Stags favor. It's the 2nd year in a row when Cruz has blown match points in the regional final. Last year I believe it was a doubles match. The Stags showed a ton of mental toughness and I love their chances at the Final 8 now after this confidence boost. Cruz has to be disappointed with this loss, especially on their home court, now having CMS go to the Final 8 2 years in a row out of the West.
Analysis on the way...
Saturday, May 14, 2011
NCAA Updates
Emory d. Grove City 5-0
NCW d. W&L 5-1
Bowdoin d. MIT 5-0
Midd d. Stevens 5-1
Kenyon d. Ohio Northern 5-1
Mary Wash d. Kzoo 5-1
Wash U d. Luther 5-0
Whitewater d. Whitman 5-2
Amherst d. Roger Williams 5-0
TCNJ d. Skidmore 5-4
Chicago d. Grinnell 5-2
Trinity (TX) d. GAC 5-3
CMS d. Cruz 5-3
Williams d. Farmingdale 5-0
Hopkins d. Vassar 5-1
NCW d. W&L 5-1
Bowdoin d. MIT 5-0
Midd d. Stevens 5-1
Kenyon d. Ohio Northern 5-1
Mary Wash d. Kzoo 5-1
Wash U d. Luther 5-0
Whitewater d. Whitman 5-2
Amherst d. Roger Williams 5-0
TCNJ d. Skidmore 5-4
Chicago d. Grinnell 5-2
Trinity (TX) d. GAC 5-3
CMS d. Cruz 5-3
Williams d. Farmingdale 5-0
Hopkins d. Vassar 5-1
Friday, May 13, 2011
Regional Preview: Cruz
The one thing Cruz cannot do is overlook Pomona-Pitzer. I think they are too well-coached to do that though, so I like the Slugs to take care of business fairly comfortable. An amazing season for the Hens, but as usual I think this is going to be about Cruz and CMS. On CMS’ side of the bracket, Tyler can play as shown by their win against Whitman, but they don’t have the personnel to win more than a match against CMS. The showdown on Saturday should be a great one.
The shocking thing about Cruz’s win against CMS during the regular season was not that they won, but they did so after being down 2-1. I don’t see that happening again, especially with Erani back in the lineup for the Stags. I like 1 to Cruz and 2 to CMS, and that 3 doubles match will be a huge swing point. Singles is just about even with the exception of a CMS edge at 6. These 2 have played some fantastic matches throughout the years and I expect another one, but I can’t remember a time when the Stags won against Cruz on the road. On paper, I think it’s clear that CMS is the better team, but coaching and home court can’t really be measured and my gut tells me that Pybas and Koenig feed off the home court energy and put the team on their backs in this one. I really like their chances of getting 4 points for their team and I don’t normally pick against “the better team,” but I’m going to do it here. Cruz has had a lot of great players, but Pybas has to be up there with the best and I’m sure he wants to go out in style. CMS desperately wants a shot at the national title on their home courts, but knowing these 2 programs, I feel like UCSC just has that ability to dig deeper. They know how to win grinding matches and that’s exactly what this is going to be. I’ll go with Cruz 5-4 in an instant classic.
The shocking thing about Cruz’s win against CMS during the regular season was not that they won, but they did so after being down 2-1. I don’t see that happening again, especially with Erani back in the lineup for the Stags. I like 1 to Cruz and 2 to CMS, and that 3 doubles match will be a huge swing point. Singles is just about even with the exception of a CMS edge at 6. These 2 have played some fantastic matches throughout the years and I expect another one, but I can’t remember a time when the Stags won against Cruz on the road. On paper, I think it’s clear that CMS is the better team, but coaching and home court can’t really be measured and my gut tells me that Pybas and Koenig feed off the home court energy and put the team on their backs in this one. I really like their chances of getting 4 points for their team and I don’t normally pick against “the better team,” but I’m going to do it here. Cruz has had a lot of great players, but Pybas has to be up there with the best and I’m sure he wants to go out in style. CMS desperately wants a shot at the national title on their home courts, but knowing these 2 programs, I feel like UCSC just has that ability to dig deeper. They know how to win grinding matches and that’s exactly what this is going to be. I’ll go with Cruz 5-4 in an instant classic.
Regional Preview: Williams
To me, this regional is the one to watch. Vassar had an okay season and I think their result against Hopkins will be similar to when the 2 teams played in early March. Hopkins wins 5-0 and may be tested in one of the doubles matches. Williams will post a similar result in their round of 32 setting up a blockbuster Sweet 16 match.
Both teams have very similar make-ups and that’s why I think this will be so interesting. The story here is about who can get over the hump mentally. Williams has a young coach who has done this as a player, but this is a very different spot compared to where they were last year. Last year, they slipped in the beginning of the season and that cost them an NCAA seeding, so they had to go on the road as an underdog and played Amherst tough before losing. This year they come in as the host and the favorite, but no one on the team has won a match of this magnitude before. They have to draw confidence from the Midd match in the NESCAC semifinal, but the Ephs haven’t exactly been super consistent this year. Again, I think there’s a lot of pressure on Dan Greenberg to produce after falling short last year. Honestly, I question the ability of both coaches to prepare their teams mentally for a match like this. It’s one thing if your team is significantly more talented and just has to go out and win, but these 2 are pretty much dead even. I think Hopkins has an edge in doubles, but Williams may have an edge deep in the singles lineup. Both teams are deep and good, but not incredible, at the top. Hopkins has to get over last year’s debacle as well as the TCNJ loss in 2008 which some of their guys remember very well. That’s not easy to do against a team like Williams on the road. I can’t bring myself to pick in favor of Hopkins in the tournament with their track record, so I’m going with Hopkins up 2-1 after doubles and Williams ends up winning 5-4 in a match that goes deep into the 3rd set. It’s going to be about who is mentally tougher and who wants it more.
Both teams have very similar make-ups and that’s why I think this will be so interesting. The story here is about who can get over the hump mentally. Williams has a young coach who has done this as a player, but this is a very different spot compared to where they were last year. Last year, they slipped in the beginning of the season and that cost them an NCAA seeding, so they had to go on the road as an underdog and played Amherst tough before losing. This year they come in as the host and the favorite, but no one on the team has won a match of this magnitude before. They have to draw confidence from the Midd match in the NESCAC semifinal, but the Ephs haven’t exactly been super consistent this year. Again, I think there’s a lot of pressure on Dan Greenberg to produce after falling short last year. Honestly, I question the ability of both coaches to prepare their teams mentally for a match like this. It’s one thing if your team is significantly more talented and just has to go out and win, but these 2 are pretty much dead even. I think Hopkins has an edge in doubles, but Williams may have an edge deep in the singles lineup. Both teams are deep and good, but not incredible, at the top. Hopkins has to get over last year’s debacle as well as the TCNJ loss in 2008 which some of their guys remember very well. That’s not easy to do against a team like Williams on the road. I can’t bring myself to pick in favor of Hopkins in the tournament with their track record, so I’m going with Hopkins up 2-1 after doubles and Williams ends up winning 5-4 in a match that goes deep into the 3rd set. It’s going to be about who is mentally tougher and who wants it more.
Regional Preview: Washington & Lee
I see W&L as a non-entity here. They are the hosts and they made the Sweet 16 last year, but I don’t see them as a serious threat. They lost one of their top players to injury and recently lost 6-3 against an unranked Oglethorpe team. NCW wins 5-0 or 5-1. The regional final should be a good one. Both teams aren’t happy about this match, especially Emory, who put together an undefeated D3 season so they could drive 8 hours and take on one of the toughest regional #2 seeds in the tournament. The good thing for the Eagles is I think they match up well against NCW. If you are going to beat Emory, you’ve got to get up in doubles or crack their top 2, and I don’t know if NCW has the capability to do either of those things. It takes a great 3 doubles team to beat Pottish/Egan and combine that with Emory’s top 2 and you have NCW needing to win 5 of the 6 remaining matches.
There’s a reason Emory’s 1 through 3 singles players are 37-0 this season and they will show that this weekend. NC Wes should come in confident because they are a good and dangerous team who could knock off some of the regional top seeds on a good day, but this is the top team in the country we are talking about. You have so little margin for error against Emory, and in the past when NCW has run into a top tier team, it hasn’t been pretty. One thing the Bishops can draw positives from is a 5-3 Sweet 16 match against Emory in 2009 that was very close. NCW will need to play inspired tennis to win this one and they may have to get a little lucky. I think they can take a doubles match and they are competitive at the 3 through 6 spots, but as I’ve said before, being competitive and winning are very different. I’ve talked about Emory’s focus all season and now is when they take it up a notch. I’m taking Emory 5-2 to advance to the Final 8.
There’s a reason Emory’s 1 through 3 singles players are 37-0 this season and they will show that this weekend. NC Wes should come in confident because they are a good and dangerous team who could knock off some of the regional top seeds on a good day, but this is the top team in the country we are talking about. You have so little margin for error against Emory, and in the past when NCW has run into a top tier team, it hasn’t been pretty. One thing the Bishops can draw positives from is a 5-3 Sweet 16 match against Emory in 2009 that was very close. NCW will need to play inspired tennis to win this one and they may have to get a little lucky. I think they can take a doubles match and they are competitive at the 3 through 6 spots, but as I’ve said before, being competitive and winning are very different. I’ve talked about Emory’s focus all season and now is when they take it up a notch. I’m taking Emory 5-2 to advance to the Final 8.
Regional Preview: Middlebury
Midd is looking for their 9th consecutive Elite 8, Bowdoin is looking to avoid the typical Bowdoin performance and MIT is looking for a breakthrough that is within reach. To begin, 2 solid New Jersey teams and an interesting story with MIT’s opponent, Hunter College.
Drew and Stevens face off for the right to play Middlebury and these are 2 teams who consistently win their conference and qualify for the tournament They always seem to be floating around the Northeast regions as 4th or 5th seeds, so a match win for either of them would be a good accomplishment for the programs. I don’t think either could pose any sort of threat to Middlebury. I’m pretty unfamiliar with both of these teams so I won’t make a prediction, but I will say Midd wins 5-0 in the round of 32. The best player in this region most likely plays for the 6th seed, Hunter. I was doing my research and noticed a familiar name in Yevgeny Perepelov as Hunter’s top player. Perepelov was a former top Eastern junior who won several matches at the Kalamazoo nationals and reached a Tennisrecruiting ranking of 27 in his class. I believe he took 3-4 years off and competed on the Futures circuit, and he is currently listed as a sophomore at Hunter. He hasn’t lost a match this year, so I’ll be interested to see how he does against MIT’s top player. Hunter doesn’t have much after him so I’ll go with the Engineers in a 5-0 win.
I’m assuming the committee placed MIT in this region rather than Amherst’s with the thought that they would rather be the 3 seed in the #8 overall team’s region versus the #2 seed in the #3 overall team’s region. Either way, Bowdoin is going to have their hands full with MIT. In the regular season match, the score was tied 4-4 and MIT led 5-1 in the 3rd set at #6 singles before Bowdoin came back to win. Granted, the Polar Bears were playing short handed that day and they are now back to full strength, but this is going to be a really good match. If MIT can get up in doubles, anything can happen, but I think Bowdoin is playing well right now and I like them to win 5-2.
Bowdoin’s typical season is to finish about where they did this year, qualify for the tournament and then lose to their regional top seed in the Sweet 16. Since Bowdoin’s NESCAC title run in 2008, they have not knocked off a top-notch team. They beat people below them and lose to teams above them. They are always dangerous, but they never seem to break through and make a Final 8. This is a great opportunity. Midd is fairly inexperienced, however they did beat Bowdoin in what I consider a comfortable 5-4 win during the season. Midd has done what they were supposed to do this season, but they are susceptible to an upset. Bowdoin has the firepower to take on the Panthers and I’m surprised more people in the poll haven’t picked Bowdoin. Bowdoin has the experience edge here, but I can’t pick them due to the track records of these teams. I’ll take Midd in a 5-3 win that goes down to the wire.
Drew and Stevens face off for the right to play Middlebury and these are 2 teams who consistently win their conference and qualify for the tournament They always seem to be floating around the Northeast regions as 4th or 5th seeds, so a match win for either of them would be a good accomplishment for the programs. I don’t think either could pose any sort of threat to Middlebury. I’m pretty unfamiliar with both of these teams so I won’t make a prediction, but I will say Midd wins 5-0 in the round of 32. The best player in this region most likely plays for the 6th seed, Hunter. I was doing my research and noticed a familiar name in Yevgeny Perepelov as Hunter’s top player. Perepelov was a former top Eastern junior who won several matches at the Kalamazoo nationals and reached a Tennisrecruiting ranking of 27 in his class. I believe he took 3-4 years off and competed on the Futures circuit, and he is currently listed as a sophomore at Hunter. He hasn’t lost a match this year, so I’ll be interested to see how he does against MIT’s top player. Hunter doesn’t have much after him so I’ll go with the Engineers in a 5-0 win.
I’m assuming the committee placed MIT in this region rather than Amherst’s with the thought that they would rather be the 3 seed in the #8 overall team’s region versus the #2 seed in the #3 overall team’s region. Either way, Bowdoin is going to have their hands full with MIT. In the regular season match, the score was tied 4-4 and MIT led 5-1 in the 3rd set at #6 singles before Bowdoin came back to win. Granted, the Polar Bears were playing short handed that day and they are now back to full strength, but this is going to be a really good match. If MIT can get up in doubles, anything can happen, but I think Bowdoin is playing well right now and I like them to win 5-2.
Bowdoin’s typical season is to finish about where they did this year, qualify for the tournament and then lose to their regional top seed in the Sweet 16. Since Bowdoin’s NESCAC title run in 2008, they have not knocked off a top-notch team. They beat people below them and lose to teams above them. They are always dangerous, but they never seem to break through and make a Final 8. This is a great opportunity. Midd is fairly inexperienced, however they did beat Bowdoin in what I consider a comfortable 5-4 win during the season. Midd has done what they were supposed to do this season, but they are susceptible to an upset. Bowdoin has the firepower to take on the Panthers and I’m surprised more people in the poll haven’t picked Bowdoin. Bowdoin has the experience edge here, but I can’t pick them due to the track records of these teams. I’ll take Midd in a 5-3 win that goes down to the wire.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Regional Preview: Wash U
Some interesting matches in this region, but obviously Wash U is the heavy favorite. An interesting note is that 4 of the 6 teams begin with W. Just thought that was a little funny.
I think Whitewater wins their first round easily. The other first round is an interesting match. Earlham ended Transylvania's 8 year streak of conference titles and is a team on the rise. They take on Luther, who won their 5th consecutive conference title and has previous NCAA experience. Luther's coach is in his last year, so they will definitely be playing for him. The Norse had what I consider a disappointing NCAA result last year also in St. Louis, when they lost to Kalamazoo 5-1 in a match that I thought was winnable for them. I'm sure they will have some built up fire after that result and take out Earlham by a 5-1 score.
Luther has the potential to give Wash U a hard time at some spots, but I think the Bears re-focused after getting destroyed by Emory in the UAA Final. They just crushed a very solid DePauw team and are looking to make a 4th consecutive run to the Final 4. Luther will give a great effort and make the Bears work, but I don't see them getting a match. Wash U will win 5-0 and advance to the round of 16. The Whitman-Whitewater contest is interesting. Whitman is up and down. They have a win over Trinity and loss to Tyler this season, and those happened within 5 days of each other. WC has a lot of talent on their team and is always a tough team to play. Whitewater beat Kalamazoo this year and gave Chicago a hard time. Both of those were early in the season and they haven't done a whole lot since. Even though they haven't had great results, Whitewater is a tough team and will make Whitman work for every match. The Whitties should be a little too solid and I see them beating Whitewater 5-3 in a match that features very close doubles matches and a couple 3-setters in singles.
Whitman has the personnel to play with Wash U, but winning matches and being close are 2 very different propositions. Wash U's whole team played NCAAs last year, and they remember their struggles in their round of 16 match against Kalamazoo when they went down 2-1 after doubles. Wash U is not a team that gives away anything, and as I said previously, I think the UAA loss to Emory really motivated them to get better. Whitman will hang, but they won't win. Both teams have solid doubles lineups and 2 of the 3 spots will probably come down to a few points here or there. I like Wash U to win those on their home court though. Whitman has solid players at the top of their lineup and this is also where Wash U is beatable. The Bears depth will pay off though and lead them to a victory. I expect a somewhat similar result to Whitman's match with Kenyon earlier this year. 5-1 Wash U and they advance to the quarterfinals.
I think Whitewater wins their first round easily. The other first round is an interesting match. Earlham ended Transylvania's 8 year streak of conference titles and is a team on the rise. They take on Luther, who won their 5th consecutive conference title and has previous NCAA experience. Luther's coach is in his last year, so they will definitely be playing for him. The Norse had what I consider a disappointing NCAA result last year also in St. Louis, when they lost to Kalamazoo 5-1 in a match that I thought was winnable for them. I'm sure they will have some built up fire after that result and take out Earlham by a 5-1 score.
Luther has the potential to give Wash U a hard time at some spots, but I think the Bears re-focused after getting destroyed by Emory in the UAA Final. They just crushed a very solid DePauw team and are looking to make a 4th consecutive run to the Final 4. Luther will give a great effort and make the Bears work, but I don't see them getting a match. Wash U will win 5-0 and advance to the round of 16. The Whitman-Whitewater contest is interesting. Whitman is up and down. They have a win over Trinity and loss to Tyler this season, and those happened within 5 days of each other. WC has a lot of talent on their team and is always a tough team to play. Whitewater beat Kalamazoo this year and gave Chicago a hard time. Both of those were early in the season and they haven't done a whole lot since. Even though they haven't had great results, Whitewater is a tough team and will make Whitman work for every match. The Whitties should be a little too solid and I see them beating Whitewater 5-3 in a match that features very close doubles matches and a couple 3-setters in singles.
Whitman has the personnel to play with Wash U, but winning matches and being close are 2 very different propositions. Wash U's whole team played NCAAs last year, and they remember their struggles in their round of 16 match against Kalamazoo when they went down 2-1 after doubles. Wash U is not a team that gives away anything, and as I said previously, I think the UAA loss to Emory really motivated them to get better. Whitman will hang, but they won't win. Both teams have solid doubles lineups and 2 of the 3 spots will probably come down to a few points here or there. I like Wash U to win those on their home court though. Whitman has solid players at the top of their lineup and this is also where Wash U is beatable. The Bears depth will pay off though and lead them to a victory. I expect a somewhat similar result to Whitman's match with Kenyon earlier this year. 5-1 Wash U and they advance to the quarterfinals.
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