The new season is upon us, which means a new set of upsets, nail-biters, and, most importantly, freshmen. A few months ago, I wrote an article for the Tennis Recruiting Network (TRN) describing the impact of recruiting at the D-III level and how the caliber of recruits is at an all-time high. Today, I want to dive into some of those specific recruits – now freshmen – with the ability to make an impact not just on their respective squads but on the national stage during their rookie campaigns.
Before we dive into the list, I want to make something clear: This article is not meant to predict who will have success throughout their four years in college, so please do not feel slighted if you, your son, or your friend is not on here. This list is meant to feature freshmen that had stellar junior careers and could make an immediate impact their first seasons in college. However, as several coaches pointed out in my aforementioned TRN article, juniors success does not necessarily translate into college, and there are many ‘lower-rated’ freshmen that will end up having superb careers. For example, if I was writing this article four years ago, I’m positive that 3-star recruits Skyler Butts and Sam Geier would not have been featured, but look at how stellar their collegiate careers were!
On that note, there are some coaches that do not list all their commits/incoming freshmen on TRN, and because most team websites as well as rosters are not updated at this point, I may very well have missed one or two players with very successful junior careers. In fact, I found out about a superb incoming player the day before this article was published. Find out who that player is at the end of this article.
Moving along, this post makes use of Universal Tennis Ratings (UTRs) and Tennis Recruiting Network (TRN) rankings and ratings. While most of you have a good grasp of TRN rankings and ratings, UTR is a newer system. To learn more about it, visit https://universaltennis.com/about. As a simple guide, take a look at the UTRs of some of the top 2016 D-III players at the time of NCAAs in May:
| 13.26 | Noah Farrell |
| 13.05 | Rafe Mosetick |
| 13.04 | Skyler Butts |
| 12.71 | CJ Krimbill |
| 12.68 | Sam Geier |
| 12.45 | Branden Metzler |
| 12.25 | Abhishek Alla |
Without further ado, let’s meet the freshmen.
15 Freshmen to Watch This Season (in Alphabetical Order)
Jake Berber, CMS
2016 TRN High: 149
UTR: 11.64
Summary: If you only consider Berber’s UTR and TRN ratings, you’re probably surprised that the incoming Stag from Texas made this list. However, his nominator is someone I trust, and told me that Berber would be a surprise starter for the Stags. Recently, the incoming CMS player has struggled a bit, having suffered several losses in 2016 to players with UTRs in the 10.50-12.00 range. But, he does have some nice wins against players in the higher 11 to lower 12 range. Looking back a few years, Berber was impressive in doubles at the USTA National Boys Championships in Kalamazoo. In 2014, he reached the quarterfinal round in the Boys 16 age group, and in 2015, he reached the third round before falling to Taylor Fritz/Reilly Opelka. But, Berber’s doubles strength isn’t only applicable to the past. At the prestigious Capsher Texas Grand Slam, the incoming Stag reached the semifinal. In fact, Berber has reached three semifinals in doubles this year. Given some of CMS’ recent doubles struggles, the Texan has a good chance of cracking the doubles lineup. It will be a little tough to make the singles lineup, however, given CMS’ depth and strength of other commits. Ultimately, Berber may be a wild card for this list, and perhaps I put a little too much faith in his nominator, but hopefully, he makes me look smart by season’s end.
Oscar Burney, Amherst
2016 TRN High: 84
UTR: 12.56
Summary: Oscar Burney is the reason I’m so glad I asked for nominations. For some odd reason, I missed him in my original list. Luckily, someone nominated him, I did my research, and here he is. Burney is one of four – yes, four – incoming Amherst players in my 15, so it’s easy to see why Amherst had the top-rated recruiting class in D-III this year. The Washington native is a proven singles player. His most notable result came just a couple months ago when Burney had match points against UNC’s Ronnie Schneider (UTR: 13.90, Ranked #23 in D-I) but barely fell 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (12). Three of Burney’s four losses in 2016 have been to very solid D-I players while he knocked off players with UTRs in the mid 12s en route to a Seattle City Open title in February. The 2016 Washington state 3A doubles and 2015 singles champ looks to use his big serve and powerful groundstrokes for important Ws this season.
Sebastian Castillo, RPI
2016 TRN High: 81
UTR: 12.35
Summary: RPI could be me making some noise on the national stage the next few years with this incoming class – ranked the 6th best in D-III by TRN. And Castillo is the most accomplished out of the group; frankly, he may be the most accomplished recruit RPI ever secured. The incoming freshman boasts a solid 10-3 record against 4-stars. Though he hasn’t really upset anyone in the past year, Castillo hasn’t lost to anyone with a UTR under a 12 recently. The Engineer is someone that could make a huge impact in helping RPI contest Skidmore for the Liberty League title.
Victor Cheng, MIT
2016 TRN High: 61
UTR: 12.36
Summary: I’m circling MIT as a team to watch this season, and Victor Cheng is someone who I believe will make an immediate impact. For the past four years, the California native has been hovering around the 5-star/4-star border. When considering his UTR profile, it appears as if Cheng does not steer clear of tournaments with top competitors. While he holds a 22-13 singles record this year, 10 of those losses were to players with UTRs above 12.50. Even so, Cheng posted some huge wins. In January, he defeated Indiana commit Zac Brodney (2016 TRN High: 62, UTR: 12.82) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Just as impressively, at the Newport Beach Bowl ITF, Cheng ousted the 5-seed Caleb Chakravarthi (2017 Illinois commit, 2016 TRN High: 29, UTR: 12.70) 7-5, 6-2. While the California native could crack the doubles lineup, it appears as if he has mainly focused on singles, only playing one doubles match this year according to his USTA profile. Right now, the Engineers have a reliable singles lineup at the top led by Alex Cauneac, Tyler Barr, and Sean Ko. If Cheng emulates his juniors’ success into college, MIT could surprise many this year.
Jayson Fung, Amherst
2016 TRN High: 54
UTR: 12.26
Summary: Jayson Fung is no stranger to the national stage, having qualified for the USTA National Boys Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 2014 and 2015. As the second of four Amherst players on this list, Fung is someone looked at to turn the team around. This past year, he helped guide his high school program (St. Ignatius, San Francisco) to its first ever Central Coast Section (CCS) title. Individually, some of his best results in the past year occurred at the USTA Winter National Championships. Advancing to the round of 32, Fung impressively defeated Robert Krill (Wisconsin 2017 commit, 2016 TRN High: 53, UTR: 13.02) 6-4, 6-4. Since then, he’s played in a bunch of men’s opens, and while Fung’s fallen early in each, the experience against top level players will be invaluable for his transition to collegiate tennis. Interestingly, Fung teamed up with another Amherst incoming freshman, Gabriel Owens, for the US Open National Playoffs Nor Cal Section and fell to former world No. 88 doubles player Brian Battistone and his brother Dann 6-2, 7-5. Fung should be an integral part of what looks to be a rejuvenated Amherst squad
Erik Kerrigan, Chicago
2016 TRN High: 42
UTR: 12.60
Summary: Erik Kerrigan’s junior career has ended on a very high note. At the USTA National Boys Championships in Kalamazoo last month, the incoming Maroon defeated CMS’ top commit Nikolai Parodi and Illinois commit Kristopher Ortega (2016 TRN High: 47, UTR: 12.33), but his most noteworthy victory came against Stanford commit William Genesen (2016 TRN High: 4, UTR: 13.06). Despite Kerrigan’s success in Kalamazoo, I would venture to say his most impressive tournament came a couple months earlier – the Capsher Texas Grand Slam. En route to a second place finish, the Austin native defeated Louisville commit Parker Wynn (2016 TRN High: 7, UTR: 13.17) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the quarters and incoming Princeton player Payton Holden (2016 TRN High: 29, UTR: 13.25) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in the semis. Kerrigan’s success is not only limited to singles. If I did my math correctly, it looks like the incoming Maroon is 19-1 in doubles in 2016, capturing titles at the Capsher Texas Grand Slam and the San Antonio Super Championship Level 3, while going undefeated at the USTA Boys 18s National Team Championship. If Kerrigan can emulate some of these results as a Maroon, watch out.
Ninan Kumar, Chicago
2016 TRN High: 50
UTR: 12.46 (42% Reliability)
Summary: In a feature about his incoming freshmen class, Chicago Head Coach Jay Tee was quoted as saying this about Ninan Kumar: “Ninan is perhaps the most decorated recruit in the history of UChicago Tennis. He has tremendous experience playing, and winning, at all levels and against the best competition the U.S. has to offer…He should make an immediate impact at the top of both our singles and doubles lineups.” That should get Maroon fans excited. Throughout the past few months in doubles, the Florida native claimed the silver ball at the USTA National Men’s Open Clay Court Championships followed with titles at the Lake Cane Orlando Hard Court tournament, the Disney Summer Classic Florida Tennis Tournament (FTT), and the #OrlandoUnited Doubles Tennis Charity Tournament. Kumar’s performance at the #OrlandoUnited Tournament was featured by the UAA’s website because the Maroon teamed up with a special needs woman to earn the top prize. He also took care of business while in high school, winning the Florida state doubles championship as a senior. In singles, he’s consistently been a 5-star, top-50 player according to TRN for the past four years but doesn’t have too many results in 2016. This year, Kumar has gone toe-to-toe with Stephen Watson (UTR 13.44 – 17% reliability), falling 6-1, 3-6, 1-0 (4) and Danny Riggs (UTR: 12.42, Division II All-American), falling 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (3). Looking back, he finished 2nd in the state tournament in 2015 while also being named the Orlando Sentinel 2015 boys tennis player of the year – impressive given Florida’s reputation as one of the top tennis states in the country. Kumar brings his quick hands to the Windy City in hopes of helping the Maroons get over the NCAA semifinal hump.
Joshua Marchalik, Amherst
2016 TRN High: 27
UTR: 12.51
Summary: Joshua Marchalik may be the most widely touted incoming freshman for Amherst – TRNs top D-III recruiting school class of 2016. Sure, his 2016 TRN high and UTR are impressive, but some of his results are unreal. In a USTA National Selection Tournament a few months ago, Marchalik ousted incoming Notre Dame player Matthew Gamble (2016 TRN High: 10, UTR 13.04) 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. More recently, he had the second longest run at the USTA National Boys Championships in Kalamazoo out of all D-III commits, making it to the third round feed-in. A big reason why I’m so high on Marchalik is his ability to defeat who he is supposed to. Glancing at his UTR profile, the New Jersey native’s worst loss of 2016 came at the hands of incoming Furman player Jake Bhangia (2016 TRN High: 105, UTR 12.22). But, the UTRs of some of the players he’s beaten in 2016 include 12.15, 12.13, 13.04, and 12.37. It seems as if the 2015 New Jersey state champ is on his way to being a staple in the Amherst lineup, maybe even towards the top.
Nathan Niemiec, Tufts
2016 TRN High: 72
UTR: 12.57
Summary: Nathan Niemiec could be well on his way to making big contributions for the Jumbos. Fun fact: Niemiec originally committed to Boston College, so Tufts got a good deal. The incoming Jumbo made the most of his time at the USTA National Winter Championships, despite an unlucky draw. In the first round, the Arizona native faced rising high school senior and 17-seed Keegan Smith (2016 TRN High: 9, UTR: 13.83), going the distance but falling 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Niemiec quickly bounced back, defeating rising high school senior Jayman Jhattu (2016 TRN High: 81, UTR: 11.79) 6-0, 2-6, 10-8 and another 17-seed Yash Parikh (2016 TRN High: 101, UTR: 12.54) 6-3, 6-2. His ability to compete with the best was also evident at the US Open National Playoff Southwest Sectional. There, Niemiec advanced to the quarterfinal before falling in a tight three sets to former Middle Tennessee standout Ettore Zito (UTR: 13.40). Given these results, his solid 6-2 record against 4-stars, and the fact that Niemiec has not lost to anyone with a UTR under 12.50 in 2016, it’s easy to see why he could make some noise not only at Tufts but on the national stage.
Gabriel Owens, Amherst
2016 TRN High: 42
UTR: 12.64
Summary: Gabriel Owens is one of the few players on my original list that was also nominated. His nominator writes: “I played him a few times, and he’s got a big forehand and is a really good guy. I could see him doing big things in D3.” Strong, positive words from an opponent. The incoming Amherst freshman capped off an impressive high school career with the 2016 Central Coast Section singles title, even though he missed a lot of the season due to a back injury in January. Prior to his injury, Owens had a superb junior career. In 2015 in singles, he took third place at the Johnson Ranch Junior Age Division Singles Championships, won the consolation championship at the NorCal Junior Singles Excellence, won the Natomas Junior Super Series, and took the title at the NorCal 18s & 16s Junior Fall Singles Sectional Championships. So, Owens is no stranger to winning. Since his injury in early 2016, Owens’ few results are promising. In a USTA National Selection Tournament in late May, he took out incoming Tulane player Jonathan Star (2016 TRN High: 34, UTR: 12.75) 7-6 (6), 6-1. Then, in the USTA National Championships in Kalamazoo, Owens went toe-to-toe with incoming Ohio State player Joseph Thomas (2016 TRN High: 8, UTR: 12.96), falling 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Obviously, his back isn’t hindering his performances, and he could very well start toward the top of Amherst’s lineup. He thinks so, at least. In an article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Owens was quoted as saying, “I’m going to probably be able to play high on the team. And it will be fun because we’ll have a chance at a national championship.” Great to see such confidence from a freshman; in my opinion, that’s the confidence necessary to contend for a national title.
Nikolai Parodi, CMS
2016 TRN High: 36
UTR: 12.49
Summary: Nikolai Parodi does not shy away from competition. In 2016 alone, the incoming Stag has participated in 11 tournaments. So, let’s dissect his performances. The first tournament of the year came with success, as Parodi captured third place at the USTA/MAS Championship Super 700 (L3). Along the way, he bested incoming Brown player Jacob Walker (2016 TRN High: 56, UTR: 12.49) 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(5). He managed to defeat Walker again just two short months later en route to a second place at the USTA/MAS Championship Super 660 (L4+). Interestingly, Parodi is one of only a few D-III players to have competed in ITF junior tournaments. While he typically bows out early, given the strength of opponents, the incoming Stag holds an ITF junior ranking of 1,392, with his career high at 815. For a shorter guy, Parodi has a big game, which is part of the reason success has come on the junior level. Some of his most notable results in 2016 include defeating Arkansas rising senior Johan den Toom (UTR: 12.75), rising high school senior Alexis Alvarez Varas (2016 TRN High: 60, UTR: 12.77), and rising high school senior Andrew Whitehouse (2016 TRN High: 67, UTR: 12.43). In the USTA National Championships in Kalamazoo last month, the incoming Stag faced another player on this list, incoming Chicago player Erik Kerrigan. After a 6-4, 6-4 loss, Parodi was so close to edging out 2017 Dartmouth commit Peter Conklin (2016 TRN High: 42, UTR: 12.96) but fell in a super breaker. Impressively, only 2 of his 11 losses in 2016 came at the hands of opponents with UTRs under 12.50. Warren Wood and Skyler Butts have recently won national singles titles for the Stags. Could Parodi be next?
Jordan Pitts, Trinity (TX)
2016 TRN High: 125
UTR: 12.28
Summary: Jordan Pitts has risen through the ranks throughout the past year. His 2015 TRN high was 215, while in 2016, it was 125. Given last year’s dip, Pitts is only listed as a 3-star recruit. His most impressive result of 2016 came at the Austin TA Super Champ Excellence where he defeated rising high school sophomore Kevin Zhu (2016 TRN High: 2, UTR: 13.23) on his way to a second place finish. The incoming Tiger ran deep at the Capsher Texas Grand Slam as well. After cruising through the first three rounds, Pitts routinely defeated recent high school graduate Alejandro Hayen (2016 TRN High: 46, UTR: 12.33). The Grand Slam ended for Pitts in the consolation quarterfinal, but the finish is nothing to cry about. Two months later, the Texas native was one of only a few 3-stars to participate at the USTA National Championships in Kalamazoo. Rumor has it that Pitts was up in his first round to rising high school senior Alex Mascioli (2016 TRN High: 106, UTR: 11.98) something like 6-1, 4-1 but ended up falling 1-6, 7-6, 6-4. While that was definitely not the result that Pitts was hoping for, you have to think that under the guidance of Russell McMindes a match like that will be an easy win for Pitts in the future.
Ananth Raghavan, Williams
2016 TRN High: 49
UTR: 12.26
Summary: Ananth Raghavan almost didn’t crack the top 15. It’s not because he didn’t have a great junior career; it’s because he doesn’t have many matches under his belt recently, so it’s hard to know if he will come into Williams as a stud. In 2016, he’s competed in two prize money tournaments and fallen in the first round of each. His UTR profile lists a few other matches in 2016 as well. However, there was a lot going on in 2015. His best result came in September of that year when Raghavan took second place at the Eastern Super Six at Village Glen (National L4). In the round of 16, he edged out rising high school senior John Speicher (2016 TRN High: 35, UTR: 12.84). About one month later, he fell in a superbreaker to incoming Purdue player Athell Bennett (2016 TRN High: 37, UTR: 12.81). If Raghavan comes into Williams as the same player he was 2015, expect great things.
Michael Rozenvasser, Carnegie Mellon
2016 TRN High: 53
UTR: 12.78
Summary: An Ivy League coach said a few months ago that if Michael Rozenvasser had performed earlier in his career the way he did in 2016, the lefty would have probably been snagged by an Ivy League school. That’s high praise! If you look at his TRN rankings throughout the past four years, you’ve got to be excited about what the future holds. His TRN highs include: 347 in 2013, 191 in 2014, 99 in 2015, and 53 in 2016. I’m very, very big on recruits that are “upward trending,” so to say. Anyway, the lefty had an unblemished record in high school play this past season, going 24-0 without dropping a single set! Rozenvasser cruised to the New Jersey high school state championship with a 6-3, 6-2 win over 2017 Princeton commit Kabir Sarita (2016 TRN High: 32, UTR: 12.79) in the title match. While the incoming Tartan won’t be playing any collegiate matches on clay courts, his run at this year’s USTA Boys National Clay Court Championships should be lauded. After falling in three sets to rising high school junior Bill Duo (2016 TRN High: 23, UTR: 13.34), the lefty didn’t drop a set through three consolation matches. His most impressive win in those three matches came against rising high school senior Andrew Ton (2016 TRN High: 56, UTR: 12.85). Throughout the past few years, Carnegie has had a solid one-two punch with Abhishek Alla and Christian Heaney-Secord and then Alla and Daniel Levine. Maybe that trend will continue this year with Levine and Rozenvasser.
Miha Valencic, Caltech
2016 TRN High: 96
UTR: 11.36
Summary: 2016 was a historic year for Caltech. The Beavers both won their first ever nationally ranked match and received their first national ranking in school history. Now, Caltech secured its first ever ranked recruiting class, coming in at 19, and their first top-100 commit in school history with Miha Valencic. In a feature about her incoming class, Caltech Head Coach Mandy Gamble said this about the Texas native: “Miha is a high-level competitor who achieved a lot of success in the juniors. He is passionate about tennis and will make an impact on our team near the top of our lineup. There is no ceiling on how good he can get, and I look for him to surprise some of the best players in our conference.” On the court, Valencic was a two-time Texas 5A State singles champion and 2015 doubles champion. Off the court, he’s a proven scholar, being named a National Merit Finalist and Presidential Scholarship Finalist. At Caltech, Miha’s twin brother Tine with will also be a member of the tennis team. Funny enough, in high school, Tine was the valedictorian while Miha was the salutatorian. Anyway, Caltech is on the verge doing big things. Look for Valencic to help lead this team.
Honorable Mentions (in Alphabetical Order)
Lubomir Cuba, Middlebury
2016 TRN High: N/A (2015 TRN High: 54)
UTR: 12.64
*Cuba would have been included in the top 15 list, but he is a transfer from the University of Michigan, so he is not a freshman
Jonathan Holtzman, Wesleyan
2016 TRN High: 128
UTR: 12.19
Nathan Kaplan, Amherst
2016 TRN High: 128
UTR: 12.07
Philippe Lauture, Rhodes
2016 TRN High: 123
UTR: 11.92
Jaird Meyer, Chicago
2016 TRN High: 58
UTR: 12.09
Xavier Oshinowo, RPI
2016 TRN High: 128
UTR: 12.04
Chris Paradis, Amherst
2016 TRN High: 159
UTR: 12.14
Daniel Park, CMS
2016 TRN High: 168
UTR: 12.63 (89% Reliability)
Tyler Raclin, Chicago
2016 TRN High: 54
UTR: 12.06
Rex Serituk, Emory
2016 TRN High: 94
UTR: 11.90
Alex Taylor, Williams
2016 TRN High: 80
UTR: 12.16
Alexander Vanezis, Middlebury
2016 TRN High: 148
UTR: 12.07
Others Nominated (in Alphabetical Order)
Scott Altmeyer, Colby
Sam Concannon, Case
Alexis Dimanche, Southwestern
Dean Dulthummon, Southwestern
Austin Moninger, Southwestern
Karthik Nair, Caltech
Zack Ray, Kalamazoo
Jt Wynne, Skidmore
Bonus Player to Watch
As I mentioned in the intro to this post, I found out who all the incoming freshmen were by looking at the D-III commitments page on TRN. Unfortunately, some coaches do not mark all their commits on TRN. One team in particular, Wash U, had only one of four commits listed on TRN, and I’m positive that if every commit was noted, Wash U would have been rated one of the top 10 recruiting classes in D-III this year. Instead, the Bears did not crack the top 25. Anyway, I only found out about Wash U’s other commits by accident yesterday when I was browsing their roster, and one freshman in particular caught my eye:
Bernardo Neves, Wash U
2016 TRN High: N/A
2016 ITF Junior Ranking High: 555
UTR: 12.51
Summary: Wash U is traditionally strong in doubles, and with Bernardo Neves on the squad, they should continue the success. As a doubles player in 2016, the Brazilian reached the quarterfinals of the Copa Santa Catarina de Tenis, Copa Universidad Galileo, and Copa Badia, as well as the semifinals of the Tournoi International Junior de Martinique – Le Diamant. While I don’t know much about ITF junior tournaments, all of them include top notch competitors, so I expect Neves to make an immediate impact in doubles for Wash U. As a singles player in 2016, the Brazilian’s most impressive run came at the Copa Universidad Galileo as Neves advanced to the semifinal round. Along the way, Neves bested Colombia’s Alejandro Pena (UTR: 12.33), Canada’s Alex-Antoine Marquis (UTR: 12.46), and Mexico’s Guillermo Castaneda (UTR: 12.63). Like I said, the tournaments that Neves has competed in include very formidable opponents. In fact, nine of his 13 opponents in 2016 boast UTRs over 12.25; the Wash U freshmen defeated six of these studs. As we know, the Bears have struggled at the top of their singles lineup as of late, specifically at the No. 1 spot. While I think Johnny Wu could surprise us and take over the top spot, Neves appears like he could be ready to battle at the top. A singles lineup with the likes of Wu, Neves, Carswell, Bush, and Haugen could be very dangerous.
There you have it. It’s been really fun learning about these accomplished freshmen, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store!