2016 Fantasy Draft – Rounds 1-3 Pick by Pick Analysis

Man, I love the Fantasy Draft.  It seriously was one of the highlights of my week so far, and I’ve had a pretty darn good week.  The next chapter of the draft is obviously to go pick by pick and check out the analysis of all of our participants.  I’m glad we’ve gotten this together, and expect lots of analysis on the draft to come in the next week.  Also, we’ll be opening up the polls at the end of the analysis to get your take on who has the best team!  This is a long article, so without further ado I present Rounds 1-3 of the draft, as seen through each drafters eyes.  If you haven’t been keeping up, please see the full draft results and kickoff article (WITH RULES) in the links below.

http://www.division3tennis.com/the-2016-fantasy-draft-full-draft-results/

http://www.division3tennis.com/the-2016-fantasy-draft-kickoff/

ROUND 1

1) D3ASW – Rafe Mosetick (Emory #1)

This was the easiest pick in the entire draft in my opinion.  Even though Rafe lost in the ITA finals I think he’s the best player in the country.  He went undefeated in D3 last year and 26-4 overall.  And in case you weren’t paying attention, he beat a couple guys with ATP points in Emory’s non D3 matches.  I think his loss this fall will make him even more motivated for the spring.  We all know it doesn’t take much to get Rafe fired up.  Since ITAs Rafe played a men’s open tournament.  To give you an idea of the level, NCAA singles runner up Jarmere Jenkins took a second round exit.  Rafe took out the one and only DILLON POTTISH in this tournament.  If that doesn’t make the rest of D3 scared I don’t know what will.  Farrell probably took the weekend off to go hiking or collect sap from a maple tree in order to boil it down into pure maple syrup. I think there are only 2 or 3 guys in the country who can go toe to toe with Rafe at his best and no one in the country is as consistently good.  

2) D3TennisBro – CJ Krimbill (Case Western #1)

I’d like to start by saying that when I made this pick, I still didn’t quite understand how the draft was going to function format-wise, else I may have gone with a #6 or a #3 considering the scarcity at those positions and the relative abundance of talented #1s. That being said, CJ is a straight baller. The Midwest-to-Zona-to-Midwest transplant gets Ws like he was made in W-getting factory, and there may not be as lethal an individual singles-dubs talent in the country. Under the tutelage of boss-man Wojo, the lefty has collected ITA All-American status in each of his first three years at Case (Singles ’13, Singles/Doubles in ’14/’15), plus an NCAA Doubles Natty Championship in 2014 with The Abominable Klaw. I had intended to pair him up with a familiar face to recreate last years deep NCAA run, however someone (thanks Guru) crushed my hopes and dreams. But not to worry – when push comes to shove, Christopher “not Kringle” Krimbill will deliver the goods. Last year’s 5 match rampage (all of which proceeded in straights) over Heerboth (Former Kenyon #1), Chua (Chicago), Buxbaum (Johns Hopkins), Al-Houni (The Elder, former Gustavus #1), and Heerboth (again) shows just how dominant Krimbill can be when he gets hot, and I expect Case’s superstar to be bringing that Scottsdale heat to the Buckeye State all year long. His prowess in both doubles and singles, senior leadership, impressive tennis IQ, and win-at-all-costs mentality make CJ a true dual #1, and an anchor that has me feeling like Lil’ B deserves a thank you.

Also, who doesn’t love the backwards hat/blue glasses combo? What a bro.

3) D3AS – Michael Solimano (Amherst #3)

This is a pick that I actually was a bit shaky on and was questioning throughout the draft.  Now that I look at how the draft went, I’m very pleased with this.  Solimano has amazing talent as we all know and honestly could play #1 if given the opportunity.  The next #3 after Campbell (Middlebury) was Raventos in Round 3, and I truly think the gap between Solimano/Campbell and Raventos is huge.  If you can take an automatic win at #3, you can really give yourself a huge boost.  Not to mention Solimano is a crafty and potent doubles player, and you get an all around guy that really isn’t going to go wrong this year.  Had to take Solimano even though I do think I missed out on Krull big time. Hey, go with your gut right?  Now, if Solimano can play at the level I think he can, I’m getting potentially two big points every match.

4) D3TennisGreek – David Liu (Chicago #6)

David Liu was the best No. 6 player in the entire country last year and is currently one of the top doubles players, so before even knowing the first three picks, I knew I had to snag Liu because he can easily give you 2 points in every match. As a freshman last year, Liu lived up to his four-star, top 100 recruiting hype, going 11-2 at No. 6. Personally, I view his record more like 10-1 because one of his losses was to Kevin Chu of Wash U in the NCAA 3rd place match, after Liu dealt with the fatigue of the Amherst nail biter and Middlebury semi. His only other loss was to Emory’s Aman Manji (who is projected to play #3 this year). Liu’s record at 6 is impressive, but what makes his stock rise in singles is his record against top opponents. Take a look at his ITA Regional successes – this year, he beat Wash U probable No. 1 Jeremy Bush 6-4, 6-3, and last year, he took out Branden Metzler (K-Zoo #1). In all honesty, Liu could and probably would play No. 1 for most teams, so as a No. 6, he is lethal. His singles dominance made the Chicago sophomore an easy early round pick, but his skill as a doubles player ensured him as my top pick. Early on last year, Liu teamed up with then senior Deepak Sabada and won the ITA Regional. Yes, the tandem had some schizophrenic results come winter/spring, but when he later paired with Nick Chua at No. 3, he went 10-2. Again, the only two losses came at the NCAA semis and third-place matches, where he was probably extremely fatigued. This year, the tandem of Chua and Liu has already made its mark, winning the ITA Regional and taking 3rd at Nationals. They were also extremely close to beating the eventual champs from Trinity (Krull and Tyer). In fact, the UChicago duo was up a set and a break, barely losing 11-9 in the breaker. Numbers aside, Liu comes up big in the clutch. His will to win has been more than admirable. We witnessed it when he beat Drougas in the ITA Regional quarters last year, pulled off the clinching win against Amherst while cramping at NCAAs, won ITA regionals in doubles as a freshman (and sophomore), etc… So, an almost unbeatable competitor at No. 6, a top doubles player, and the grit of a champion. I want David Liu on my team if I’m coaching.

5) D3NE – Skylar Butts (CMS #1)

This pick is damn simple. I think he’s the best singles player in the country. Skyler made the NCAA finals last year where he lost to the Death Stick of Destiny that was Warren Wood (en route to his triple crown). He has now won multiple fall ITAs, has more than a handful of All-American nominations, is a national champion, and (possible most importantly for this draft) IS A SENIOR. As a junior, Butts played #2 and went 27-2 against DIII opponents not named Warren Wood. As a sophomore, Butts went 25-1 against DIII players not named Warren Wood, and his only loss was to eventual champion Joey Fritz in the 1st round of NCAAs. That makes Skyler 52-3 against DIII players not named Wood. Those who say he’s not a proven #1, he beat Chua (Chicago) and Krimbill (Case Western) at NCAAs last spring, and this fall he won the West ITA, and finished 3rd at Small College Nationals with wins over Leung (Skidmore) and Al-Houni (GAC). His only singles loss this fall is to #1 overall pick and blog super fan Rafe Mosetick. Butts also went 27-4 at #1 and #2 doubles with Morkovine last spring. His losses came to Buxbaum/Walsh (remember when they played #2? That was a joke), and two losses to Pomona probably kept the Stags #2 team from repeating their nearly impossible NCAA bid. Butts and Morkovine look primed to take over the #1 doubles spot this spring, and should be the early favorites to end the season as the #1 doubles team in the West.

6) D3Central – Adam Krull (Trinity Tx #2): I went into this draft fully expecting to pick #5’s and #6’s with my first two picks because it gets really thin after the few deep teams that are out there. David Liu would have been my first pick, but with him gone, how could I pass up Adam Krull. He only has an indoor national championship and a doubles fall nationals championship to his name. Krull played #1 all last year so when he drops to #2, he becomes a must have and almost lock for two points if you include doubles. His senior leadership is also important and probably understated. While the depth at #2 singles nationally is pretty solid, Krull just offered too many things from an all around standpoint to pass up. He was a target of mine from the very beginning.

7) Dante Quazzo – Nicolas Chua (Chicago #1)

Northeast had to take Butts, my top choice, so I guess I’ll have to “settle” for the two-time All-American. I’m very high on the sophomore following his stellar freshman campaign, where he went 30-9 in singles, but also 22-5 in doubles. Having that #1/#1 combo is a must–as a coach it gives you so many options with the rest of your lineup knowing you’re favored at both top spots. I’ll choose the guy with a ton of upside, as I think Chua could very well evolve into the best player in D3 this year. Another year under Coach Tee’s tutelage and he should see another marked improvement in his game, which should downright terrify the rest of D3.

8) The Guru – Palmer Campbell (Middlebury #3)

After Central sniped my pick at #6, this was a no brainer. There were already 3 #1s off the board and I knew I could get a very capable #1 in Round 3 or 4 (see pick 28) given the depth at that position. I wanted a dominant middle of the lineup guy and that’s exactly what I’m getting with Palmer Campbell. Those automatic wins at 3 and 4 are what you often see with championship teams. Campbell was one of the best #3s in the country last year and after Solimano was taken 3rd overall, the next #3 wasn’t taken until pick 25 in Raventos showing that the top two at this position are clearly separated from the rest. Campbell was the only player to beat Nik Marino last year in a dual match. The senior is also an extremely capable doubles player, holding down the #1 spot for Midd last year and making the NCAA semis with partner Heidrich. During the middle rounds, everyone else was commenting on how strong my team was, and Campbell is the centerpiece of that.

9) D3West – Matt Tyer (Trinity Tx #6)

I made this pick under the impression that #6 players would be hard to come by later in the draft, but a mid-draft rule change from The Headmaster kind of screwed me over. Nevertheless, my draft strategy was to build a doubles juggernaut, and Tyer at #6 was an absolute steal. Coming off the fall national championship, Tyer, a relatively unknown transfer in my region, is one of the best doubles players in the country. I also believe that the Guru butchered the projected Trinity lineup, and Tyer is one of the better singles players on their team as well. Having him at #6 is a coup

10) D3Regional – Johnny Wu (Wash U #4)

Similar to D3West, I really wanted to go with depth with my first pick.  As far as depth goes in college tennis, Wu was about as good as it got last year, losing only four d3 matches at #5 last year in an extremely difficult schedule.  WIth the Bears only losing Putt-Putt, it reasons that he’ll move up to #4, where he should still be a force.  I don’t think he’ll play a single match all year that he doesn’t have a chance at winning.  Doubles-wise, maybe not the greatest pick, but I wanted singles depth, and that’s exactly what I got!  The guy also won so many three-set clutch matches last year, including the memorable 7-6 in the third win over Ian Wagner at UAAs, and those intangibles will be huge on my squad.

ROUND 2

11) D3Regional – Michael “MVP” Buxbaum (Hopkins #1)

I hate having the first or last picks in drafts because I’m a bad planner and don’t think about who I’m going to take with the second pick.  In this case, I deviated from my initial draft strategy in favor of the MVP, but I don’t regret it in the least.  Bux is a stud who made the semis of NCAAs last year and, although he’s not unbeatable, I have to name him one of the top four players in the country.  He’s the MVP guys, and since it was going to be like 45 minutes until my next pick, I wanted to pick him up while I could.

12) D3West – Chase Savage (Bowdoin #5)

Sticking with my strategy of going for depth early in the draft, I knew Savage wasn’t going to hang around the draft board long. The dude went 10-1 at #4 singles last season, including wins over Frons (Midd), Duncan (CMU), and Mandic (P-P). He is also a great addition to a team in terms of character and experience. This senior has won more than his share of clutch matches over the years. To have him at #5 is a treat. He’s not as strong at doubles, but he would be a good addition in a pinch, and I more than made up for his relative doubles deficiency with my later picks.

13) The Guru – Ari Smolyar (Middlebury #2)

I was more than happy to double down on Midd after the first round. They are my pick to win the national title this year, and with this pick I’m getting the second #2 to go off the board. Smolyar played #1 for a team that finished 2nd in the country last year and he quietly had a fantastic season in the brutal NESCAC. Zykov went off the board to Quaz next, but I’m confident that I’m getting a top 3 #2 in the country with this pick, if not the best #2 in the country. Smolyar can also slot in at #2 or #3 doubles and use his singles prowess to get wins. Reviewing results, I have the best top 3 of any team, with ASouth as the only other team that comes close. I thought getting Smolyar 13th overall as a #2 was a total steal given that his teammate will enter the spring as the #1 player in the country.

14) Dante Quazzo – Anton Zykov (Amherst #2)

Zykov and Smolyar were pretty interchangeable for me, and after the Guru picked Ari with #13 my choice was clear. Much like Smolyar, Zykov is a lock to give you that 2nd singles point almost every time out there. As the Guru alluded to, he’s a top 3 #2 in the country, and if he ends up playing behind Solimano, like he did at times last year, he’s even more of a sure thing. He and Yaraghi were also completely unfair at the #2 dubs spot last year, and I’m drooling over the possibility of having a Chua/Zykov combination at the top of my dubs lineup. His only singles losses were to Kai Yuen Leung, Chuddy, and Chen last year and he finished the season on an 11-match win streak after dropping down from the #1 spot. My 1-2 punch can go toe-to-toe with anyone at the top of the lineup.

15) D3Central – Charlie Pei (Chicago #4): Ah a 5 star freshman with a huge ceiling playing 4 singles? Yes please! We are only guessing that Pei will play 4 this season and I actually think he is the second best player on the team behind Chua. His youth will likely keep him behind the veteran Sven Kranz and second year Peter Leung for at least the start of the season. At ITAs this fall, Pei lost to Krimbill in three very tight sets and considering Krimbill is a national title contender, if he is playing #4, he will be lights out. My only other decision here would have been Luke Tsai. Both are going to give great return on investments at the bottom of the lineup.

16) D3NE – Gill Roddy (Bowdoin #6)

I’ll bet most of you are wondering who the hell is Gil Roddy. After taking a stud in Butts, I thought that the weakest overall position was #6. As you will see (spoiler alert), I also took a #6 player with my first pick in the backup draft. D3Central likened taking #6 players to taking running backs in a fantasy football draft, and I tend to agree with his analogy. There aren’t enough talented #6’s to go around, so I made sure to grab one early. 17-3 at #6 singles in 2014-2015, and two of those loses were in superbreakers! Going a little more in depth, Roddy only lost 4 sets all spring. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? In his 17 wins, 100% of them were straight set wins. Those results are beyond amazing for a player of any year, let alone a baby-faced freshman. Bowdoin has had its issues with doubles since the departures of Sullivan and Pena (I know I’m dating myself here), but Roddy won about as many doubles matches as any other Polar Bear last year. He moved up from #3 to #2 doubles during the middle of the year, and earned a win over a talented young Williams team at the ITA before falling to the eventual runners-up team of Fife/Bessette (Amherst). He already took home the C-Flight crown at the Wallach (Bates) fall tournament, and with another year of training I’m expecting big things from the bottom of the Polar Bears lineup this spring.

17) D3TennisGreek – Noah Farrell (Middlebury #1)

I’m still shocked that Noah Farrell was on the board in the second round. In fact, I was considering him as my first pick of the entire draft. Right now, he and Butts, in my opinion, are the top two singles players in the country (with Nick Chua and CJ Krimbill right behind). You can make the argument that he didn’t have the “very best” spring last year at No. 2, but given his fall season this year, we can absolutely overlook the spring. At ITAs, HE DIDN’T DROP A SINGLE SET. Notice that I didn’t specify ITA Regionals OR Nationals. That’s because he didn’t drop a set throughout Regionals AND Nationals. So, he won in straights against the likes of Jose Raventos, Steven Chen, Luke Tercek, Nick Chua, Mohanad Al-Houni, and Rafe Mosetick! Those are some of the top singles players in the entire country. I don’t know what possessed Farrell this past summer to become unbeatable in singles, but if it’s still with him come winter and spring, he’ll be an automatic win for every match and the favorite to win NCAAs. Crazy to imagine, but with Bob Hansen coaching him, Farrell will only get better.

18) D3AS – Luke Tsai (Chicago #5)

I thought this was a no brainer pick here in the 2nd Round.  Normally you are looking for those automatic wins in the first two rounds (I say normally like a DIII tennis draft is a normal occurence), but Tsai has the talent to be a top #3 guy, let alone a #5.  Paired with Solimano, that gives me two guys that I personally think are unstoppable at their positions.  Now, I might a bit too optimistic, but you have to see where that is coming from.  He took losses to Johnny Wu (slated at #4) and De Quant (also slated at #4) last year, but he has a lot of competition at the bottom of the lineup and I think he ups his game this year.  From a doubles perspective, he can play doubles as he was slotted at the #2 spot last year with Hawkins, but he may not be in my top doubles players.  That worries me a bit and I wish I went with a more two-way guy, but taking the Chicago bottom of the lineup is a recipe for success.

19) D3TennisBro – Glenn Hull (CMS #2)

Since two of the guys I had coveted going into the draft got snatched up in the few picks before me, I had to decide whether I wanted to go with talent or consistency in the 2nd round. Luckily enough, I was able to get both in the form of CMS’ slap-happy Junior, Glenn “The Ichthyologist” Hull. My strategy going into the draft was to pick up guys that know how to win, and Hull’s record speaks for itself. This is a guy that went 27-3 in 2015, in a year that began with a West ITA title (thanks to victories over teammates Marino and Wood, who were both pretty solid if I remember correctly), and that included an undefeated record in dual matches (in which he didn’t drop a set). Obviously the #6 – #2 jump is a big one, but Glenn has the talent to make the leap (see this year’s ITA victory over of Yasgoor of P-P for the most recent evidence), and having the singles-monster at #2 dubs (with a partner to be named in the near future) will be nothing short of filthy. For me, this pick really came down to solidifying a #2 a guy who will have 2-point potential in every match. Plus, what coach wouldn’t want a guy who has the experience of clinching an NCAA Championship? #Phileo #GotThere

20) D3ASW -Jonathan Jemison (Emory #2)

Ideally, I wouldn’t have taken two Emory guys back to back (I really wanted Krull, but there was no chance he was falling this far), but at the time I felt Jemison was too good to pass up.  Looking back I probably should have gone for some more depth, but I’m happy with this pick.  This year the D3 tennis nation will be introduced to Jonathan Jemison.  This kid has already shown that he can be one of the top players in the country.  Jemison cruised his way the finals of the Emory regional.  Taking out Antonio 7-6 6-1 along the way.  He also made the finals of the doubles in his region.  Jemison has had some good results after the regional as well; in a tournament at Georgia Gwinnett he took out teammate Josh Goodman and a few very solid D2 and NAIA players before falling to a Gwinnett player with ATP points in 3 sets.  Jemison also played the men’s open tournament at Emory where he had arguably his best result of the fall.  Jemison took out the #84 player IN THE WORLD in juniors in straight sets.  I can’t wait til my top 2 go a combined 50-0 in the spring.   

ROUND 3

21) D3ASW – Jason Haugen (Wash U #5)

I already had a top 2 so I decided I needed some depth.  This was another easy pick for me.  Haugen came out last year and showed everyone that he’s a boss.  He went 15-4 overall in singles and 22-10 in doubles and continued to get better and better as the year progressed.  I would honestly be surprised if Haugen played 5 for WashU this year; he’s got a lot of weapons and very few weaknesses.  The Haug already took a set off of Chua this fall.  That shows you he’s still getting better.  I think he starts at 4 and moves up by the end of the spring.       

22) D3TennisBro – Kunal Wadwani (CMU #4)

This pick was an a tough one for me – with so much talent on the board I had a lot of options to choose from, but Wadwani is a guy I had pretty high up on my big board. To get a dude that played #3 for part of the year on a borderline Top-10 team at my #4 slot? No brainer. The way I see it, Kunal is a big-match player — the kid simply shows up against highly-ranked opponents. Last year during his sophomore campaign, the Left Coast product (#BellPride) snagged wins against Case, Bowdoin, P-P, Emory, Amherst, Kenyon, Mary Washington, Hopkins (…. you get the point) on the way to a 21-8 singles record. The future corporate-finance mogul also showed he can compete with the big boys, as he pushed both Buxbaum (Hopkins #1) and Kratky (WashU #3, though realistically I could see him playing higher) before falling in three sets. What really sealed the deal for me, however, was the fact that he’s been quoted as saying that the upside of heading to the frigid igloo that is Pittsburgh from Sunny Saratoga is that it “gives [him] a chance to spend more time in the weight room.” Who doesn’t love that? (s/o Dom Mazzetti) Though doubles isn’t exactly a specialty of his, I felt that I’d be able to grab some later round guys to help build a #Sweep&Grind juggernaut, so I was more than comfortable looking to solidify a #4 singles point in the third round, and Kunal “Harvey Specter” Wadwani was my guy.

23) D3AS – Max Macey (CMS #4)

Go with the big guns.  That was my strategy going into the draft. Theoretically, your top teams are going to offer your best value simply because better guys are being pushed down.  So, why not go with a guy like Macey at #4 singles and create a beastly #3-5?  I believed I could get a solid #1 and #2 later on in the draft, which you will see later.  But it’s the bottom pieces of the lineup that really matter.  Despite not playing in this year’s ITA we had him slated as a #4 player based on some insider information.  However, he was either nationally ranked or close to nationally ranked as a #6 player last year (went 24-7) and that says something.  I’m doing a little bit of betting here with Macey over De Quant (who was probably the safer #4 pick), but I am a gambler.  Macey did beat De Quant last year so hey, he’s got the talent.

24) D3TennisGreek – William De Quant (Middlebury #4)

I didn’t want to pick players from the same team back-to-back, but when you have the depth and talent of Middlebury, it’s hard not to. As D3AtlanticSouth noted, De Quant is a very safe bet. Sure, he lost to Macey, but De Quant amassed a 23-4 overall singles record last year, so he’s no stranger to winning. What I liked most about him is that he came up big at NCAAs, taking Ws in all his matches up until the final (which went unfinished). Of note is his straight-set victory against Chicago’s Luke Tsai in the semis.  De Quant’s also had a solid fall season this year, capturing the B-Flight singles title at the Middlebury Invitational and compiling an overall 9-2 record. His 2 losses came to guys that will be at the top of their respective lineups, Alex Cauneac of MIT and Luke Trinka of Bowdoin, so I’m not worried about that. He hasn’t been the most successful doubles player, but he’s the kind of guy you want in singles, especially at No. 4.

25) D3NE – Jose Raventos (Williams #3)

A guy with #1 talent who is listed as the #3 player? Sign me up. Jose played #1 for a lot of last year, and earned the overall #5 seed at the New England ITA. At that ITA, Raventos made a nice run to the quarterfinals, but fell to eventual champ and pint-sized super stud Noah Farrell (Middlebury). In the 2014-2015 season, Raventos notched wins over talented guys like Liu (Wesleyan #1), Carpenter (Trinity CT #1), Telkedzhiev (Tufts), Planche (Bates), and had split sets with Yaraghi and Smolyar in postseason play when those matches were stopped. Basically, he was a damn good #1, and now he played behind both Schidlovksy and Shastri in both of Williams’ two fall dual matches. The Costa Rican Eph is also a doubles force. He played lots of both #1 and #2 last season with Shastri, pulling down numerous big wins. This fall, he paired with Schidlovsky and the duo made the quarterfinals of the ITA before falling (again) to the eventual champs, Revzin/Solimano. Raventos was the third #3 off the board, Solimano (Amherst) and Campbell (Middlebury) were both drafted (and rightfully so) in the first eight picks, but this is pretty clearly a steal!

26) D3Central – Jesse Levitin (Amherst #6): This pick happened a little later than I hoped as NE has pointed out that a good number 6 is hard to come by. I will be completely honest and say I don’t know a ton about this Amherst freshman and their web page is horrendous when trying to get results, but tennisrecruiting has him as a top 100 recruit. To put that in perspective, Chua was just inside the top 100 last season so clearly this guy has some talent. I needed to get this pick in before #6’s would have been extremely weak so this was the time to do it. I basically was taking a flyer on whomever was playing #6 for a top 5 team in the country and can’t really go wrong there can I?

27) Dante Quazzo – Kenny Zheng (CMU #5)

After Chua and Zykov to fill the top two slots, I needed someone I could count on towards the bottom of my lineup. Kenny’s my value pick. For some reason ASouth had him slotted at the #5 spot, and he played a solid 3 and 4 singles for most of last year, picking up big wins over Turlington and Stuerke (15-10 overall, while nagged by injuries). At #5 singles, he went 23-5 his freshman year. That’s the “automatic win” status you see normally associated with 2nd round players, and I nabbed him end of round 3. With an extra year of experience under his belt and a demonstrated ability to play at an even higher level, a healthy Zheng at #5 is a no brainer.

28) The Guru – Paxton Deuel (Trinity Tx #1)

Deuel is the 7th #1 to go off the board and I’m delighted to get him at this spot. He was dominant at the Texas ITA after a year off of competition. I’m not putting much weight on the 7th place finish at Nationals as I think Pax ran into a buzzsaw in 1st overall pick Mosetick. I expect Deuel to be a top 8 singles player in the country this year and he could partner with doubles all-star Palmer Campbell to form an unstoppable #1 doubles team for me. When Deuel played in 2014, he finished 12th in the country in singles and 10th in doubles while playing for #1 for a team that finished 3rd in the country. Keep in mind he will be playing ahead of Adam Krull, who went 6th overall, was a #1 on the National Indoor champion last year and was a top 12 player in the country in 2014-2015. Once Deuel gets through Indoors and gets some tough matches under his belt, I think he will be a great weapon for the Tigers who will depend heavily on the top of their lineup. Deuel does a great job of rounding out my incredible top 3 and everyone knows I’m a big Trinity fan so I needed a Tiger on my team.

29) D3West – Tyler Kratky (WashU #3)

Frankly, I was surprised and delighted that Kratky was still there for me to take deep in the 3rd round. He’s another senior with a very impressive singles record throughout his four years. Last year alone he beat Leung (Chicago), Dorn (CMS), Mayer (TU), and Wadwani (CMU). He also came within a couple points of taking out the #1 overall pick in the draft. I get to have him at #3 singles. Contrary to AS’ earlier assertion, Kratky is every bit as strong a #3 as Solimano and Campbell. In a draft weak on #3 singles players, getting this guy deep in the 3rd round is pretty awesome. I’ve gotten this far in the paragraph without even mentioning his doubles, which is nothing to scoff at. He and Cogan went undefeated at #3 doubles last season with wins over Chua/Liu (Chicago) and Marino/Hull (CMS) at nationals. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him at #1 or #2 in the Wash U lineup. Needless to say, I got a ton of value with this pick.

30) D3Regional -Rohan Shastri (Williams #2)

I may have fallen asleep between my Buxbaum pick at the beginning of the second round and this one at the end of the third, and I was banking on taking Kratky pretty much the entire time, only to be thrown for a loop when West snagged him right before me.  I definitely regret not going with more depth given how this draft shaped out, but Shastri is a guy who rapidly moved up the Ephs lineup from #4 to #2 as the season moved along last year, closing the year with four straight-set wins, over Chris Ellis (Bates), fellow Rohan (Gupte, Tufts), Michael Solimano (Amherst), and Noah Farrell (Midd).  He’s a junior now, and I think his experience will help him out even more in the spring, as he takes on the NESCAC elite.  I admit, I did make this pick in haste, frantically looking up stats with ASouth yelling at me to hurry up in the Google doc chat, but I don’t regret it.

That’s all we’ve got for you.  Hope you enjoyed and please absolutely feel free to comment, take us on with arguments, or just give us a pat on the back in the comments section.  We want this to be an open discussion!  ASouth, OUT.