ASouth’s 2018 Ridiculously Dope UAA Preview

AS: I have many favorite times of the year. There are some of them associated with the Blog, some of them associated with work, some of them associated with sports, and some of them associated with things that offend people, and other things too. Oh, and food. I love food. Especially weird NYC food fads, those are my favorite, right @D3Regional? One of these favorite things is the UAA Tournament, a place that has brought us countless memories and some of the best matches we’ve seen, most of them being Emory/Wash U matches. The UAA Tournament has a long history – it includes some of the best players in DIII (Dillon Pottish, Goodwins, John Watts, Ben Shapiro), some of the best matches (Rafe throwing up, Woods/Egan battles, Wash U coming back from sweeps, Brandeis upsetting Case), and some of the strangest observations (Chicago kids studying on rain delays). The UAA Tournament is the closest most of these college players will get to playing a USTA tournament ever again – it’s just got that feel. Most of that is because the tournament is now held in the friendly confines of Sanlando Park, Orlando, where it’s humid, there’s intermittent rain, but there’s also like 24 playable tennis courts. So anyways, welcome to the Annual ASouth Ridiculously Dope UAA Preview. Where me and my friends talk about everything UAA that doesn’t have to do with match-by-match previews. Hope you enjoy!

Implications

Many of you already know the implications of the UAA Tournament via my Pool C and Bracketology articles, but we will go through a fast recap here by team. Starting from the top, Emory would lock in a top 3 seed and probably a top 2 seed by winning the whole tournament. They’ll also look to bring it considering their recent loss against Middlebury. Chicago, Wash U, and CMU are all in similar boats but different parts of the river. All of these teams are fighting for NCAA seeding, with CMU and Wash U currently the highest #2 seeds with Chicago a mid-#1 seed. CMU or Wash U jumping into the #1 seed line could mean big things for them and the avoidance of a much tougher draw. Also, the loser of the third place match, assuming these teams win their first rounds, is at an outside chance of being knocked out by Wesleyan if Wesleyan wins two rounds at the NESCAC. Not that scary but you never want to be there. Brandeis and Case Western are really just looking to finish out the season strong. Brandeis has been top 20 all year and meet a Wash U team that could be vulnerable on the right day.Case Western has played their fare share of close ones with CMU and could definitely pull it off. For NYU and Rochester, Rochester has a streak of 8th place finishes that they’d like to end, and this year might be the year that they get their best chance in a while. NYU has played very off and on, and after two days of competition Rochester could surprise them. All in all, a straight forward tournament for the UAA.

Senior Shoutout –

Every year, I like to recognize the seniors of the UAA for their time, effort, and entertainment over the past 4 (or less) years. This always seems to be a hit with the readers, such as the time I called Eric Halpern the Richard Sherman of DIII Tennis. Let’s take a moment to give a salute to some of these seniors who have given blood to their programs.

Emory:

Andrew Harrington – What a strange career it has been for Harrington, who transferred to Emory to begin his sophomore year and was a fairly up and down #6 player all year. After a year of not sniffing the lineup, Harrington represents one of the better stories this year as he’s had a ton of success at #5 singles.

Alec Josepher – This late bloomer really came into his own the past two years, and he’s one of the more enigmatic players in DIII. Some question his ability at the top of the lineup, yet he does notch his fair share of wins up there. Josepher is another transfer from SMU who came over his sophomore year, which basically amounted to a redshirt-ish campaign. Look how far he’s come.

Max Renke – Renke is essentially Emory’s only doubles specialist, and he has taken that title for the past three years. Renke brought his fiery personality and big serve to the extremely explosive Bouchet/Renke #2 doubles team. Renke also happens to be another transfer from a DI program, and it’s pretty crazy how many transfers Emory has in this year alone. Despite playing with David Omsky in the fall, Max has been reunited with Bouchet this Spring and with great success.

Scott Rubinstein – You may not know much about Scott Rubinstein, but you should. Rubinstein’s career has been filled with countless big wins, both in singles and doubles, and the senior will probably be put in the same position this year as well. The two time doubles All-American (maybe three this year) notched probably the biggest win of his career at #6 singles against Bowdoin in the semifinals of last year’s NCAA Tournament, much to the disbelief and chagrin of D3NE. Rubinstein represents the Emory program pretty much just the way they want him to. Farewell to you, Scott!

University of Chicago:

Bobby Bethke – The Dean’s List senior was dominant at 3 doubles as a Junior (15-3) and has continued his success this year playing with multiple partners as Chicago attempts to create the best doubles lineup for a team championship. As one of the 300 econ majors on this U Chicago team, Bethke has probably counseled, taught, and worked with his younger teammates as they to navigate a student/athlete balance. Leadership isn’t limited to what you can produce on the court, in fact it’s probably the least important aspect of a leader’s role on a team with this much burgeoning talent. Bethke has been a leader, a teammate, and a friend on an elite team for four years and should end his college athlete career on a high note.

Nicolas Chua – Looking back at the last five years, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger opening splash than the one Nick Chua made in his first Fall on campus. The UAA, ITA National, and Central Rookie of the Year, was an All-American in singles (30-9) and won his first singles ITA crown before going on to win Small College Nationals (and the Sportsmanship award) before ending the year 5 in the country. Chua’s numbers have slowed (as in less than 50 a season) in the winning column over the years but his impact on this team cannot be understated. Chua has held down nearly as many spots as his two five-tool teammates (Liu and Tsai) but has spent a majority of his career with the 1 next to his name –  a feat and burden few have carried. Chua, Liu, Tsai, Leung, and Bethke may go down as the most influential seniors in Maroon history because of the way they changed the culture in Chicago – they will be missed by all (actually…maybe not all that much by the other top ten teams in the country).

Peter Leung – the heart, the soul, THE VOICE of the U Chicago Maroons. Peter Leung has been in and out of the singles and doubles lineups throughout his career with the constant stream of talent to campus. Amongst the four horsemen that made up CHicago’s breakthrough class, Leung has always been the loudest and most inclined to playing an attacking style. Leung has racked up wins on court for the Southside over the past four years, but his impact (vocal and otherwise) on all nine matches during a dual match will be greatly missed. HERE WE GO CHICAGOOOOOOOOOO!!!

David Liu – At one point of another, D Liu was probably considered the best player in the country at whatever spot he was playing. While Liu has missed considerable time due to injury, he remains one of the premier players in the country until further notice. Liu combined with a Chicago Legend, Deepak, to win an ITA doubles crown his first year and hasn’t stopped contrubinting on the doubles and singles court since. From participating in OG Central’s favorite match ever, to fighting cramps at NCAAs, to playing every single singles spot at one time or another, David Liu has been a constant for UChicago even when he wasn’t on the court – he will be missed by many, and damn could this mans hit a backhand return. Hopefully David will be able to slide back into the lineup for the postseason…watch out for Chicago y’all.

Luke Tsai – Once my first round pick in the DIII Fantasy Draft, Luke Tsai has ascended the lineup in Chicago like its easy as pie, when it really isn’t. Tsai is one of those gamers who you have full confidence in no matter what the score. You’ll see him at #2 singles most likely, where he’ll be grinding down opponents in the hot Orlando sun. Also owns one of the better twitter handles with “Luke Tsaiwalker.” Love it.

Wash U:

Shaun Berman – Berman is a favorite of mine because I’m pretty sure there was one time where he got me mad points in Indoors Draftkings, and everyone knows I love Indoors Draftkings. Berman has been moved out of the singles lineup this year with some incoming freshmen taking his place, but continues to be a steady force if ever called upon.

Jason Haugen – Mr. Haugen, who happens to also be part of our siblings bracket (first round tomorrow), has had a career mixed with big wins and also big injuries. It seems as if I was always asking “Is Haugen playing?” when it came down to the end of the season. When it came playoff time, the answer was usually yes. Haugen is perhaps one of Wash U’s most clutch players and is one of their best in singles and doubles. Wash U will sorely miss his presence and leadership next year.

Johnny Wu – “Best footwork in DIII,” as AVZ would always say, Johnny Wu will always impress us with his hard work and grit. When the going gets tough, everyone knows that you can count on this man to step up. All DIII players mark their calendars when Wu is on the horizon as they best be eating pasta the day before and taking an ice bath the night after. Good looks, Jonny. We’ll miss your consistency in a world of enigmas.

Carnegie Mellon:

Jeffrey Chen – CMU’s resident doubles specialist has always impressed me with his fundamentally sound net game, making him one of CMU’s key players when there are four people on the court. Chen often teams with a solid singles player to create a fierce #2 team. While he may not have the star power of his teammates, he surely lurks in the shadows with success.

Tommy Cheng – A revolving door singles player for CMU throughout his career, give it up to Cheng for simply playing all 4 years without getting frustrated about his role in and out of the lineup. Cheng doesn’t really say all that much, so it’s hard to get a gauge of what he’s thinking.

Case Western:

James Fojtasek – The man Case calls “Jimmy” has had a storied career, with everything from being called out by our main man AVZ to being injured for a whole year. Fojtasek’s claim to fame is probably clinching Case Western’s only Elite 8 in history against CMU in a 5-4 match. Despite his struggles this year, Fojtasek has really given it all in his career and I am sure Coach Todd is sad to see him go. May he always be On It.

Brandeis:

Eric Goldberg – Goldberg is a well liked teammate on the Deis team, mainly specializing in doubles and general bench mob duties. Yes, he’s that guy. He’s got a sweet lefty serve that confuses a lot of opponents and generally goes about his business doing his thing. A true “glue” guy.

Billy Wilson – To be quite honest, I don’t know much about Billy Wilson. However, if you do, please feel free to shoutout your favorite Billy Wilson stories in the comments.

NYU:

Jiri Honajzer – These are some great names here and NYU features one of them in Jiri Honajzer. With his solid serve and tall frame, Jiri seems like he’d be a great doubles guy. Now, I don’t know if he actually is but I’m just stereotyping here.

Umberto Setter – This lefty counter puncher is the pride and joy of NYU tennis right now, as he’s entrenched himself at the top of the lineup for most of his career. Setter ends his career hoping for a win against Chicago’s Big 3, and we’ll see how he does. Watch his line calls though, just saying :).

Rochester:

Damani Eubanks – This excellent bench mob member is a true underdog story. Dude got cut sophomore year and then came back and tried out again. Not to be denied, he’s made the team and now contributes via his vocal cords. Much like his teammate below, he also has a name that D3ASW would love. Pretty sure this guy would make the 1000 lb club in lifting. NewD3Central Edit: DUST.

Jun Yuminaga – I’ve heard that Jun has a vast array of skills and interests, such as being a low-key Renaissance Man. That’s a fact right there. Jun simply excels at life, except his tremendously awful volleys. However, he matches that with a pretty damn big forehand. Also, he has a name that D3ASWomens would absolutely love.

ASouth’s 10 Things to Watch

Good…. Weather? – Not that this is ever really a big issue in Orlando, but we always get rain delays at the UAA Tournament. Here is the weather forecast for this upcoming weekend.

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/Orlando+FL+USFL0372:1:US

Looks like some really good weather and a lot of humidity. Emory should be used to it, but the rest of the teams are coming from places that had winter weather probably about two weeks ago. Will this affect how these teams play? I hope not, but it’s better to not have to ask that question than to ask it. Let’s hope for a rain delay free UAA Tournament because that’s what the people deserve.

Chicago’s Lineup – This is basically going to be the last time we see what lineup Coach Tee throws out there for NCAA Tournament. While I am unsure if David Liu will be ready to play at the UAA Tournament level, it would be pretty important for me to see him play in a few competitive tennis matches prior to you know, the biggest tournament of the year. Coach Tee has a bit of a conundrum setting his lineup as Chicago can only bring 9 players to NCAAs, and I am sure that he would like David Liu to be one of them. This is a decision that had to be made last year as well and Chicago did some flipping for the NCAA Tournament. Will be interesting to see how JT approaches things this time around.

Bernardo Neves, Fire Spitter – Bernardo Neves has had one hell of a year. He’s come from #5 singles to essentially going undefeated at almost every spot in the lineup, and he’s done so without a lot of pomp and circumstance. Neves is on my list for one of the MVPs this year with his play, and he has a conference tournament now to show what’s up on a big national stage. Neves is currently slotted at #2 singles, where we’ll get a potential Neves/Cassone heavyweight battle in what will surely be one of the better matches of the tournament.

Cal Lutheran Redux, circa 2013 – Why is Cal Lutheran mentioned here?! Well, that’s because Carnegie Mellon has recently taken on the CLU team building example, with three top dogs that can steal matches if they are all playing their best. Downing and Boppana took losses to Kenyon last time out, but the most encouraging thing was that CMU was able to steal #4 and #5 singles matches. If Shekar and Levin can keep up their improvement, this makes CMU a much scarier team to play at the end of the year. CMU’s doubles also needs to show up, and they can’t have lapses like they have been prone to in years past.

V Accurate Live Stats – UAATennis is one of the best in the business when it comes to live stats, so I expect some on point statistics to be checked all weekend. One thing I wish they had at Sanlando is live video, but don’t think that’s anywhere near getting done considering literally no team is located near Orlando. Either way, make sure you are following @UAATennis as well as the team accounts for live stats. Only @cmutennis and @casetennis are really diligent with their updates, and they happen to be playing in the first round. Hopefully, Mr. UAA takes this into account when he’s tweeting for the people.

Coach Todd, Where Art Thou? – Haven’t heard much from Coach Todd this year, have you? You’re right, you haven’t. It’s been a strangely quiet year from the Case Western coach, but we still have one more huge tournament for one of the coaches we consider to be well-respected in the business. I will be honest, I haven’t really looked at Case much this year and I’m unsure of what kind of on-court persona they’ve established this year, but I will be on the lookout here at the UAA Tournament.

The Annual Jason’s Deli vs. Other Restaurants Debate

A few members of our blog team swear by Jason’s Deli, while a few of us are not really all that impressed by it. Given that there are so many options in the Sanlando area (chain restaurants forever), we’d love to hear from UAA participants on which is their favorite food establishment during UAAs. Please don’t say Moe’s Southwest Grill.

The UAA Banquet

I’ve heard that Indoor Nationals jumped on the “banquet bandwagon” and had a banquet of their own, which is BLASPHEMY. UAA Tournament should be the only tournament that has a ridiculous banquet for really no reason other than the fact that people love it. Maybe at this year’s banquet, the Emory Women’s Tennis Team can speak a little bit about the things they’re doing off the court to promote the #ItsOnUs campaign. That’d be a good use of banquet time. Or, we could continue with coaches standing at the podium awkwardly telling everyone where their seniors are going next year or if they even have a job yet. It’s only April, folks!
PERFECT WEEK

Thank god that I planned my Perfect Week the same time UAAs was. What a genius move. This means I will be joining all of you for an article per day, maybe even more, as I continue my journey to the Perfect Blog Week. Almost done with today’s article (this one) and I couldn’t be more proud. Check back on the site for previews, observations, and of course, Studs + Duds.

Rochester’s Quest

Gotta give love to Rochester here, as they have finished in the basement of the UAA 7 years running. That being said, the UAA usually features 7 teams ahead of them that are ranked in the top 35. This year, that is a different story. Rochester will definitely have their work cut out for them, as they definitely have a talent gap that they’ll need to close vs. the Violets. NYU has really put together a pretty weak performance this year so who knows, maybe we’ll end the streak.

D3ASouth’s Quick Hits and Predictions

• We finally see David Liu enter the lineup, albeit at 6 singles.
• Nicolas Chua has a fantastic UAA Tournament playing at the #3 spot, going undefeated in singles and 2-1 in doubles. Chua ends his UAA career on a high note.
• Brandeis challenges Wash U by winning 2 of the 3 doubles matches, and then wins matches at #4 and #5 to keep things super interesting for the Bears.
• Jonathan Jemison keeps it rolling and goes undefeated in singles this year.
• The Chicago team continues drinking pickle juice to avoid cramps.
• At least one player from the big 4 (Emory, Wash U, Chicago, CMU) has his play dramatically affected by cramping, and loses an important three setter.
• Rochester goes up 2-1 in the 8th place match to give themselves some hope to get out of the UAA cellar.
• The whole UAA Tournament goes chalk, which is something that hasn’t happened often in Orlando.
• D3RegionalNEC makes a cameo in one of my articles this week.
• D3NE does not make a cameo in any of my articles this week (thank god).

Final Thoughts

Well, that’s all the team and I have for you today. Shoutout to NewD3Central for joining me and filling out the Chicago seniors portion of the piece, as I needed some help with that. Looking forward to a really fun weekend – reminder to all that UAA Men’s play begins at 9AM on Thursday, so catch me on twitter then to give you updates from all the matches. We’ll shoot you a UAA QF preview tomorrow as well, which will count towards the Perfect Week! ASouth, OUT.