Happy Sunday, boys and girls! We’re back with our final interview with a bracket champion from 2018 NCAAs. Jordan Krasner won both the team and doubles brackets, but we had another champion who blew the field away with his singles bracket. He had seven of the eight quarterfinalists, three of the four semifinalists, and was the only person to pick Grant Urken to win the whole tournament. Our Blog group chat commonly refers to him as “Commenter Matt.” Matt has been following the Blog for longer than most, at has commented at least 80 different times on this latest iteration of division3tennis.com. Unlike some older regular commenters, we always love seeing Matt’s comments pop up, as they are insightful and tend to prompt good questions and conversation. He has won our challenges before, but I believe this will be his first interview on the Blog. Put your hand together for Commenter Matt!
1) First thing’s first, how did you get/are you involved in the D3 tennis scene?
Matt: I can’t claim any kind of notable tennis career. I played for a couple of years as an undergrad and can hack it as a decent club player of ~4.0-4.5 ability. D3 tennis is a niche hobby for me and as someone with degrees from NESCAC and UAA schools, I have my D3 rooting interests. But overall, my connection to the sport isn’t driven by team allegiances so much as by a love for dramatic matches.
I honestly feel that D3 tennis is more appealing than pro tennis; the players are much better than I am (obviously), but there’s still an accessibility to their games that makes them more relatable. Even in doubles, points aren’t just dominated by serving displays. At the same time, players are proactive more than reactive, with a healthy share of points decided by volleys and baseline winners. And while some might hold the misconception that D3 exists as a low-rent alternative to D1, I would argue that D1 lacks the variety of D3—to say nothing of the pace-of-play initiatives that cheapen the D1 viewing experience.
2) You have been one of our most devoted followers for a while now. How long have you been reading The Blog?
Matt: I’ve been reading The Blog since its creation, when I was an undergrad. I’m currently a doctoral candidate finishing my dissertation, so throughout my graduate studies, the site has been a fun distraction outlet (for which I’m most grateful.)
In a way, it makes sense that The Blog began more than a decade ago, since the aughts were probably the cultural ‘moment’ of blogging; that the site has remained so dynamic is a testament to its writers.
3) During that time, what are some of the things you’ve enjoyed following most in D3?
Matt: It’s interesting to observe just how hard it is to come in and own D3 tennis. I remember when Tomas Piskacek transferred to Kenyon many years ago, The Guru predicted that he would dominate everyone. He wasn’t alone. While Piskacek produced a fantastic career, he wasn’t ever the best player in the country. Since then, we’ve seen some 5-star recruits (who will remain nameless) shoulder more than their share of losses.
4) How is D3 different now than when you first started following?
Matt: D3 is obviously deeper than when I started following—there’s a reason why the ITA now ranks 40 teams. There are also more uber-elite programs now than a decade ago, with probably 8-10 top 5-caliber programs; in this sense, ‘top 5 program’ feels more like a generic label than a literal category.
The correlation between academic ranking and tennis ranking has also grown stronger. This feels unfortunate in that many athletic programs are denied success on the basis of ranking algorithms that may not reflect the degree of academic rigor at that particular school.
5) What excites you about the future of D3?
Matt: I’m excited to see whether D3 tennis can enjoy greater diversity and equality (in all senses of these terms.) Without athletic scholarships, D3 might seem restricted to those from privileged backgrounds, but as Adam noted in the Parenting Aces podcast, liberal arts schools are often generous with financial aid.
6) Given the big graduations from multiple of the Final Four teams, what do you think next year’s NCAAs will look like?
Matt: My sense is that CMS has the pole position, with Chicago as another safe bet to return to the final four. Williams is my early pick to win the NESCAC, on the strength of their depth and doubles. I also feel that Coach Hansen is actually underrated—particularly in his doubles coaching—and it wouldn’t surprise me if Middlebury finished in the top 5. I’m less optimistic about Bowdoin, but Coach Smith has obviously proven himself. Over the past couple of years, I’ve felt that Wash U was undersized (similar to Emory circa 2014-2015), but I think they’ll be stronger next year and should return to the ‘inner circle’ of contenders. Of course, Emory will always be a threat, although I think they’re getting hit harder by graduation than some might realize.
The incoming recruiting class as a whole feels a bit weaker than in years past (I might be totally wrong about this), which places greater emphasis on player development. In theory, this presents an opportunity for programs that are more development- than recruitment-oriented, but most of these schools (Gustavus, Santa Cruz, and the like) don’t really feel like contenders for next year, at least from my perspective.
7) Tell us about your different meetings with our very own AVZ. Give us your first impressions of the man who is the face of the Blog!
Matt: I met Adam at the Central ITA in 2014. We share a mutual connection in my brother, who played for him at Earlham. I remember that we watched a match between Deepak Sabada of Chicago and Anton Bartashevich, the #1 player from Earlham. Anton may well have had the hardest forehand I’ve seen in D3, and he put on a tour-de-force display—there was nothing Deepak could do. Anyhow, Adam is thoughtful and opinionated, which makes him a great conversationalist, and I’ve learned a lot from him with regard to the coach’s perspective. Most recently, I had the chance to catch up with him for dinner in Claremont and was reminded that he’s a font of knowledge on all things related to D3 (men’s) tennis.
8) What else would you like to see from us as we continue to cover the D3 landscape?
Matt: As a feminist, I’d love to see further women’s coverage (and I’m sorry to say that I know very little about the women’s game.) And the site’s original title should have been “Division 3 Men’s Tennis,” given the exclusive focus at the time on men’s tennis. But I don’t believe it’s the responsibility of the men’s writers to provide that coverage, and it’s fantastic that The Blog has opened itself up as a forum for writers with specialized knowledge of the women’s game.
I also don’t think The Blog should feel any responsibility to serve as a public relations arm for D3 tennis (particularly since you aren’t underwritten by the ITA/NCAA/etc.) At the end of the day, I enjoy opinionated posts supported by evidence, which is what you provide. And while I don’t mean to shill, I do feel strongly that all online writing deserves compensation and would encourage other readers to donate in whatever suitable capacity.
9) As I said, you have been one of our most devoted readers and commenters for a long time now. You always love our historical articles, and it sounds like you have a little something you wanted to contribute? Take us out.
Matt: I’ll close with an ‘honor roll’ of 5 favorite matches from recent years (in no particular order):
Chicago d. Amherst, Elite 8 2015: I was fortunate to watch David Liu overcome cramping to clinch over Andrew Arnaboldi in an almost-empty stadium court in Mason, Ohio at close to midnight. Considering how clutch this display was, it was a cruel twist of fate to see Chicago’s season end this year with a loss from Liu.
Bowdoin’s championship, 2016: On top of the dramatic matches, I enjoyed the charisma from Bowdoin’s sophomore cohort. Gil Roddy’s theatrics were always a particular source of amusement during his career (and he was of course a phenomenal competitor as well.)
Hopkins d. Kenyon, Sweet 16, 2015: The original ‘tank-and-tree’ season from Hopkins, and Mike Buxbaum put together an inspired performance against Wade Heerboth. I also enjoyed how that Hopkins senior class came together to end their careers on a high note.
Wash U d. Chicago, April 2017: A marathon contest that came down to a 7-6 win in the third set for Jeremy Bush over Luke Tsai. Both players volleyed with finesse and raised their level as the match progressed. The team match had to have lasted close to 5 hours and it unfolded in a dark, random bubble outside of St. Louis; by hour 4, the match felt like a D3 abyss (in the best way.)
Gustavus d. Wash U, March 2018: Like the Amherst-Chicago match, this one ended at close to midnight. Although these two teams are historically the most successful in the Central, this match came down to a study in contrasts—a senior net-rusher versus a freshman baseliner (Entwistle versus Kokabatake.) Entwistle did an admirable job of playing within himself to earn the win.
Thanks for the wonderful coverage all season; best wishes on a restful summer.
NE: Thanks to Matt for what is pretty clearly the most insightful/thoughtful interview we’ve ever conducted with a bracket champion here at The Blog. If you, like Matt, feel we deserve some thanks, feel free to “donate in whatever suitable capacity.” There’s a button on the top left section of the home page. While we are heading towards our summer break, check back this week for our 2018 Awards and Final Power Rankings!