If anyone who is going to be at Indoors this weekend is interested in writing some guest articles for the blog, please e-mail me. It would be great to have someone who can relay the dramatic moments, and I would love to keep the blog as up-to-date as possible. For instance, if someone saves 3 match points, serving at 4-5 in the third set, breaks the next game, and wins the match, that's something that cannot be captured by a box score. So please e-mail me if you're going to be there and have an interest in writing
As for results this week...
#6 Cruz def. #26 Bates 6-3
A huge bounce back match for Cruz as they prepare for Indoors, but they didn't answer all of the questions surrounding the team at the moment. What is up with Erich Koenig? And what is going on with the Nurenberg/Scandalis doubles team? Those are problems that need to be fixed before tomorrow.
#15 Redlands def. Washington & Lee 6-3
These two teams had a great battle at the top of the singles lineup, and this match is more proof that the Generals are pretty good this year. It also shows that the Bulldogs are back to their battling ways, and that they are extremely deep this year. I look forward to seeing more results from both of these teams.
#20 Cal Lu def. #24 Brandeis 7-2
I don't know whether to take this as a good sign or a bad sign for the Kingsmen. For one, they dominated a nationally ranked team, but they only did one match better than Occidental. Ballou lost his singles match, which needs to not happen if Cal Lu wants to try to repeat its 2010 success. The fact that Sousa is playing 6, however, bodes well for Cal Lu.
Showing posts with label Brandeis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brandeis. Show all posts
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Weekend (Non-Indoors) Predictions
Carnegie Mellon's Vinit Palayekar
There are some matchups happening this weekend that are worthy of recognition, but once Indoors starts, I will probably not pay attention to anything else. Here are my predictions for those matches:
Saturday
#21 Wisconsin-Whitewater @ Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo has proven that they are tough, especially on their home courts, but there's a really safe way to view this match: Whitewater beat Chicago 5-4. Kalamazoo lost to Chicago 5-4. Whitewater swept Chicago in doubles. Chicago swept Kalamazoo in doubles. I think these two teams will end up splitting the singles, but Whitewater has been really good in doubles and Kalamazoo has been atrocious. Unless something has changed drastically in the way the Hornets play doubles in the last week, I have to take the Warhawks in this one. 6-3.
#17 Carnegie Mellon vs. Luther
Luther got demolished by Whitewater two weeks ago. Sure, Whitewater is especially good this year, and CMU might be in for a down year, but I just can't pick the upset in this one. Luther apparently has two good singles players, but if they can't win in doubles, they have no chance. This is the first look we'll have at CMU this year, but until they prove that they're especially bad this year, I'll have to go with the Tartans by a score of 7-2.
#24 Brandeis @ #15 Redlands
Redlands starts its D3 schedule tomorrow against Bates, but I think it's safe to say that Bates is significantly better than Brandeis this year after the Judges' loss to Oxy. The only way I see this match being close is if the Bulldogs completely let down after a big win tomorrow. Again, Redlands have looked good this year so far, but they are prone to weird performances. Plus, the Judges will definitely be acclimated by the time they play Redlands. I think Brandeis will play its best match of the trip against Redlands but still lose 8-1.
Luther @ #16 Depauw
I consider CMU and Depauw to be a lot alike this year. Both teams competing for a Pool C bid and flying a little bit below the radar. The difference is that Depauw now has a significant blemish on its record already, so they have to play balls-to-the-wall for the rest of the season if they want to make the tournament. I think they will eventually have to take their foot off the gas, but there's no way that happens in their first big match after the upset. Depauw, 8-1.
#26 Bates @ #5 CMS
Bates, quite simply, has no chance to win this match. It's scary to me that the Stags can use teams ranked in the 20's as warm ups, but they have certainly have a well-planned schedule this year. 9-0 Claremont.
Sunday
#17 Carnegie Mellon @ #16 Depauw
If you ignore the state of Minnesota, this is the match of the weekend. After being upset by Case last weekend, Depauw absolutely cannot afford to lose this match, but the Tartans need it almost as bad. Losing to a Pool C competitor is always incredibly damaging. Given Chicago's start, Pool C looks a little bit more open to both of these teams, but neither can afford to lose this one. Depauw has the slight advantage of playing on their home courts, but that didn't help them last weekend. CMU, however, hasn't played a significant DIII match yet. I think last weekend's experience ends up making the difference in this match, and Depauw wins a 5-4 thriller.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Oxy beats Brandeis
Occidental def. #24 Brandeis 7-2
I've always wondered why Oxy doesn't have a successful tennis program. They are a small, somewhat prestigious school in a strong conference in Southern California. This year, the coaching carrousel landed on Brian Newhall, who, apparently, has coached the tennis team in the past. Maybe he can bring these guys to prominence. I think this match was more the Judges being bad than the Tigers being good, though. I'm just going to pay more attention to Oxy for the rest of the year and amend my Cal Lu v. Brandeis prediction to 9-0 Kingsmen. Thanks to the tipster who brought this to my attention!
I've always wondered why Oxy doesn't have a successful tennis program. They are a small, somewhat prestigious school in a strong conference in Southern California. This year, the coaching carrousel landed on Brian Newhall, who, apparently, has coached the tennis team in the past. Maybe he can bring these guys to prominence. I think this match was more the Judges being bad than the Tigers being good, though. I'm just going to pay more attention to Oxy for the rest of the year and amend my Cal Lu v. Brandeis prediction to 9-0 Kingsmen. Thanks to the tipster who brought this to my attention!
Weekly (Non-Indoors) Predictions
I thought I would just post a few predictions for the significant matches that will be taking place this week not in Minnesota. These aren't really well though out (because that has been working so well for me), and they're really just meant as a jumping off point for discussion, so please comment if you've got a good feel for any of these
#26 Bates @ #6 Cruz
I didn't really take much of a look at this match when I first saw it because Cruz losing to Bates on its home courts was pretty much unthinkable. But since they lost to the #29 team, I figured it's possible that they lose to the #26 team. The Slugs absolutely have to come out fired up for this one and improve on their doubles performance against Whitman. If they take at least a 2-1 lead, I think they cruise to a victory. On the other hand, Bates is stronger than their ranking indicates, and they should be especially strong in singles. If they manage to take a couple doubles matches, watch out. I can't pick against Cruz on their home courts, though, and match experience might be a factor this early in the season. I'll take the Slugs, 7-2.
Washington & Lee @ #15 Redlands
I think I said this before, but the Generals are stronger than their lack-of-ranking indicates. They played and competed extremely well against Hopkins. If we're predicting that Hopkins will be a top 10 team this year, that should mean that W&L has a chance against Redlands, but the Generals were closest in doubles against the Blue Jays, and the Bulldogs have always been phenomenal at doubles. Redlands has also had some pretty impressive non-DIII results early this season, beating a couple top 15 NAIA teams. Redlands probably sweeps doubles and rolls in singles for a 8-1 victory.
#24 Brandeis @ #20 Cal Lu
On the ranking sheet, these two teams are only a couple rows apart, but Cal Lu is trending up and Brandeis is probably going the other way. The Judges also might have trouble adjusting to the California climate, and Cal Lu has improved depth and will be pumped up for their first home match. I will be looking at this box score intently to see exactly how much the Kingsmen have improved deep in their singles lineup. Until they prove that they can win there against ranked teams, I'm going to assume they will lose, but still pick them to repeat their 6-3 victory from last season.
Washington & Lee @ #5 CMS
I wonder if some of Settles' 4-stars that spend time on the bench will get in for this one. 9-0 Stags.
#26 Bates @ #15 Redlands
I think this match will be an absolute battle. As I mentioned, Bates is better than their ranking indicates, and by the time they get down to Redlands, they will have adjusted to the time zone and probably be pretty acclimated to the weather. Without Redlands' results from earlier this year, I would have had this as a possible upset. But since the Bulldogs have played well so far this season, I don't think I can pick against them on their home courts. I think Redlands will take 2 out of 3 dubs, and pull out a 5-4 victory in singles.
That's it for this post, I'll do another for Indoors, and a short one for the other weekend matches (because they matter too, just not as much for the national championship picture). I'm also going to try to take a look at singles and doubles rankings from the regions, but I think it might be a little early for that, and I might wait until after spring break. That's enough out of me. Hope everyone had a great President's Day!
#26 Bates @ #6 Cruz
I didn't really take much of a look at this match when I first saw it because Cruz losing to Bates on its home courts was pretty much unthinkable. But since they lost to the #29 team, I figured it's possible that they lose to the #26 team. The Slugs absolutely have to come out fired up for this one and improve on their doubles performance against Whitman. If they take at least a 2-1 lead, I think they cruise to a victory. On the other hand, Bates is stronger than their ranking indicates, and they should be especially strong in singles. If they manage to take a couple doubles matches, watch out. I can't pick against Cruz on their home courts, though, and match experience might be a factor this early in the season. I'll take the Slugs, 7-2.
Washington & Lee @ #15 Redlands
I think I said this before, but the Generals are stronger than their lack-of-ranking indicates. They played and competed extremely well against Hopkins. If we're predicting that Hopkins will be a top 10 team this year, that should mean that W&L has a chance against Redlands, but the Generals were closest in doubles against the Blue Jays, and the Bulldogs have always been phenomenal at doubles. Redlands has also had some pretty impressive non-DIII results early this season, beating a couple top 15 NAIA teams. Redlands probably sweeps doubles and rolls in singles for a 8-1 victory.
#24 Brandeis @ #20 Cal Lu
On the ranking sheet, these two teams are only a couple rows apart, but Cal Lu is trending up and Brandeis is probably going the other way. The Judges also might have trouble adjusting to the California climate, and Cal Lu has improved depth and will be pumped up for their first home match. I will be looking at this box score intently to see exactly how much the Kingsmen have improved deep in their singles lineup. Until they prove that they can win there against ranked teams, I'm going to assume they will lose, but still pick them to repeat their 6-3 victory from last season.
Washington & Lee @ #5 CMS
I wonder if some of Settles' 4-stars that spend time on the bench will get in for this one. 9-0 Stags.
#26 Bates @ #15 Redlands
I think this match will be an absolute battle. As I mentioned, Bates is better than their ranking indicates, and by the time they get down to Redlands, they will have adjusted to the time zone and probably be pretty acclimated to the weather. Without Redlands' results from earlier this year, I would have had this as a possible upset. But since the Bulldogs have played well so far this season, I don't think I can pick against them on their home courts. I think Redlands will take 2 out of 3 dubs, and pull out a 5-4 victory in singles.
That's it for this post, I'll do another for Indoors, and a short one for the other weekend matches (because they matter too, just not as much for the national championship picture). I'm also going to try to take a look at singles and doubles rankings from the regions, but I think it might be a little early for that, and I might wait until after spring break. That's enough out of me. Hope everyone had a great President's Day!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Season Preview #24: Brandeis
#24 Brandeis
The Judges finished the season two years ago on a high note by beating Chicago, and jumped into the 2011 season with a shiny, new national ranking and high expectations. Unfortunately, they didn't deliver on the expectations, but they did enough to keep their ranking. Despite losing their #1 player, Nick White, and their #5 to graduation, Brandeis will probably have another strong team this year, as they return a lot of veteran leadership. They also brought in a solid recruiting class that should help them fill the holes, and they could be even better this year, depending on whether or not Yovanoff is ready to step into the 1 spot.
Where They'll Win
White at #1 singles was probably their most consistent winner last year, so losing him is going to be tough for the Judges. After Miller left their lineup, they had a hard time winning at #2 and 3 singles, but they picked up several wins at the lower positions. If the new freshmen are better than Brown was at 6 last year, he will probably play there again, and that will make them very, very strong at the bottom of the singles lineup.
Where They'll Lose
The Judges really struggled in doubles last year. The only ranked team they took two doubles matches from was Bates (a team that has it's own doubles woes), and they got swept by CMU and unranked Rochester. Getting swept in doubles basically kills Brandeis' chances of beating any good team, and they aren't so good in singles that they can consistently come back from a 1-2 hole. But if the Judges can find a way to start winning doubles matches against ranked teams, their singles lineup is strong enough to win them the match. The only other problem they might have this year is winning matches at #1 singles. Yovanoff and Bernstein are strong 3/4 combo, but they had a hard time winning at 2/3 last year, and if they play 1/2 this year, it could be a disheartening season for them.
Schedule Analysis
Brandeis starts off its season next week with an early trip to California. We'll see what they're made of when they play Cal Lu and Redlands, but given Redlands' good start this season, I don't think they can win either of those matches. Their other big matches are Middlebury, Bates, MIT, Bowdoin, Trinity (CT), and Tufts. If the Judges want to hold on to their ranking, they will have to win two of those, and the matches against Middlebury and Bowdoin just aren't winnable.
Prediction
I really think the loss of White will be hard for Brandeis to overcome. If they're going to be successful this year, they will have to lean pretty heavily on the bottom half of their lineup. Unfortunately, D3 just keeps getting deeper, and I think they will get upset a couple times this year. I see them going 1-7 against ranked teams, with a win over Tufts or Bates, and ultimately falling out of the top 30. The Judges are good, but there are more good teams battling for ranking spots than ever before, and someone out there is going to get a better win than that.
Dave Yovanoff (Jr.)
General DiscussionThe Judges finished the season two years ago on a high note by beating Chicago, and jumped into the 2011 season with a shiny, new national ranking and high expectations. Unfortunately, they didn't deliver on the expectations, but they did enough to keep their ranking. Despite losing their #1 player, Nick White, and their #5 to graduation, Brandeis will probably have another strong team this year, as they return a lot of veteran leadership. They also brought in a solid recruiting class that should help them fill the holes, and they could be even better this year, depending on whether or not Yovanoff is ready to step into the 1 spot.
Where They'll Win
White at #1 singles was probably their most consistent winner last year, so losing him is going to be tough for the Judges. After Miller left their lineup, they had a hard time winning at #2 and 3 singles, but they picked up several wins at the lower positions. If the new freshmen are better than Brown was at 6 last year, he will probably play there again, and that will make them very, very strong at the bottom of the singles lineup.
Where They'll Lose
The Judges really struggled in doubles last year. The only ranked team they took two doubles matches from was Bates (a team that has it's own doubles woes), and they got swept by CMU and unranked Rochester. Getting swept in doubles basically kills Brandeis' chances of beating any good team, and they aren't so good in singles that they can consistently come back from a 1-2 hole. But if the Judges can find a way to start winning doubles matches against ranked teams, their singles lineup is strong enough to win them the match. The only other problem they might have this year is winning matches at #1 singles. Yovanoff and Bernstein are strong 3/4 combo, but they had a hard time winning at 2/3 last year, and if they play 1/2 this year, it could be a disheartening season for them.
Schedule Analysis
Brandeis starts off its season next week with an early trip to California. We'll see what they're made of when they play Cal Lu and Redlands, but given Redlands' good start this season, I don't think they can win either of those matches. Their other big matches are Middlebury, Bates, MIT, Bowdoin, Trinity (CT), and Tufts. If the Judges want to hold on to their ranking, they will have to win two of those, and the matches against Middlebury and Bowdoin just aren't winnable.
Prediction
I really think the loss of White will be hard for Brandeis to overcome. If they're going to be successful this year, they will have to lean pretty heavily on the bottom half of their lineup. Unfortunately, D3 just keeps getting deeper, and I think they will get upset a couple times this year. I see them going 1-7 against ranked teams, with a win over Tufts or Bates, and ultimately falling out of the top 30. The Judges are good, but there are more good teams battling for ranking spots than ever before, and someone out there is going to get a better win than that.
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