2011-12 Illini Tennis Thread - Men's team wins Big Ten title

[Aobanoniji]

The 2011-2012 tennis season is getting ready to start with the All-American Championships coming up, the ITA Indoors Singles Championships in November and the team season startng in January. As always, there are A LOT of questions surrounding the tennis team.

The GOOD
1. The Illini finished the 2011 season with their 11th NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
2. Dennis Nevolo making it to the best 16 as well in the singles. He ended the season ranked No. 15 and was named an All-American, Illinois' first since 2007.
3. Stephen Hoh had a good summer, winning the ITA Summer Championship.
4. Illinois is getting ready to host the 2013 NCAA Championships and as a result, the tennis facilities are some of the best in the country.

The BAD
1. After a high ranking of No. 4 in February, the Illini took a nose dive and ended the season ranked No. 17, our lowest year-end ranking since 1997 (No. 20).
2. They lost to Minnesota and Indiana for the first time in over a decade and finished 4th in the Big Ten, another low.
3. Recruiting is sorely lacking. Dancer managed to get a blue chip in Ross Guignon but his highest ranking was around No. 20. Another 5-star recruit, Tim Kopinski, joins him but his highest rnaking was around No. 35.
4. Three seniors are gone; Abe Souza, Connor Roth and Johnny Hamui.
5. Two players have left; KU Singh and Brian Alden. Of course the official tennis site mentions nothing of this but they are no longer on the roster. I've heard that Singh has decided to try the pro tour and Alden decided to go play at his level and transferred to Florida State.
6. The Illini have the bare minimum of 6 players right now. I suppose Dancer will go out and bring in a couple of foreign players by the time January rolls around but the attrition in the Illinois tennis program is one of the worst in the country.
7. Dancer may be a good coach (after the Virginia match at the NCAA I have my doubts) but he is not a very good recruiter and he has shown to have a very bad record in keeping players at the school. Since he has become head coach, the Illini have not won a single conference championship, the national ranking has gone steadily down and we are in danger of falling back in the B1G as well, never mind keeping up with OSU. He needs to turn this around or he needs to go. I'm wondering how long he will be allowed to bring down what was once one of the top tennis teams in the country.

Upcoming tennis schedule:
All-American Singles and Doubles Championships (first two weeks of October)
ITA Regional Singles and Doubles Championships (September - October)
ITA National Singles and Doubles Championships (November)
Team competition starts. (January - May)
ITA Kickoff Weekends (ITA National Team Championships Qualifying Rounds) (January)
ITA National Team Indoor Championships (February)
Big Ten Championships (April)
NCAA Championships: Team, Singles, Doubles. (May)

Hoping Dancer can get a team together, keep it together and get the Illini moving back up. Go

[illinoisportsfan]

I'm going to amend a couple things from your post, but I agree with most of it.

In Addition to Hoh having a good summer, Kalmanovich had a great summer. It's too bad that Singh left, because Nevolo, Kalmanovich, and Singh would have been one of the best top-3's in the country.

Ross Guignon actually reached top-10 this summer.

Brian Alden would have helped the team had he stayed. He is only a redshirt-sophomore and he played a lot last year in doubles. He may end up being like Abe Souza, who develops into a nationally-ranked singles player by the time he's done. Regardless, he clearly would help this team in doubles, where they have been weak.

Both of the recruits for next year could end up being blue chips, but I think it's too little, too late for them to make a national championship run next year when they host. I'm worried that they will embarrass the university by not even making the field after finally getting to host.

[Aobanoniji]

Our new AD should see what's happening. It may be too late to change anything but something should be done or we will host the NCAA tournament as spectators. Has that ever even happened before? It would be humiliating as a tennis program. And next year we lose Nevolo and Kalmanovich. It ain't looking good.

In what ranking did Guignon reach the top 10? And if so, when? Just curious.

[illinoisportsfan]

Originally Posted by Aobanoniji

Our new AD should see what's happening. It may be too late to change anything but something should be done or we will host the NCAA tournament as spectators. Has that ever even happened before? It would be humiliating as a tennis program. And next year we lose Nevolo and Kalmanovich. It ain't looking good.

In what ranking did Guignon reach the top 10? And if so, when? Just curious.

I believe that Notre Dame didn't make the field when they hosted in 1994 -- also the last cold weather school to host.

Guignon was briefly #10 on tennisrecruiting.net either two or three updates ago. They update pretty regularly, so he was only up there for a short time. They say his high was #13 on July 5th, but I don't think that's right.

[WesterveltVictoryCigar]

This is just depressing to read.

[Aobanoniji]

Originally Posted by WesterveltVictoryCigar

This is just depressing to read.

As an Illini tennis fan, the program has been a bit of a downer lately. While I don't expect us to be at the unbelievable level Tiley had us at a decade ago, I would expect with our facilties and background that we would be able to at least be in the top 10~15 each year. Seems right now that we are just hanging on by the skin of our teeth. I'm just waiting for the final blow to come and we end up in the 20s~30s each year, 4th or 5th in the B1G and having to face the top teams each year in the regionals.

Dancer is having problems with recruiting, keeping players on the roster and on-court coaching. He does pretty good in everything else. :laugh:

[Aobanoniji]

The Daily Illini has this great article on junior Bruno Abdelnour.

The tennis team had the highest grade point average (3.34) of the Illini men's teams.

http://www.dailyillini.com/index.php...nour_stand_out

[illinoisportsfan]

Originally Posted by Aobanoniji

The Daily Illini has this great article on junior Bruno Abdelnour.

The tennis team had the highest grade point average (3.34) of the Illini men's teams.

http://www.dailyillini.com/index.php...nour_stand_out

It's nice to read stories like that. As fans, we can get caught up in the wins and losses of the team and forget about the fact that these guys are people with lots going on in their lives and more to contribute than just on the tennis court.

[Aobanoniji]

The season's first ITA rankings for singles and doubles were released. KU Singh is listed at No. 100 as a GEORGIA player. What the ****!? I thought he was going to try out the tour but now he's transfered to Georgia? Please tell me this is an error in the rankings.

[illinoisportsfan]

Aobanoniji -- You know this already, but it's been confirmed that Ku Singh is transferring to Georgia and will enroll there in the spring. Another big setback for Dancer and the Illini program.

On a positive note, both of Illinois' recruits for next year (Jared Hiltzik and Alexander Jesse) have been upgraded to bluechips on tennisrecruiting.net:

http://www.tennisrecruiting.net/list...d=1128&extra=6

[Aobanoniji]

Yeah, I've heard. Unbelievable. This is going to be a tough year unless Dancer pulls a rabbitt out of his hat.

[krushdad]

On a positive note, it sounds like the mens team had a really good tournament @ Olympia fields this past weekend. Dennis was on fire! I didn't get to go but read about it on FI.com this morning.

[Aobanoniji]

The men ended 10-6 in singles and 1-3 in doubles. Nevolo won all 4 of his matches but the highest ranked player he played was No. 20. Hoh (2-2 singles), Abdelnour (3-1 singles), and Kopinski (1-3 singles) were also in the tournament.

We're at Baylor and Virginia next.

[illinoisportsfan]

Originally Posted by Aobanoniji

We're at Baylor and Virginia next.

That could be really ugly.

[krushdad]

I may be wrong, but aren't the next two tourn., Invitational? Only a few of our guys play? We aren't playing for team scores until later this year or early next year. Dennis, Steven, and Bruno all had good tournys, against above average comp.
I have know doubt we will perform well in the next two individual invitationals as well. Go Illini!!

[Aobanoniji]

Originally Posted by krushdad

I may be wrong, but aren't the next two tourn., Invitational? Only a few of our guys play? We aren't playing for team scores until later this year or early next year. Dennis, Steven, and Bruno all had good tournys, against above average comp.
I have know doubt we will perform well in the next two individual invitationals as well. Go Illini!!

Right. These are basically practice rounds. I'm not even sure if they count to the individual rankings or not. I think they do but not sure.

It's a great chance for our guys to test their strength against some good players.

[illinoisportsfan]

Yeah, my bad. I hadn't looked at the schedule and I assumed you were talking about the first two duel meets, since they have played Virginia and Baylor early in the duel meet season in past years.

They will do fine in the individual tournaments.

Now about Kalmanovich ... why didn't he play last week? Is he injured, or is he still playing pro tournaments in the fall?

[ilphotog]

Originally Posted by illinoisportsfan

Aobanoniji -- You know this already, but it's been confirmed that Ku Singh is transferring to Georgia and will enroll there in the spring. Another big setback for Dancer and the Illini program.

On a positive note, both of Illinois' recruits for next year (Jared Hiltzik and Alexander Jesse) have been upgraded to bluechips on tennisrecruiting.net:

http://www.tennisrecruiting.net/list...d=1128&extra=6

Watched Jared and Alex play this summer, both looked really good. Poised, took care of of business.

[Aobanoniji]

Dennis Nevolo is the B1G Athlete of the Week! This is the sixth time he has won the award. Great job!

http://www.fightingillini.com/sports...092111aac.html

[IlliniSky]

Kalmanovich, Hoh, Abdelnour all won today! Hoh/Abdelnour lost a close one in doubles.

[Aobanoniji]

Kalmanovich got two wins, including one over the 35th-ranked player to advance to the finals of his group. Hoh had a bad day, losing 2 singles and the doubles match with Abdelnour as well. Abdelnour fought a good match but lost in a close one. Had a bye the first match.

Go Illini!
http://www.fightingillini.com/sports...092411aab.html

[Aobanoniji]

The UVA Ranked+1 Invitational wrapped up today. The players were divided into orange, blue and white groups. Roy Kalmanovich finished runner-up in the orange group, Bruno Abdelnour finished in 3rd place in the white group, and Stephen Hoh finished seventh in the blue group. Hoh/Abdelnour won their doubles today to make their record 1-3. http://twitter.com/#!/Illini64

[Aobanoniji]

The All-American Championships started today October 3. There are three big singles/doubles titles during the college tennis season; the All-American National Championships, the ITA Indoor Championships, and the NCAA Championships.

This year's All-American is being held at the University of Tulsa. Three Illini are taking part in it. Dennis Nevolo gets in the main draw because of his No. 7 ranking. Stephen Hoh gets in the main draw as well because he got an automatic spot from winning the ITA Summer Championships in August. Roy Kalmanovich will start in the qualifying rounds. If he can win three matches, he is in the main draw which starts on October 6th.

Best Illini results:
Singles: 2002 Amer Delic (runner-up)
Doubles: 2002 Delic/Michael Caulkins (champions)

Go Illini!

http://www.tulsahurricane.com/sports...093011aac.html

[Aobanoniji]

Kalmanovich beats Nick Chappell of TCU 6-4, 6-4 to advance! Good job!

[Aobanoniji]

Kalmanovich won again and will fight one more match tomorrow to get into the main draw with Nevolo and Hoh!