GigEm, I agree with everything in your last post. As evidenced by my OP, I do think that 4-1 would be the typical score...5-2 if they were all played out.

SMU's #3 and #6 are huge stacks and we would never win there. Their doubles are great - all three teams have been ranked, so we probably lose there. Their #1, though she is VERY overweight (as are their top 3), is a legitimate pro player that probably should not be playing college (look at her pro results, I'm not sure how that is amateur). She beat the #2 player in the country in her first college Match! Actually their #3 is not far behind. Their #6 was the SEC freshman of the year and had a ranking...I know that she has had some serious injuries but she looks to be back in top condition from what I saw this year. Their overall talent level is sick.

So anyway, I think most of the time SMU starts off with a 4-0 lead. They are going to beat us 9 out of 10 times in dubs, 9 out of 10 times at 1, and 10 out of 10 times at 3 and 6. On a great day we're looking at a 4-3 loss and we would have to have a great day and a major upset to beat them. Yes, it's possible...especially on our home court...but we need to be good enough that we are playing the NCAAs on our home court and were not even close.

I will say this: The times I have seen SMU play they don't look very well-coached and they are definitely not disciplined on the court or especially at the dinner table. Their doubles is an exception - they are smart and agressive. In singles if the top 3 had any sort of reasonable fitness level they would be amazing. They make disastrous line calls - I know that girls can get pretty catty and that you have to allow for a lot of mistakes, but I am not impressed with the way that SMU carries themselves on the court. I have watched an obscene amount of college tennis and I have seen them play half a dozen times over 2 years, so I'm not being unduly harsh.

My point is that I don't think that the SMU coach is the face of tomorrow's coaching - I am actually a lot more impressed with Baylor. SMU may have more talent than Baylor, believe it or not! I just think SMU hired a foreign assistant and got herself some pros (just like Bobby K did with Majorie and before that when Allison Ojeda did a great job). Nothing against Mark - he seems like a great guy and a great coach but when you are Bobby K and you need to shake things up and bring in some new talent (and bring in something more than the school already brings in on its own, which is basically what we've got), I don't know if its the greatest move to hire the local pro.

Anyway, I agree with you for the most part and didn't mean to pick a fight - I'm just frustrated at our mediocrity and BK's lack of ability to land great players. The talent level on our team right now is very average and combined with a below average BK effort, we're #40 in the country.

I agree with all of that last post except the part about Mark. He was not just the "local pro." I'd take him any day over both Allison and Majorie. I know all three of them and they are great people. As a WOMEN'S coach, I would say Allison could compete with Mark, because she knows her stuff, she is very likeable, and she always had a good connection with the players and potential recruits. But if it were just based on coaching ability and knowledge of the game, I'd put it as Mark >>> Allison >>>>>>>>>> Majorie.

Not that it really warrants much discussion. The assistant coach is not, and has not in recent years, been the reason the women have struggled.

I don't know Mark so it's good to hear that he is top-notch. I guess that's just another excuse we don't have to be as mediocre as we are.

My point is, he may not be "just" the local pro but I haven't seen anything that makes me think he's an amazing recruiter, and that's what Bobby needs...well he needs a lot of stuff but a couple of great players is on the top of that list. Cass had a lot of charisma and was a hard worker and that's what made him a great recruiter.

as a former coach, i know at the conference tourney and the ncaa tourney coaches were required to submit a lineup prior to the first round and the opposing coaches had the right to submit a protest at the coaches meeting if there was a potential stack and then a decision could be made..

it seems to me a #6 girl who is 18-1 overall would have been a redflag when the #5 girl is 12-11 and #4 is 13-8... if protested i'm confident the committee would have made a switch... i know we would always research the teams lineup and check the results and one year we protested tulane's lineup and the committee agreed it was a stack and forced a change

i hope BK at least submitted a protest prior to the tourney (even if it wasnt overturned) otherwise if they didnt submit a protest that is just not doing your homework

Yes please don't place Mark and Alison and Majorie in the same class. Mark was professional MENS TENNIS PLAYER and was one of the better player to come through aggieland..I am sure those ladies were good coaches but in my opinion if he took over the head job that would be a major upgrade.

Discuss and argue all you like, the simple fact is that our womens tennis program won't have the opportunity to become competitive on a championship level until BK is gone. "Building Champions" in womens tennis is presently a fraud.

Cory--given the circumstances, I don't think it would make sense to protest. If at the meeting he knew that Ashley would be playing on the 6 line, we would probably be better off letting a good player play against her, and waste that player.

And again, based on the eyeball test, the girl at the 6 line wasn't a great player, she was a safe player. She keeps the ball in play and makes the other girl make the mistake, That kinda thing works at the 6 line, but the further you move up the lines, the less effective that passive play becomes.

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And again, based on the eyeball test, the girl at the 6 line wasn't a great player, she was a safe player. She keeps the ball in play and makes the other girl make the mistake, That kinda thing works at the 6 line, but the further you move up the lines, the less effective that passive play becomes.

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What? I thought you just perfectly described a winning women's tennis player no matter where they are playing in the lineup.

I haven't watched a women's match in years. But the last one I saw, Baylor's women's team was a bunch of pushers and completely destroyed A&M.

This girl took it to an extreme. I dunno if it was just her strategy against a weaker player, but she looked like a pretty weak player.

I will say that I'm not a coach K fan. Sheri was up pretty big in the second set against SMU, and she started to fall apart. When she was up maybe 4-3, she didn't call the other girl's serve out that was clearly out, and coach K's reaction was to throw his hat on the court, stare her down for at least 45 seconds kick his hat a few times, and then shake his head at her and walk away. I may not be the biggest ladies man in the world, but I am pretty sure that this reaction is a piss-poor way to instill confidence in a 19 year old woman when she's slowly losing control of a set that she had all but locked up. It's a good thing this match was in Waco and there weren't a lot of people around to see it, because that would not have gone over well otherwise I feel.

Coach K needs to go.

Coack K does need to go...Time to get a real coach in there. In my opinion he is also very arrogant....que bigfoot in 3, 2, 1..

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What? I thought you just perfectly described a winning women's tennis player no matter where they are playing in the lineup.

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I agree with that. I got a chance to watch the #1 girl at Arkansas (#2 NCAA right now) a couple of years ago and she was basically the ultimate counterpuncher. She was ranked in the 200s WTA and could probably be even higher today but even her serve was just basically putting the ball in play and she destroyed a girl ranked in the 50s without hitting one heavy ball - very flat on the grounstrokes but a total machine. Hardly a ball shallower than 3 feet inside the baseline and really knew how to construct a point. The 6 SMU girl is basically a poor man's version of her.

The SMU #1 was much more impressive other than the fact that she is quite fat...I don't say that to be mean but just to point out that her fitness level was shameful and I think she is talented enough to be playing on the tour (she's the college Bartoli). I think I would rather have the fit pusher on my team. At least she is doing the best she can with what she has got. Being a pusher takes serious commitment and discipline by both players and coaches...I don't like that style but I respect the effort. It's not a lot of fun to watch, but the Baylor guy works hard to get his team that fit and that tenacious.

I guess its a matter of opinion but women's tennis is definitely MUCH slower and is an acquired taste. I can't stand to even watch five minutes of women's hoops so I can see where one might feel the same about tennis.

i agree with what Dunne said above...I really got into both men's and women's tennis come my last two years at aTm but men's tennis is so much more entertaining. Of course i'm a casual fan with no tennis background so for me seeing the big serves and strong returns the men's games produce beats the hell outta the women's game, imho.

[This message has been edited by htownag08 (edited 5/14/2009 3:14a).]

Thanks Jesse. Glad to see I am known around here.


I will agree that right now is not the greatest of times in the womens tennis program. I also agree that Coach K is having some rough times right now. However, I think you have to put some of it on the girls, and if you had any insight into the things that happen day to day with his team this year, you would understand. I am not trying to say I am really important and I know all the inner workings of the team. If you knew the girls he has, it would make more sense as to why he threw his hat and kicked it. Its been a frustrating year. Hopefully next year will be better.

If it isnt, then I agree, it may be time for a change. However, $BB has to make that decision, and as long as the women are still winning and making it to NCAAs, there may not be a change.

Back to the topic at hand. Predictions

Give me a final 8 of:
UVA
Stanford
GA
Tenn
Baylor
OSU
UCLA
A&M

i'm with Dunne on this one, i got really sick of going to matches where we choked away big XII championships to the tsips and baylor teams, I haven't seen improvement in the mental department in any of our players or in their overall game. there is NO WAY we deserve this crap year after year, with as much support as we give every year. I know girls on the team who've complained about his coaching, nice guy, but he doesn't deserve to be here

FTAggies, I think you misunderstand the disagreement. I think we all basically accept that he's not a very good coach and probably needs to be replaced.

We were arguing over whether or not the girls would've beaten SMU in the first round if Elze had played, based on how both teams played that day.

I know I'm not a coach K fan at all.

Looks like a total rainout? Any hope play will resume today?

website says estimated time 5:30 but I think it may be later.

it's 6pm and still raining.Idoubt that they get back on the courts today

Time update:

Georgia/Texas match and Southern Cal/Virginia match will both resume at 9 am, UCLA/Ole Miss match and Ohio State/Baylor match to follow around 11 AM. Womens matches to follow these at 2 and 5

Buckeyes vs USC in the final - GO BUCKS!!!

OSU looked really solid. It will be interesting to see if their number three can bounce back from his cramping problems. The battle between the two number ones should be a highly entertaing match.