Although winning an SEC championship would have been a dream come true for both the MSU players and fans alike, the season is not over; nor is there a need to worry about the team come NCAA Tournament time. MSU will still most likely host a round or two of the Tournament, and the team’s chances of winning have, in my opinion, now increased.
Here’s why: for many teams that win a conference tournament, that is the peak of the season, and it is hard to carry that hype into the weeks ahead. Georgia ended up winning the men’s tennis SEC Championship, but I do not believe they will advance further than State in the postseason.
With the loss in the semifinals, the players ended with a sour taste in their mouths, very sour for a few of them. This will only motivate them more to come out ready for the NCAA Tournament.
One of those with a sour taste is Artem Ilyushin. The senior plays in the No. 1 single’s spot for MSU, and after winning the first set against Georgia 6-2, he dropped the next two 6-3, 6-3. Ilyushin lost by almost the exact same score earlier in the season to the top-ranked player in the country from Virginia. Head coach Per Nilsson said Ilyushin fought through strep throat but could not pull it out in the end.
“It’s something he’s worked on for four years to not live in the past but to move on from it. He’s gotten so much better and done an amazing job for us,” Nilsson said. “But sometimes it comes back; bad habits come back, and under pressure they show up.”
This does concern me, but Ilyushin is a big-time player, and I believe the senior will overcome this and step up when needed in the postseason.
A big positive for MSU heading into the Tournament is James Chaudry. The junior played the No. 2 singles position for most of the year but was moved to No. 3 for the SEC Tournament. Although Chaudry is unranked, he simply overpowered Georgia’s No. 29 Sadio Doumbia. In the first set, Chaudry went down 40-0 while serving, but won the next five points to take the game. He then dominated the next game to take the set. After Doumbia forced a third set, Chaudry took no time to dismiss him, winning 6-2.
The England native looked confident and powerful throughout the match and will be a tough No. 3 for any opposing teams.
And then there’s senior Louis Cant, who is one of the most fun players in any sport to watch. The way he pumps himself up throughout the match is invigorating for himself and every fan.
Cant lost the first set to Georgia, but knowing his team needed every point it could get, the senior willed himself to victory. He does not have the most powerful serve or forehand in the game, but his effort is relentless. It was almost like you knew Cant would come through with the victory just watching him play.
Of course there are areas of the team that need improvement in the next few weeks, and Nilsson said the team will recover, get some rest and go back to work.
“We can’t beat ourselves against the top teams. You have to make them beat you,” Nilsson said. “We can beat anyone, but we can’t beat the good teams unless we control ourselves, and that’s the goal for the (NCAA) Tournament.”
But overall, the team is in good shape headed into the next few weeks. A few points or mistakes here or there and the Dogs would have been on their way to an SEC Championship. Cut out those miscues, and you have a solid team that can match up well with any opponent. And let me tell you, every team is hoping to avoid the Dogs come May.