With NCAA tournament hopes on the line, the Mississippi State men’s tennis team (6-13, 2-8 SEC) will host SEC Champion-elect No. 3 Ole Miss (20-2, 10-0 SEC) at noon Saturday in senior Ryan Farlow’s last home game as a Bulldog.
State and Ole Miss met in the River Hills Cup in early February with Ole Miss taking a closely fought 4-2 win. Farlow’s last home singles match will come against Devin Britton, ranked No. 27 in the nation. Farlow won a third-set tiebreaker to claim the victory in the last meeting between the two teams.
MSU assistant coach Matt Hill said he sees Saturday’s rematch as a completely different scenario, primary due to the injuries to top-rated players and the development of the talented freshmen in both of the teams.
“We have had a couple guys out, so out team has changed since the last time we played them,” Hill said. “Last time we played them indoors, [and this time] we will be playing outdoors. [Both teams] are pretty young at the bottom, so there will be a different level of play from when you saw them two or three months ago.”
In a season full of upsets and injuries for MSU, one constant has been the large fan support throughout the SEC campaign. Men’s attendance at the A.J. Pitts Center is ranked fifth nationally.
“[Head coach Per Nilsson] and I have worked hard to get the student base back out. It used to be really strong,” Hill said. “I don’t think [freshman Artem Ilyushin] would have won against the kid from Florida who was No. 13 in the country had there not been over 200 people cheering him along.”
That match served as Ilyushin’s first conference win and since then he has been one of the most consistently strong players on the team.
A potential game changer, Ilyushin played in the fourth position in the February meeting. The 17-year-old freshman has recently found his home in the second position.
“He obviously was a marquee player coming in,” Hill said. “He has really done extra every day, and it is showing. He will be a great player for us not only this weekend but also the next four years.”
Despite the weak conference record, Hill said he has confidence the Bulldogs’ NCAA hopes may be salvaged through the strength of the SEC. State’s lowest-rated conference losses were against No. 55 Vanderbilt and No. 29 South Carolina.
“If we beat Ole Miss, we would be in, or if we pick up two wins in the SEC tournament, we would be in,” Hill said. “It will be challenging because these teams are tough, but making the tournament has been the team’s goal for the entire year.”
With a win, Ole Miss will complete an undefeated SEC season. In 2007 and 2008, dethroned SEC Champions Georgia used an undefeated conference season as a springboard for back-to-back national championships.
“Ole Miss is definitely a contender to be national champions,” Hill said. “To go through our conference undefeated is amazing. There are six teams in the top 12 in the nation.”
Ilyushin said he thinks the team relishes the opportunity to knock off a national title contender.
“We are the last team that can keep them from going undefeated,” Ilyushin said. “We will take the chance to do that.”
According to freshman Louis Cant, regardless of NCAA tournament status or Ole Miss’s record, he and Ilyushin have their eyes set on the 2010 season when State’s returning youth can show their potential.
“We have a good future,” Cant said. “There are a lot of positives for next year. Next year, things will change. We need a little more experience.”
However, in Ilyushin’s own words, “Next year starts Saturday.”