By Ryan Parker
Last April, the state of Kentucky erupted in excitement with the arrival of Rick Pitino as the men’s head basketball coach at the University of Louisville. His arrival was proof that the university was well on its way to an all-encompassing athletic resurrection.
Over the past five years, men’s tennis head coach Rex Ecarma has led his team to two NCAA tournament appearances and a Conference USA title. And that’s merely the beginning. The team returns top players Joachim Lien, Paulo Carvalho, and Cody Conley, while boasting one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. In fact, Louisville leads the nation in the number of unofficial visits by ranked American players. Add to that a wealth of experienced international talent and the groundwork has been created for a nationally ranked tennis team in an extremely competitive field.
Of all collegiate sports, tennis may boast the most parity with only a handful of teams in the nation ever winning twenty games multiple years in a row. This year may be the breakthrough year for Louisville that could catapult its program into the nation’s elite. Described by Ecarma as ” having potential to be a good team,” the Cards enter the 2001-2002 season with the goal of completing their third consecutive twenty-win season. But with the leveled playing field and the difficulty of the schedule, the team will have its hands full.
This is especially true of their conference schedule and tournament. With the addition of TCU, formerly ranked second in the nation, C-USA appears on paper to be the most talented tennis conference in the country. But, a difficult schedule is what separates the contenders and pretenders, and Ecarma believes that strength of schedule is the best way to prepare the team for the postseason. Despite the their depth and talent, the team must stay healthy to be successful this year.
“Injuries are the key this season,” Ecarma said. “Last season we didn’t stay as healthy as we would have liked to give us a good chance to reach our goal of the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament.” But, a change in fitness adjustments this season may be just what the team needs. This new regimen improves play through speed and endurance while minimizing the risk of injury to the players. The recently resurfaced courts may also improve this team’s chances of becoming a national contender this season.
But possibly the most significant advantage this year is the fact that Louisville hosts the C-USA tennis tournament in April. Much like basketball, teams may earn NCAA bids by winning their conference tournament or ending the regular season with high national rankings. A computer system similar to the RPI strength of schedule index projects and ranks the nation’s top teams and becomes a factor in awarding at-large tourney bids. The Cards must prove themselves on the court this season, but with several players formerly ranked among the top world juniors, intimidation becomes almost a non-factor. This team knows how to win. And it can. “This upcoming season could prove to be really fun and exciting for us,” Ecarma said.
