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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Collegiate Summer Team; Strode Q&A, Williams to Tennessee, Oudsema Joins Mich. Staff

It's a good thing the action at the Grass Courts was limited to four doubles matches today, because there is a lot of other news in the college and junior tennis world to report. The long-awaited announcement from the USTA on this year's summer collegiate team came out today, and I've gone through my NCAA photos for this slideshow of the 24 men and women.


One of them, Blake Strode of Arkansas is the subject of my Tennis Recruiting Network weekly article. I had the opportunity to sit down with Strode in College Station to learn about his future plans, and this Q. and A. is the result.

As I mentioned this morning in a tweet, the Knoxville News Sentinel is reporting today that Rhyne Williams has decided upon, probably to the surprise of very few, Tennessee for his collegiate tennis career, which he will begin this fall. With his grandfather's past position as Tennessee's men's head coach, and his mother and uncle former collegiate stars there, the announcement isn't unexpected, although he was considering a year off when I spoke to him at a Futures in January for a profile on The Tennis Recruting Network.

Former Kalamazoo finalist Scott Oudsema passed on college and signed a professional contract back in 2004, but he will be starting his education at the University of Michigan, while serving as volunteer assistant for the Wolverines, according to this release. Oudsema will be 23 next month.

5 comments:

123 said...

Why did Chelsea Gulickson pass on the summer team?

Joe said...

How do they pick the team? ITA rankings of American players? Did Shabaz from UVA pass? Also Schnugg from UGA?

college team said...

Joe

The college team is a 12-man squad. The first six are the top 6 Americans ranked in the final ITA singles rankings, then the top all American team ranked and the rest of the players are wildcards.

All players have to apply to be on the team. Of the players you have mentioned, they have either not applied or declined.

txcollege10s said...

My understanding is that a couple of the guys you mentioned are staying on campus this summer and actually getting to do things 'normal' college kids get to do during the summer, while taking a few classes.

Austin said...

Oudsema's already calling it quits? He should have just concentrated on doubles a year or two ago, I think he could have made it at that. Him and Simmonds both should have focused on becoming doubles specialists.