NCAA men's championship weekend preview
Championship weekend is a day away, kicking off with the men's quarterfinals on Thursday, March 14.
Unlike last season where Wake Forest blasted the field and finished the season 40-1, there isn't a clear favorite. Once again, the Demon Deacons hold the No. 1 seed, but they have been bested three times this season and have at times looked vulnerable. Other teams with a good chance at the title include No. 2 Texas and No. 6 TCU, who are both riding 10+ match win streaks. And don't forget about Ohio State (32-4),
The stage is set for a compelling weekend at Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia.
10 a.m. - No. 2 Texas vs. No. 10 Baylor
The Longhorns (27-6) will be a massive obstacle for the Bears (25-9), who have picked up some marquee wins over the course of the season, having beaten Wake Forest at ITA Indoors and then-No. 1 Ohio State 4-2 in early March, and more recently taking out No. 22 Auburn and No. 27 Pepperdine. But the Bears struggled late in the season versus top competition with a few losses to TCU.
Texas on the other side holds the top ITA rankings spot, and deservedly so. Recording its 13th win in a row with a 4-1 victory over No. 15 seed San Diego in the Sweet Sixteen, the Longhorns have had a long stretch of success including earning an SEC Championship title. Texas got off to a hot start too, winning the ITA Indoor Championship title. After a lull in the middle of the season, UT is set to continue its run all the way to the final.
1 p.m. - No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 6 TCU
This might be the most compelling matchup of the day. TCU (24-5) enters the weekend riding an 11 match win streak, and has been solid against top dogs. The Horned Frogs are 6-4 against top-15 teams, including recent wins over Baylor and Arizona.
Ohio State (32-4) is a whopping 5-0 versus top-5 squads, with losses coming to No. 6 Texas in the ITA Indoor final, Michigan State twice and as previously mentioned versus Baylor. In the NCAA Tournament, the Buckeyes are yet to drop a point.
4 p.m. - No. 1 Wake Forest vs. No. 9 Arizona
Arizona (24-4) is probably the least battle-tested of the remaining teams, but that would change if the Wildcats could pull off the massive upset over No. 1 Wake Forest (33-3). Arizona has defeated Baylor, TCU and No. 15 UCF, and took down No. 9 Oklahoma in the Sweet Sixteen to get here. The odds of an upset are fairly low, but the Wildcats could make for an interesting opponent for the Demon Deacons, who dropped a single point versus UCF in the third round.
7 p.m. - No. 4 Virginia vs. No. 5 Mississippi State
Virginia (25-4) has a plethora of ranked wins on the resume, including victories versus TCU, Texas, Stanford, No. 13 South Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen and their upcoming opponent, Mississippi State (25-5). The two met at ITA Indoor quarterfinals, where the Wahoos won 4-1. State clinched the doubles point in a close decider on Court 1 doubles 7-5. From there, Virginia dominated on Courts 2 and 3, and picked up a straight-set win on Court 5. Then they clinched the match on Court 6.
Mississippi State is 7-5 versus top-15 opponents, recently beating No. 12 Georgia 4-1 in the Sweet Sixteen to earn a berth to the quarterfinals and move on to Athens. The highest-ranked matchup should take place in this duel, with No. 1 Dylan Dietrich and No. 9 Benito Sanchez Martinez likely squaring off on Court 1. Should be another thrilling matchup to cap of a solid day of action.
