The University of Mississippi Athletics
Are You Ready?: 2012 Men's Tennis Season Outlook
1/25/2012 | Men's Tennis
Jan. 25, 2012
Ole Miss head coach Billy Chadwick has been looking forward to the 2012 season since last year and with good reason. The Rebels boast a talented lineup that he says has an opportunity to put Ole Miss back in the thick of the SEC race and the national spotlight.
"Our goals are to win a championship, and to do that, we've got to get up in the top five. If you look at the SEC, we've got four teams in the top 10 in the country and eight teams in the top 30. It's really loaded. Not any different than it's always been," Chadwick said. "We've got a lot of experience back from last year's team and we have a couple of newcomers who are really going to make a big difference. We feel like we're going to be right in the thick of things."
The Rebels return five of the top seven from last year led by the senior twin duo of Marcel Thiemann and Chris Thiemann. Joining them are veterans Adrian Forberg Skogeng Jonas Lutjen and Johan Backstrom.
Leading the list of highly touted freshmen is South African Nik Scholtz and Sweden's William Kallberg. England's Joe Rogers and Oxford native Zach Wilder round out the team.
In the team's final individual tournament of the season, the SEC Indoor Championships, the Rebels showed they will be a team to contend with this year in the SEC as well as on the national level. The Thiemann's captured the doubles title, while Scholtz joined Lutjen in the semifinals of singles. Kallberg reached the quarterfinals including a win over the nation's No.3 ranked player.
During the Thiemann's career at Ole Miss, the Rebels have won the SEC Championship, the SEC Tournament Championship and two SEC West titles. Together, they form one of the top doubles teams in the nation. They are both excited about the season and looking forward to hoisting more trophies.
"We want to win the NCAA Championship," Marcel said. "And, we want to win another SEC Championship and SEC Tournament title," Chris added.
Marcel Thiemann has established himself as one of the top players in the SEC and the nation. The two-time All-American reached the NCAA Singles Quarterfinals in 2011 for the second year in a row and was named the ITA Southern Region Player to Watch.
Steady as a rock, Chris Thiemann has clinched many big wins for the Rebels including the SEC West Championship victory against Alabama in 2010 and last year's win over Florida on the road.
"Marcel and Chris have both been on an SEC Championship team. They've been ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in doubles. They've participated in the NCAA Doubles Championship, as well as Marcel making the NCAA final eight two years in a row in singles. They know what it's all about. We are going to be relying heavily on their senior leadership," said Chadwick, the dean of SEC coaches now in his 30th year with the men's team.
One of the most improved players in the SEC, junior Jonas Lutjen has experience playing in the top half of the lineup the last two years and this past fall, reached the finals of the ITA Southern Region.
"He is playing lights out. He's going to be one of those secret weapons," said Chadwick of Lutjen. He's played three for us and been very successful, but now he could be the top player at his position in the league."
Another player who has made tremendous strides since last year is sophomore Johan Backstrom. The Swede gained valuable experience as a freshman in 2011 and proved in the fall, that he is ready to take his game to the next level teaming with Lutjen to capture the ITA Southern Regional Doubles title as well posting a 7-3 record in singles.
"Johan is one of the most improved players on the team and he showed that with his results in the fall. We expect him to have a big year for us in both singles and doubles," Chadwick said.
Another returning player who gives the Rebels added depth is junior Adrian Forberg Skogeng, who has provided some clinching wins during his career.
"Adrian is an outstanding competitor who works hard. He has provided us with some key wins, and we look for him to provide leadership," Chadwick said.
Chadwick loves to talk about the influx of talented freshmen who have joined the team and says fans can expect them to make an immediate impact.
As evidenced by his performance at the SEC Indoor, Nik Scholtz, who earned a No. 5 ranking in the ITA Newcomers National Rankings at the start of the year, is going to be one of the top players in the conference. He was the No. 1 ranked junior in South Africa and achieved a career high of No. 22 in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Junior Rankings. Scholtz also earned a career-high No. 6 ranking in the South African men's rankings.
"Nik is one of the top prospects in the country. He's very talented and an impact player who is going to come in and help us in singles and doubles," Chadwick said. "He's got the ability to position himself as one of the top players in the conference. He's got good size, a great serve and great mobility. He has the intangibles. He loves to compete and he's a winner."
Joe Rogers was here in the fall and is an accomplished player who will help bolster the future of the team on and off the courts.
"Joe is an excellent tennis player as well as an excellent student," Chadwick said. "By coincidence, his father had attended the Faulkner Conference and had a very favorable opinion of Oxford and the University. This, along with our excellent program, definitely helped shape his decision to play tennis at Ole Miss."
Less than a week after joining the team, William Kallberg made headlines around the league with his play at the SEC Indoor. One of the top junior players in Sweden, Kallberg made it to the quarterfinals of the Swedish National Championships.
"We're very excited William has joined our program," Chadwick said. "He's an excellent student as well as tennis player. He possesses a big serve and big forehand and has lots of potential."
Zach Wilder rounds out the freshmen class. The four-time Mississippi State Champion will likely redshirt this year, but Chadwick is excited about his future with the program.
"Zach is doing great. We knew coming in that we would probably redshirt him and that's the plan we're going to stick with. He has a big future ahead of him. He's really talented. For him to be able to practice with the guys every day and get that quality of practice in is a big plus. His dad (former All-American at Alabama) and [high school coach] Louis Nash have done a great job with him. He's getting much stronger from his work in the weight room too."
Not only are the prospects for the team a reason for excitement in 2012, but the renovation/expansion of the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center is slated to be finished in February. Through the generosity of former player Will Galtney, the tennis center is nearing completion on major improvements to what is already considered one of the nation's finest facilities. In recognition of his donation, the courts will be named the William F. Galtney Jr., Tennis Courts.
Improvements to the tennis center include the addition of more spectator seating and enhancements to the locker rooms, study areas and coaches' offices.
"The new facility is something that all of Ole Miss will be really proud of. We did a lot of work in making sure that we were able to keep that feel of the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center as far as being so fan friendly," Chadwick said. "The improvements will have a huge impact on the day-to-day experience of the student-athlete. We will have a team meeting room, a place where they can lounge, do homework and hang out at the tennis center. It will be one of the finest in the country.
"The Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center is one of the prettiest settings in the nation. It's located in the heart of campus and surrounded by beautiful magnolia trees. People are going to appreciate the additional roof-top viewing opportunities on the left and the right side of the main stadium."
Highlighted by six Southeastern Conference matches and one against 2011 NCAA Finalist Virginia, Ole Miss will play nine home matches in 2012 including eight at the newly expanded Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.
The Rebels begin the season Jan. 26 hosting Southern Miss at the Gillom Sports Center.
Participating in the ITA Kickoff Weekend for the fourth year in a row, the Rebels will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to face Oklahoma, who began the spring ranked No. 18 in the nation. Tennessee and Michigan State make up the rest of the four-team regional with the winner advancing to the National Team Indoor Feb. 17-20 in Charlottesville, Va.
"We get started early with a challenging first round match against No.18 Oklahoma. Many people feel they're a top 10 team. It's a great opportunity for us."
The annual River Hills Mississippi Cup against Mississippi State takes place on Feb. 9 in Jackson, Miss. Ole Miss has won 12 straight in that annual battle at River Hills Tennis Club.
The Rebels will kick off the outdoor season Feb. 28 with a match against Memphis.
Southeastern Conference play begins the first weekend in March with the Rebels hosting Auburn (March 2) and Alabama (March 4).
Ole Miss will welcome last year's NCAA Runner-up, Virginia on March 7. "This is one of the biggest non-conference matches around the country, and we're excited the match will be played in Oxford," Chadwick said.
Following the Virginia match, the Rebels will hit the road for a pair of matches against SEC East foes Tennessee (March 9) and Georgia (March 11). The Rebels will play at South Carolina on March 23 before returning home for a big match against Florida on March 25. Arkansas comes to town on March 30, while LSU visits on April 1.
The Rebels' final road trip includes matches at Vanderbilt (April 6) and Kentucky (April 8) before returning home to close out the regular season with arch-rival Mississippi State on April 14.
The SEC Championship will be in Starkville April 19-22. The NCAA first and second rounds take place May 11-12 at 16 different sites, and the NCAA Final 16 returns to Athens, Ga. May 17-22.
