[ColoradoTree]

This year, we're unlikely to have more than one freshman play. We have a junior at #1, a senior at #2, and another senior and junior somewhere else in the top 6, with either two sophomores rounding out the lineup or, more likely, a sophomore and one freshman (Blake). We lost the great trio of Lord/Lampl/Yee, of course, but we're always losing great players to graduation. We keep plugging in new ones and a weaker non-conference slate isn't going to help them get better. 

I am sorry if you've mentioned this before in another thread, but what is the singles lineup you expect from the team this year? Could you provide a quick general analysis too of the strength/weakness of that lineup (if you have the time)? I always appreciate your analysis. I am a big tennis fan (and play it myself), but more of the pro tour than on the collegiate level.

No worries! I think the top two of the lineup are fairly set--Michaela Gordon at 1 and Emily Arbuthnott at 2. After that, it depends on how much Lele expects of freshman Angelica Blake. I expect her to be in the lineup, but precisely where is yet to be determined. We'll also have Janice Shin, Emma Higuchi, and one of the sophomores--either Madurawe or Choy. My sense, based on limited appearances last year, is that Madurawe has a slight edge over Choy, but I think it's pretty even.  Here's what I'd like to see:

1. Gordon
2. Arbuthnott
3. Blake
4. Shin
5. Madurawe
6. Higuchi

Gordon is, if anything, even more comfortable at #1 and should be a little more successful for us there. The concern isn't really with Michaela (or with Madurawe or Higuchi, for that matter) but with Arbuthnott and Shin playing higher in the lineup, as they haven't shown throughout the fall season that they're ready to hold down a spot in the top half of the lineup. I'm very bullish on Angelica Blake, though, so if she plays #3, that means Shin slides up just one spot from last year. 

Overall, we've been spoiled by having Lord and Lampl playing #2 and #3 the last couple of years, meaning that with Gordon at #1, we effectively had a 1, 1A, and 1B situation going on. Now, it's a much clearer dropoff after Gordon, meaning we can anticipate more losses at the 2, 3, and 4 lines than we're used to seeing from this team. As always, our strength is in our depth, but unlike past years when we had a few players who were plausible #1s or #2s, it seems like our depth is a little more concentrated at the back of the lineup. That's great if we run into some injuries, but it means we could take more losses in the middle of the lineup than we're used to seeing. 

I wouldn't be surprised to see Higuchi higher in the lineup, or Blake lower, but that's probably close to what we're looking at. And really, with Higuchi having taken the entire fall season off for unknown reasons (presumably an injury), it's always possible we won't see Higuchi in the lineup at all if she's got a nagging injury.

[ColoradoTree]

This year, we're unlikely to have more than one freshman play. We have a junior at #1, a senior at #2, and another senior and junior somewhere else in the top 6, with either two sophomores rounding out the lineup or, more likely, a sophomore and one freshman (Blake). We lost the great trio of Lord/Lampl/Yee, of course, but we're always losing great players to graduation. We keep plugging in new ones and a weaker non-conference slate isn't going to help them get better. 

I am sorry if you've mentioned this before in another thread, but what is the singles lineup you expect from the team this year? Could you provide a quick general analysis too of the strength/weakness of that lineup (if you have the time)? I always appreciate your analysis. I am a big tennis fan (and play it myself), but more of the pro tour than on the collegiate level.

No worries! I think the top two of the lineup are fairly set--Michaela Gordon at 1 and Emily Arbuthnott at 2. After that, it depends on how much Lele expects of freshman Angelica Blake. I expect her to be in the lineup, but precisely where is yet to be determined. We'll also have Janice Shin, Emma Higuchi, and one of the sophomores--either Madurawe or Choy. My sense, based on limited appearances last year, is that Madurawe has a slight edge over Choy, but I think it's pretty even.  Here's what I'd like to see:

1. Gordon
2. Arbuthnott
3. Blake
4. Shin
5. Madurawe
6. Higuchi

Gordon is, if anything, even more comfortable at #1 and should be a little more successful for us there. The concern isn't really with Michaela (or with Madurawe or Higuchi, for that matter) but with Arbuthnott and Shin playing higher in the lineup, as they haven't shown throughout the fall season that they're ready to hold down a spot in the top half of the lineup. I'm very bullish on Angelica Blake, though, so if she plays #3, that means Shin slides up just one spot from last year. 

Overall, we've been spoiled by having Lord and Lampl playing #2 and #3 the last couple of years, meaning that with Gordon at #1, we effectively had a 1, 1A, and 1B situation going on. Now, it's a much clearer dropoff after Gordon, meaning we can anticipate more losses at the 2, 3, and 4 lines than we're used to seeing from this team. As always, our strength is in our depth, but unlike past years when we had a few players who were plausible #1s or #2s, it seems like our depth is a little more concentrated at the back of the lineup. That's great if we run into some injuries, but it means we could take more losses in the middle of the lineup than we're used to seeing. 

I wouldn't be surprised to see Higuchi higher in the lineup, or Blake lower, but that's probably close to what we're looking at. And really, with Higuchi having taken the entire fall season off for unknown reasons (presumably an injury), it's always possible we won't see Higuchi in the lineup at all if she's got a nagging injury.