Gators head coach Bryan Shelton likes way his team is playing entering NCAA Tournament's Round of 16. (Photo: Alex de la Osa/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: Gators Face SEC Path to Final Four
Friday, May 18, 2018 | Men's Tennis, Scott Carter
The UF men's tennis team has an opportunity to advance to the Elite Eight with a victory over Ole Miss on Friday night.
As the Gators waited for the NCAA singles finals to start, first they had to pause a couple of days for the team finals to play out. It's an experience UF head coach Bryan Shelton said motivated his team and allowed the Gators to imagine themselves continuing on in the biggest event of the college season.
The Gators get their shot tonight in Winston Salem, N.C., when they face Southeastern Conference rival Ole Miss in the Round of 16.
"There will still be some nerves. This is the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. I think we all know what's at stake,'' said Shelton, in his sixth season. "These moments come by so infrequently that you've got to enjoy them when you are a part of it."
A victory over the Rebels is the surest way for the Gators to appreciate the moment. The Gators are trying to advance to the NCAA quarterfinals for only the second time since Shelton took over the program. They advanced to the Elite Eight in 2016 before losing to the Cavaliers, who have won four the last five national titles but were knocked out in the second round by Columbia.
Instead of possibly facing Virginia again with the season on the line, the Gators are in an All-SEC bracket to get to the Final Four. The winner of the Florida-Ole Miss match faces the Alabama-Texas A&M winner for a berth in the national semifinals.
?? If coach's speech doesn't get you pumped, I don't know what will ??#NCAATennis #GoGators #GatorWayBestWay pic.twitter.com/JPj4y0hN2s
— Gators Men's Tennis (@GatorsMTN) May 18, 2018
Andy Andrade is one of three freshmen unfamiliar with those recent exits from the tournament. He is more interested in Florida's 6-1 win over the Rebels on March 23.
"We already took out Ole Miss in the SEC,'' Andrade said. "We feel confident about our chances."
The first time the Gators (18-9) faced the Rebels (16-12) was during their best stretch of the season, a five-match winning streak they capped with a win where they are now: against then-No. 1-ranked Wake Forest.
The Gators then lost back-to-back matches at South Carolina and Texas A&M, but have won five of six since, including a pair of 4-0 shutouts over South Carolina State and Miami at home last weekend to advance.
Shelton, who won a national title as Georgia Tech's women's coach in 2007, is optimistic the Gators are where they need to be mentally and physically for its rematch with Ole Miss, which upset Duke and Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif., to advance.
"They [Rebels] are playing their best tennis right now, which is the time you want to peak,'' he said. "I feel like we're starting to peak as well. I feel very confident about what we're doing."
If they get by Ole Miss, the Gators would prefer to see Alabama. They defeated the Crimson Tide in the regular season but lost both matches to the Aggies.
The Gators are seeking their third trip in school history to the national semifinals and first in 13 years.
"I think every player on the team knows how good we are,'' Andrade said. "I don't feel like there is any fear in us."
The Gators have the attitude. Time to see how it translates on the court.
The veterans saw what can happen when everything falls into place by watching Virginia a year ago.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
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