The LSU men’s tennis team is on an 11-day hiatus.
But the Tigers will have to shake off the rust starting today when their postseason fate is determined. The NCAA tournament selection show begins at 4 p.m. on ESPNews.
Head coach Jeff Brown said the team feels good, mentally and physically, going into the postseason.
“Right after [the Southeastern Conference tournament] we took a couple of days off and let people get their legs back and get that fresh feeling,” Brown said. “They’ve played so much right now that they’re not really missing the matches so much. By next week, it’ll have been two-and-a-half to three weeks [without playing], and we’ll start chomping at the bit.”
No. 19 LSU (13-10) scored six victories this season against top 40 teams. The Tigers defeated No. 13 Kentucky, No. 14 Texas, No. 23 Auburn, No. 36 Arkansas (twice) and No. 39 Mississippi State.
Brown said the Tigers should deserve a high seed in the tournament.
“We’ll take wherever we go,” Brown said. “I quit hoping a few years ago, it doesn’t do you any good. We should be a two seed. Beyond that, I’ll let the NCAA do what they do.”
Playing a tough SEC schedule may benefit the Tigers. Seven of LSU’s 10 losses came to top 20 SEC foes — No. 2 Florida, No. 6 Vanderbilt, No. 8 Ole Miss, No. 13 Kentucky, No. 16 Alabama, No. 18 South Carolina and No. 20 Georgia.
The Tigers also lost out of conference games to No. 1 Illinois, No. 10 Texas A&M and No. 37 Southern Methodist University.
LSU stumbled to the finish, however, winning only two of its last six matches.
But Brown said the Tigers recent slide will be foiled by an LSU team whose members are close, on and off the court.
“They get along real well, which isn’t always the case on a team,” Brown said. “By the end of the year, sometimes you’re ready to get away from each other. All the guys on this team will be on next year’s team, so I think they see this as a long term project. They get along really well, so we’ll see what that does for us.”