Last year, Cracked Racquets introduced a series called College Tennis Contenders. This 10 week series will highlight the Oracle/ITA preseason top 10 men’s tennis teams, focusing on one team a week.

The series kicks back off with the #10 team, the University of Florida. Today, we will analyze Florida’s chances to take home the title in 2019.

After making a deep run to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament in 2018, the Gators possess the top recruiting class for this upcoming season. With an outstanding combination of youth and veteran leadership, Coach Bryan Shelton’s team will have their sights set on nothing less than a National Championship in 2019.

2017-2018 Season Stats

Overall: 19-10

Conference: 9-3

Home: 11-1

Away: 5-4

Neutral: 3-5

SEC Tournament Semifinalists

NCAA Team Championships Quarterfinalists

Florida’s Squad

Andy Andrade, So.

Brian Berdusco, So.

Greysen Cacciatore, Fr.

Harrison Cacciatore, Fr.

Oliver Crawford, So.

Lukas Greif, Fr.

Johannes Ingildsen, Jr.

McClain Kessler, Sr.

Alfredo Perez, Sr.

Sam Riffice, Fr.

Duarte Vale, So.

Outlook

After losing only one major contributor–Chase Perez-Blanco–from a year ago, there is no doubt in my mind that this Florida Gators roster is one of the most talented in the entire country. Even though Head Coach Bryan Shelton’s squad is constructed of mostly underclassmen, the three upperclassman are going to play a pivotal role during the 2018-2019 season.

Alfredo Perez, Johannes Ingildsen, and McClain Kessler have been stalwarts for the Gators ever since they arrived on campus as freshmen. Both Perez and Ingildsen have been ranked inside the top-10 in singles and doubles, while Kessler has excelled in the lower part of the lineup during his time in Gainesville. Those three will be tasked with being the captains/leaders of the team.

On top of that, Oliver Crawford, Andy Andrade, and Duarte Vale return with a year of college tennis under their belts. All three were major contributors last season in either singles or doubles. Brian Berdusco has also transferred in from Pepperdine University.

Crawford actually ended the year playing #1 singles for the Gators, so the talent on this squad is very apparent.

Of course, we cannot forget about the top recruiting class that Coach Shelton has brought in for this season. Sam Riffice and Lukas Greif arrive in Gainesville as top-10 blue-chip recruits looking to provide immediate contributions. Add-in five-star brothers Grey and Harry Cacciatore and the depth on this squad is obvious.

At this point, we really don’t know exactly how the lineup is going to shake out come dual-match time. Coach Shelton has the luxury of being able to interchange certain players depending on opponents and matchups. If anyone happens to get injured during the season, there is more than enough depth on this team to stem the tide.

Cracked Take

Florida has one of the most intriguing rosters in the country. I firmly believe these guys have enough star power, leadership, and depth to win a National Championship. The combination of veterans mixed in with the stud freshmen could create the perfect storm for Florida.

The Gators’ run in the 2018 NCAA Team Championships ended in the quarterfinals with an extremely tight 4-3 loss to Texas A&M. The Aggies ended up falling to the eventual National Champion Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the semifinals.

Despite Florida’s loss, the men from Gainesville were impressive during the tournament posting two 4-0 victories over South Carolina State and Miami, before defeating an underrated Ole Miss squad 4-3 in the round of 16.

Keep a close eye on this team throughout the dual-match season. They may have ended 2018 as the #10 team in the country, but I’m confident they will be a top-5 team throughout 2019 with a realistic shot at a National Championship if everything goes according to plan.

Florida 2019 Schedule

The Gators will play several notable non-conference matches in 2019 as they prepare for SEC play. Coach Shelton’s team will visit TCU on February 10th in a preseason top-10 matchup. UF will also host the defending National Champion Wake Forest Demon Deacons on March 13th. Finally, the Gators will welcome Big-10 powerhouse Illinois to Gainesville on March 20th.

The SEC conference slate is always daunting, but Florida will get both Texas A&M and Mississippi State at home this year. If they can pull out those matches on home soil, the Gators could put themselves in position for the top-seed in the SEC Tournament. This team will certainly be tested week-in and week-out, preparing them once again for another run at the NCAA Championships.

Reader Poll

How will the Florida Gators do in the 2019 season? This is the 2018 NCAA Championship team.

SEC Champions, but they falter in the NCAA tournament.

Finish top 3 in the SEC, make an average run in the NCAA tournament.

This team is overhyped, and will not finish in the top 10. View Results

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How do you think the season will turn out for the Florida men? Make sure to take the poll, or let us know your thoughts in the comments below.