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.

This week, we take an extensive look at the #6 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels.

After falling in the round-of-16 at last year’s NCAA Tournament, Head Coach Sam Paul’s squad will be out to prove that result was a fluke, and set their sights on a national title in 2019.

The Tar Heels return five of their top-six from last season, which should make for a smooth transition to dual-match play in January.

With another stellar freshman joining the roster this year, UNC could very well be the ACC favorites heading into the spring.

2017-2018 Season Stats

Overall: 24-6

Conference: 11-1

Home: 15-2

Away: 6-0

Neutral: 3-4

ACC Tournament: Finalists

UNC’s Squad

Daniel Belovs, So.

William Blumberg, Jr.

Blaine Boyden, Sr.

Brian Cernoch , Fr.

Ladd Harrison, Jr.

Mac Kiger, So.

Anu Kodali, Sr.

Kavir Kumar, Jr.

Josh Peck, Jr.

Arturo Schmidt, Sr.

Benjamin Sigouin, So.

Simon Soendergaard, Jr.

Outlook

With Robert Kelly being the only senior to graduate last year, Coach Paul will have an experienced group to bring into battle in 2018-19. There’s no doubt losing Kelly will sting a little though. Last season’s team captain was rock solid in both singles and doubles throughout his career in Chapel Hill.

Kelly was two-time All-American in doubles (2016,2017) and surpassed 100 career victories in singles and doubles for his hometown university. His leadership and production on the court will most definitely be missed.

The good news for Tar Heel fans is that everyone else from last season’s team will be back on the court this year. Bo Boyden, Anu Kodali, and Arturo Schmidt return for their final season in the classic powder blue uniforms.

Boyden will once again be a staple for UNC in the lower part of the lineup. He’s won a ton of matches already in his career, and I expect him to go out with a bang in his final season.

Kodali and Schmidt haven’t seen the court quite as much, but they are both excellent players to have on the team for depth purposes. If called upon, they will be more than capable of grinding out some wins.

Will Blumberg, Ladd Harrison, Kavir Kumar, Josh Peck, and Simon Soendergaard are all returning as juniors.

I’ve gone on record saying that Blumberg could easily be the most talented player in college tennis. He should remain in the top-5 singles rankings throughout the year, with a great shot at an individual national championship this May. Blumberg’s presence in the #1 position affects the entire team in a positive way.

Peck and Soendergaard are two physically imposing guys that have both international experience and big-time college experience. As upperclassmen, Coach Paul may rely on them even more to pick up much-needed victories for the Heels.

Daniel Belovs, Mac Kiger, and Ben Sigouin are also back for their second seasons in Chapel Hill. Sigouin was the top-ranked recruit last year as a freshman and had an outstanding season for UNC in the #2 position.

When Blumberg and Sigouin are playing their best tennis, they can be the top 1-2 combo in the country.

Kiger was terrific in his first season as well, finding a home in the lower part of the lineup in singles and doubles. His versatility and competitiveness make him ideal for that role. Expect him to rack up some more wins in his sophomore campaign.

Coach Paul went out and replaced Kelly with a coveted recruit in Brian Cernoch. The top-10 blue chip seems to have acclimated to the college game based on his results this fall. Under the guidance of Coach Paul and Associate Head Coach Tripp Phillips, Cernoch could quickly become a phenomenal college player.

The 2018-19 version of the Tar Heels is loaded with experience. That’s what stands out to me most. With only one freshman on the roster, the majority of this squad has been there and done that when it comes to the big-time matches. Surely this experience will bode well for UNC this spring.

As far as the lineup is concerned, Blumberg and Sigouin should be penciled in at #1 and #2, respectively. Soendergaard has experience at #3, while Cernoch, Boyden, and Kiger should round out the top-6.

Whichever way Coach Paul chooses to go, he will have a great deal of experience and depth to work with.

Cracked Take

The ACC is always one of the best conferences in the country. Almost every match is a battle, and the difference between winning and losing can come down to just a few minor details. I think this Tar Heel squad will be up to the task.

The talent from top-to-bottom is certainly right up there with any team in the country. The blend of their upperclassmen mixed with the younger players is really ideal. I believe UNC has what it takes to win the ACC. If they can somehow replace what they lost in Robert Kelly, there isn’t a team out there the Heels can’t beat.

Although UNC’s run in the 2018 NCAA Team Championships ended with a disappointing 4-2 defeat to the USC Trojans in the round of 16, the Tar Heels were extremely impressive prior to the loss.

The men from Chapel Hill scored two convincing 4-0 victories in the tournament against Campbell and Tennessee, before suffering their setback to the Trojans.

This should be a top-five team for pretty much the entire season. Coach Paul has the necessary tools to have his squad in serious contention come tournament time.

Can they win the national title? Yes, I think the Tar Heels have what it takes to win it all in May.

It’s a matter of staying relatively healthy, and coming up clutch in crunch time. Can the Heels’ stars shine brightest when it really matters the most? That’s what it boils down to. The ability is there. Now they just have to go out and prove it.

UNC 2019 Schedule

UNC has not yet released their spring schedule for 2019. Stay tuned with Cracked Racquets for an update on notable matchups for the 2019 NCAA season.

Reader Poll

How will the Tar Heels do in the 2019 season? This is the 2018 NCAA Championship team.

ACC Champions, but they falter in the NCAA tournament.

Finish top 3 in the ACC, 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 North Carolina men? Make sure to take the poll, or let us know your thoughts in the comments below.