Spartans Aiming for First NCAA Tournament Win, Face Undefeated Denver Friday

BOSTON, Mass. –Men’s Tennis kicks off its second NCAA Tournament in program history Friday at 11 a.m. in the round of 64 as the Boston regional two seed takes on third-seeded and undefeated Denver.

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The winner of Friday’s match will face either fourth-seeded and Patriot League champs Boston University or national No. 12 and regional hosts Harvard. The Spartans enter the big dance 22-6, 5-3 on neutral courts, coming off a dramatic loss, 3-4 at the hands of Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal on Saturday, April 27.

MSU in the NCAA Tournament

In a season of program firsts MSU will seek it’s first ever NCAA Tournament win. The only other time MSU has earned entry into the tournament was in 2013 as the Spartans would fall to Tulsa in the first round and finish the season 14-14.

Head Coach Harry Jadun was a sophomore playing at No. 6 singles on that team. Fast forward eleven years and in his second season at the helm of the program Jadun has turned around a program that hadn’t won more than 15 games in the last decade and went 11-14 in his first year in charge to a season of several program first in 2024, namely a program-best 22 wins.

MSU Submitted Lineup

Singles

1. Ozan Baris | So. – Okemos, Mich. | 16-3 dual, 28-6 overall, ITA #9
2. Ronald Hohmann III | Gr. – Oyster Bay, N.Y. | 13-10 dual, 21-14 overall, ITA #53
3. Aristotelis Thanos | R-Fr. – Athens, Greece | 13-3 dual, 13-3 overall
4. Sebastien Collard | Gr. – Gatineau, Quebec | 13-10 dual, 17-15 overall
5. Max Sheldon | Jr. – Arlington Heights, Ill. | 15-6 dual, 22-9 overall
6. David Saye | So. – Charlotte, N.C. | 11-7 dual, 12-7 overall

 
Doubles

1. Ozan Baris/Aristotelis Thanos | 4-0 dual, 4-0 overall, ITA #65
2. Ronald Hohmann III/Taym Alazmeh | 2-3 dual, 2-3 overall
3. Graydon Lair/Max Sheldon | 7-2 dual, 7-2 overall

 
Scouting Denver
The Pioneers are the nation’s only undefeated team at 23-0, having also won the Summit League regular season and tournament titles.

Ranked No. 43 in the May 2 ITA rankings update, DU only faced one other ranked opponent during the regular season, besting No. 62 Oregon 4-1. The Pioneers played four common opponents as the Spartans during the regular season: Western Michigan (DU: 5-2, MSU: 6-1), Purdue (DU: 4-3, MSU: 5-2), Boise State (DU: 5-2, MSU: 5-2, 4-1) and Wisconsin…