http://www.tennisrecruiting.net/article.asp?id=1989

Well done.

This should please even our resident tennis malcontent(s)

(08-05-2014 02:36 PM)07owl Wrote:  This should please even our resident tennis malcontent(s)

I'm not holding my breath. But, it seems to be great news for the program.

Quote:In 2011, Hansen stood at 87 in his class and has risen steadily to 62, then to 29, and now is up to his 2014 high of 16. [Editor's Note: Hansen will be rated a Blue Chip recruit when the Top Prospect Ratings are released in September.]

I don't know much about tennis recruiting, but this seems pretty good.

I wonder what college they'll assign him to.

(08-05-2014 09:02 PM)texd Wrote:  I wonder what college they'll assign him to.

I share his name, so if he's like me, he'll go to Lovett.

EOL,RRF!

(08-05-2014 09:02 PM)texd Wrote:  I wonder what college they'll assign him to.

There was a Hanson at Hanszen while I was there (early 90's).

(08-05-2014 10:21 PM)chrisc Wrote:  

(08-05-2014 09:02 PM)texd Wrote:  I wonder what college they'll assign him to.

There was a Hanson at Hanszen while I was there (early 90's).

And when I was there (mid-60's).

If he's top 5 in Texas, and top 20 in the recruiting lists, he's a pretty darn good get, maybe the best in a long time. And he appears to be on the rise. Click on his profile. He's a 5-star recruit. 9-7 record vs blue chippers. That's a pretty amazing photo on his serve. The article mentions he's extremely fast, sounds like an amazing athlete.

Jacob is seeded 18th at this week's USTA U18 Nationals in Kalamazoo. He won his first two matches, but lost decisively Tuesday -- 6-0, 6-1 -- to the 9th seed.

(08-06-2014 12:08 AM)Buho00 Wrote:  If he's top 5 in Texas, and top 20 in the recruiting lists, he's a pretty darn good get, maybe the best in a long time. And he appears to be on the rise. Click on his profile. He's a 5-star recruit. 9-7 record vs blue chippers. That's a pretty amazing photo on his serve. The article mentions he's extremely fast, sounds like an amazing athlete.

Well, if he's really 5'7 like the article says, might need to jump like that to get leverage/power on the serve

Given that the professional men's game is all about power these days, this recruit doesn't realistically project to having a professional career at 5'7''. I've known far too many exceptional teenage tennis stars flaming out as they get older. Often, it is because other taller players who were awkward in their teens grow into their body over time and can simply over-power the smaller, speedy ones.

On the other hand, perhaps he is precisely the sort of recruit Rice should be attracting. He may realize his pro potential is limited, so he seeks out an academically prestigious school close to where his parents currently live. He can still have a great collegiate career. I do agree with Dr. K that Rice should always expect to have Top 25 programs in the 'country club' sports.

(08-06-2014 12:20 PM)Bay Area Owl Wrote:  Given that the professional men's game is all about power these days, this recruit doesn't realistically project to having a professional career at 5'7''. I've known far too many exceptional teenage tennis stars flaming out as they get older. Often, it is because other taller players who were awkward in their teens grow into their body over time and can simply over-power the smaller, speedy ones.

On the other hand, perhaps he is precisely the sort of recruit Rice should be attracting. He may realize his pro potential is limited, so he seeks out an academically prestigious school close to where his parents currently live. He can still have a great collegiate career. I do agree with Dr. K that Rice should always expect to have Top 25 programs in the 'country club' sports.

The kid is only 17 years of age....and many, many boys/men don't go into their final growth spurt until their early 20s. Give the kid a break.

Harold Solomon was about 5'6". Different era, I know. But he did OK at Rice.

I think Jacob Hansen can have a successful career at Rice, but it's very clear that professional tennis players increasingly require a degree of height. He might still grow an inch or two, but a pro 6'3' player who can move well will have a decided advantage over a 5'7" or 5'9" player.

This won't be the first time anyone has said this about a 5'7" tennis player, but it's similar to Jowan Davis or Cameron Nwosu. Neither Davis nor Nwosu project well into the NFL, but they can still have flourishing collegiate careers. A sliver of possibility exists in making the pros, but it's certainly not likely. Frankly, this is the sort of athlete Rice can best attract for four years: great talent at the high school and college level but not projecting well as a pro.


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/25/sports...wanted=all

<< (...) But the trend toward taller players is indisputable, he said, while stopping short of proclaiming the sky as the limit.

“I don’t think the tour will become a 6-7, 6-8 tour,” Ljubicic said. “Yes, if you are that size, it could be an advantage, but tennis, I think, will be more about 6-5, where you can make the most out of the height without giving up too much in the other areas. And if the tall guy can move really well, then you have something special.”
(...)
Tennis players have been getting bigger for years. When Lendl emerged as a force in the early 1980s, rare was the top-ranked man who was more than 6 feet. A decade later, Andre Agassi, at 5-11, and especially Michael Chang, at 5-9, were considered undersized overachievers. >>

Would like him to be taller of course, but his size hasn't stopped him from being a top 20 recruit. If his game was based on overpowering opponents his height would be a liability, but sounds like he's a grinder who moves well. For the college game height will not be much of an issue if he's explosive. For the ATP Tour, it's a different story, but David Ferrer has been a top 10 player for years now and he's about the same size, although he's the exception.


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