Movement Evident in ITA Division I National Men's Team Rankings
Georgia, Illinois climb into the Top 5
ITA Division I Men's Team Rankings
SKILLMAN, NJ (Feb. 3) - For the fourth week in a row, the USC Trojans claimed the top spot in the ITA Division I National Men's Team Rankings, but the lineup of teams behind them looks much different. While Oklahoma and Virginia held steady at Nos. 2 and 3, Georgia and Illinois both moved into the Top 5.
The Bulldogs played Top 5 teams in consecutive days at the SEC/Pac-12 Showdown, topping No. 4 UCLA and falling to No. 1 USC to earn the No. 4 spot. Illinois prepared for their role as host of the ITA Division I National Men's Team Indoor Championship by bringing in Duke and North Carolina, both of whom qualified for the upcoming tournament. The Illini were edged by the Blue Devils before turning the table and recording a narrow 4-3 win over No. 6 North Carolina. Illinois now sits at No. 5, with Duke and North Carolina following at Nos. 6 and 7.
The women's rankings remain the same this week, with teams gearing up for the 2015 ITA Division I National Women's Team Indoor Championship set to begin Friday morning.
Follow the Leader: Following USC is (in order): Oklahoma, Virginia, Georgia, Illinois, Duke, North Carolina, Ohio State, Texas and a tie for No. 10 between UCLA and Baylor.
Conference Count: Top 25: SEC - 7; ACC - 5; Big 12 - 4; Pac-12 & Big Ten - 3; AAC - 2; Ivy League - 1.
New Additions: The changes weren't limited to the top of the rankings, with three teams making their debut in the Top 75. The University of Pennsylvania turned in the biggest upset of the year, topping No. 16 Penn State just one week after the Nittany Lions qualified for the ITA National Team Indoors. The Quakers come in tied at No. 51 this week.
Also new to the rankings are Brown University and UC Davis at No. 68 and 72, respectively. The Bears upset No. 50 VCU, while the Aggies ousted No. 52 Santa Clara to rise into the rankings.
Coming Up Next: The 2015 ITA Division I National Team Rankings continue next Tuesday, February 10, with a new set of women's team rankings and a break for the men's team rankings. ITA Division I National Singles and Doubles Rankings for both the men and women will also be released on Tuesday.
|
Men's Top 25 |
1/28/15 Rank |
|
1. USC |
1 |
|
2. Oklahoma |
2 |
|
3. Virginia |
3 |
|
4. Georgia |
7 |
|
5. Illinois |
8 |
|
6. Duke |
11 |
|
7. North Carolina |
6 |
|
8. Ohio State |
5 |
|
9. Texas |
9 |
|
T-10. UCLA |
4 |
|
T-10. Baylor |
10 |
|
12. Texas A&M |
15 |
|
13. California |
12 |
|
14. Florida |
17 |
|
15. Columbia |
13 |
|
16. Notre Dame |
14 |
|
17. TCU |
18 |
|
18. Wake Forest |
19 |
|
19. Ole Miss |
20 |
|
20. Tennessee |
22 |
|
21. Memphis |
25 |
|
22. Penn State |
16 |
|
T-23. Vanderbilt |
26 |
|
T-23. South Carolina |
29 |
|
25. South Florida |
21 |
About the ITA Rankings
As the governing body of college tennis, the ITA administers the ITA College Tennis Rankings (Singles, Doubles, and Team) that are designed to track the top men and women teams and singles and doubles players in NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA, Junior Colleges and California Junior Colleges. For full rankings information, please visit http://www.itatennis.com/AwardsAndRankings/Rankings.htm.