Nov. 15, 2013
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s men’s tennis program has signed three prospects to letters of intent, all three ranked in the nation’s top 100 according to the Tennis Recruiting Network, head coach Kenny Thorne announced Friday.
Christopher Eubanks of Atlanta’s Westlake High School, ranked 20th in the nation and the No. 2 player in Georgia, signed Wednesday along with Michael Kay of Alpharetta, Ga., ranked No. 54, and Daniel Yun of Marietta, Ga., ranked No. 90.
“This is another top national class of recruits who know the value of a Georgia Tech degree,” said Thorne. “They will excel in the classroom and earn their degrees. We are excited that all three of these guys are local Georgia residents and are having significant tennis results on the national level. We also know that these are the type of guys that Georgia Tech will be proud to represent us.
“These guys are all on their way up and that is what I like in a recruiting class. They are very good right now but eager to get better and therefore they will. We are building a team of tough competitors and are excited about the direction of the program.”
Eubanks is rated a Blue Chip prospect, the highest level possible in the Tennis Recruiting Network’s rankings. He has compiled a 48-6 overall record in 2013, including a 3-3 mark against other Blue Chip players and an 11-2 record against 5-star players. He won six rounds in the USTA Nationals at Kalamazoo including a pair of wins over top-15 players.
He won the One Love Tennis Junior Super Championship (straight-set wins in all four matches) and the Georgia State Closed Junior Challenger (straight-set wins in all five matches) in 2013, and made finals of Southern Closed, where he lost to current Tech freshman Will Showers in finals). He also was a member of the winning team at the USTA National Boys’ 18 Team Championships, and scored final point for Southern team in the finals. He has played in the BB&T Atlanta Open each of the past two years, and partnered with Michael Kay to win the Norcross USTA Regional in October.
“Chris is a player that is on the rise and had some huge success this past summer,” said Thorne. “He hadn’t played as many tournaments as some of the other players around the country, so he had to do well at the Southern Closed Championships this past summer in order to qualify for nationals. He showed a lot of poise and he made the finals there. He went on to beat some of the best players in the nation. He is a tall player with a big serve and forehand that will only get better every year of college. He will benefit from our strength coach, Mike Bewley, who does an incredible job with our incoming freshman. It will be fun to watch this guy develop, and see how his vibrant personality brings his teammates together.”
Kay, who attended Lauren Springs School and Rivers Academy in Alpharetta, is the brother of current Tech sophomore Casey Kay. The younger Kay is a 5-star prospect according to the Tennis Recruiting Network, ranked No. 54 nationally and No. 6 in the state of Georgia. He has compiled a 52-29 tournament record in 2013, including a 4-8 mark against Blue Chip players, 14-18 against 5-star players and 11-2 against 4-star players.
Kay reached the quarterfinals of Southern Spring Closed Championships and the Bullfrog USTA Southern Boys, while advancing to the round of 16 at Winter Southern Closed Championships and the Georgia State Closed Qualifying Championships. He defeated four players ranked No. 39 or higher, and was part of a doubles team that knocked off the No. 2 seed at the USTA Nationals in Kalamazoo.
“Michael is a natural fit with his brother already being on the team,” said Thorne. “He knows what to expect, and he is a fighter. He is a player that seems to rise to the occasion. He took down the No. 2 team in the nation in doubles at the biggest national tennis tournament this past summer. He recently made the finals of a singles tournament beating some of the best players in the South which made him one of the best players in the South. He is on his way up, and his potential is huge. He will benefit from playing at a high level every day in practice where his game can flourish. He is going to bring some excitement and energy to the team as well. I’m excited to see him compete for us.”
Yun attends Lassiter High School in Marietta, Ga., and has a national ranking of No. 90 on the Tennis Recruiting Network, No. 11 in Georgia. He has gone 44-28 overall in 2013, 3-5 against Blue Chip players, 7-12 vs. 5-star and 15-10 vs. 4-star. Among his wins was a straight-set win over No. 29 Matthew Mendez and he reached the quarterfinals of the 2013 Bullfrog BG18-16 Designated event.
“Daniel is a player on his way up, and he is a great athlete and mover on the court,” said Thorne. “His coach, Stephen Diaz, has done a great job in developing him so that he is coming into his game this year. He is another player that can beat the top players in the nation which he did recently in a tournament in Raleigh, N.C. He beat the No. 2 player in the South. So he can play and now, he knows he can play, a good combination. We are looking forward to working with Daniel because of his work-ethic and eagerness to learn.”
