Three Bulldogs Earn All-SEC Honors For No. 22 MSU
April 28, 2016 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – After a successful regular season and a semifinal finish at the conference tournament, the 22nd-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team was rewarded with three players on the 2016 All-Southeastern Conference team, the league announced on Thursday.
Leading the group is junior Mate Cutura, who was named to the All-SEC First Team after a stellar year on the court. Joining Cutura is fellow junior Rishab Agarwal and freshman Nuno Borges who both were selected to the All-SEC Second Team. Additionally, Agarwal earned the program's first SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year honor, while Borges was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team.
“These are great distinctions for our guys and a testament to how hard they've been working this season,” head coach Matt Roberts said. “All three of these guys have led our team this season and watching each one of them grow and develop has been a fun process.”
For Cutura, the honor comes a year after earning All-SEC Second Team laurels. The junior defeated six ITA Singles ranked foes this spring, all coming in the No. 1 spot for the Bulldogs. Cutura was a regular in the ITA Singles Rankings himself, climbing as high as No. 22. He currently sits at No. 35 in the country.
Cutura was a force in doubles play also, along with partner Vaughn Hunter. The pair reached as high as 39th this season after defeating the nation's No. 1 tandem of Diego Hidalgo and Gordon Watson from Florida. The junior pair are now ranked 45th in the nation.
Agarwal, who makes his second-career appearance on the All-SEC Second Team, was honored after a season that saw the junior lead the Bulldogs on the court and in the classroom. The Hyderabad, India, native has earned a 21-12 record in singles this year to climb to 54th in the latest ITA Singles Rankings. Highlighting Agarwal's season was the upset of Co-SEC Freshman of the Year Ryotaro Matsumura from Kentucky, during last week's SEC Tournament.
The junior claimed the tennis program's first SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year as well on Thursday, after a 4.00 GPA in the classroom. He has appeared on the SEC All-Academic Team and is a two-time Newsom Award winner.
“Rishab has accomplished so much this season as not only an athlete, but as a student and a person,” Roberts said. “He's the type of player who every coach wants as he sets an example for our team on the court, in the classroom and in the community. I am proud of Rishab and he is very deserving of today's recognitions.”
Last week Agarwal was named to the SEC Community Service Team after his work in the Starkville Community.
Wrapping up State's honorees is freshman Borges who claimed a spot on the All-SEC Second Team and All-Freshman Team. Borges led the team in dual-match wins (18) and SEC wins (9) in his first season on the singles court for MSU. His performance at the SEC Tournament last week earned the freshman All-Tournament honors, as Borges led the Bulldogs to a semifinal finish. The Maia, Portugal, native jumped to 79th in this week's ITA Singles Rankings following his fourth ranked win.
The All-SEC First Team, Second Team and All-Freshman Team selections marked back-to-back seasons the Bulldogs have had a player make all three teams.
The Maroon and White now wait to hear their NCAA Team Championship destination. The NCAA Men's Tennis Selection Show will air on Tuesday, May 3, at 4:30 p.m. CT, on NCAA.com. The First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Team Championship will be held on May 13-15, with finals being held in Tulsa, Okla., on May 19-24.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow “HailStateMT” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
SEC AWARDS
First Team All-SEC
Mike Redlicki, Arkansas
Diego Hidalgo, Florida
Elliott Orkin, Florida
Gordon Watson, Florida
Wayne Montgomery, Georgia
Austin Smith, Georgia
William Bushamuka, Kentucky
Gustav Hansson, Ole Miss
Mate Cutura, Mississippi State
Arthur Rinderknech, Texas A&M
Shane Vinsant, Texas A&M
Daniel Valent, Vanderbilt
Second Team All-SEC
Korey Lovett, Alabama
Mazen Osama, Alabama
Jose Salazar, Arkansas
Alfredo Perez, Florida
Paul Oosterbaan, Georgia
Ryotaro Matsumura, Kentucky
Justin Butsch, LSU
Jordan Daigle, LSU
Stefan Lindmark, Ole Miss
Rishab Agarwal, Mississippi State
Nuno Borges, Mississippi State
Gabriel Friedrich, South Carolina
Luis Valero, Tennessee
Cameron Klinger, Vanderbilt
All-Freshman
Alfredo Perez, Florida
Walker Duncan, Georgia
Nuno Borges, Mississippi State
Mazen Osama, Alabama
Ryotaro Matsumura, Kentucky
Cameron Klinger, Vanderbilt
Player of the Year: Diego Hidalgo, Florida
Co-Freshman of the Year: Alfredo Perez, Florida & Ryotara Matsumura, Kentucky
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Rishab Agarwal, Mississippi State
Coach of the Year: Bryan Shelton, Florida
