Talked to Brad Dancer Sunday morning.

     Asked him about his tennis team's 6-1 loss to number five Virginia on January 23rd.

     His response:  "I didn't have them ready to play.  My fault."

     What kind of talk is that from a coach??   No calling out certain players?  No faulting this guy or that guy for not giving 100%?    No getting some bad calls?   THEY - meaning the players - must have the mental toughness to take on a team like Virginia?  Don't many coaches lean on that kind of stuff?

     No, none of that.  It was:  "I didn't have them ready to play.  My fault."

     Now, here's a guy worth listening to.

     Yes, he did get up in the middle of the night to watch Nadal beat Federer in a 4 1/2 hour 5-setter in the finals of the Australian Open.  Yes, he was heading to Atkins late Sunday morning to get some work done.

     We talked of the possibility that winning a major tennis tournament is the toughest individual  test in the world of sports.   You need six wins against the best players in the world.  Sometimes the wins can take 3-4 hours each.  Unlike golf there is no standing around staring at a putt or leisurely walking from tee to green.  And, in tennis, you can hit what appears to be a perfect shot and someone hits it back.  Not so in golf.  

     Or, how about the sprinter who wins Olympic gold - and his time in competition is measured in nine to ten seconds ?

     Oh, heck, it's just fun to talk - and argue - about.

     Dancer said his team has had solid workouts since the loss to Virginia.  His guys are young and eager and filled with potential.   But, there is a long way to go.  Even in the Big Ten where Ohio State looms as the nation's number-one team - and Michigan is ranked right alongside the Illini.

     Three straight home matches - against Duke on Feb 6,  Tennessee on Feb 7,  and Florida on Feb 10 - should provide some exciting tennis at Atkins for Dancer's troops.  Let's hope a lot of folks get over to Atkins to share in it.

     I hope the Illini Nation realizes what a jewel we have in Brad Dancer.

    We all wondered what would happen when Craig Tiley left.  Could anyone possibly follow him and maintain the high class, highly ranked tennis program that Tiley built from the ground up?

     Now we know.