Steve Denton & Co. host postseason tennis at Mitchell this weekend

The first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament will be contested at the Mitchell Tennis Center this weekend as Texas A&M men's tennis is the No. 16 overall seed. During Thursday's edition of TexAgs Live, head coach Steve Denton previewed A&M's May 3 match with Rice.

Key notes from Steve Denton interview

• This is the culmination of all the things you've gone through this season to see if you can play your best tennis at the end to have a good run in the NCAA Tournament.
   
• We had a difficult schedule. We play all the top teams. I don't want to pad our stats. I want to give our guys real tests along the way. They can be challenged and play their best tennis. We also got them some rest to make sure they're fresh going into the tournament. It's now full-steam ahead, and we're looking forward to playing on Saturday.
   
• When you get into SEC play, you don't have a choice with your schedule, and you don't have any easy matches. We try to play a difficult non-conference schedule as well. When we're able to do that, you can get some wins against the top teams in the country, which should elevate everyone. We play a tough schedule for the conference and each one of our players so they're equipped to play professional tennis after college.
   
• First off, we were fortunate to host, honestly. We had to depend on UCLA to beat Ohio State because we had beaten UCLA earlier in the year. Ohio State had lost three home matches in the last 20 years, so that was surprising. We leapfrogged some teams, and then we jumped ahead of UCLA on head-to-head. To get to play at home in front of the 12th Man is important. Our last match at home was a tough match against Texas, so to come back again, I know they're excited to play at home.
   
• We played Rice in the regular season, but this will be a different team. They're on a hot streak, and they won their conference by beating Memphis and South Florida. We're going to have to respect them and be ready to play.
   
• When you get in the tournament, you can't look ahead. You have to look at the team that's right in front of you, and that's Rice. You have to stay in the present, and that's really true in a sport like tennis. You have to stay in the present in matches and go point by point. If you get ahead of yourself, you lose focus.
   
• Theo Papamalamis has had a remarkable year. He got to the semifinals at Wimbledon as a junior and had plenty of international experience, but he came in here right away playing the No. 1, and he has played the whole season there. He didn't have a fall to ease himself into college tennis. He has had a lot of growing pains, and the maturing process is extended. He never has free and easy matches, but overall, he has handled it well considering all the factors against him. He knows, as well as I do, that he's significantly better than when he got here six months ago. Hopefully, he can carry that forward into the NCAA Tournament, the summer and into next year.
   
• JC Roddick has not been good. He hasn't been able to play for the last three or four weeks with a back problem, and he's likely not going to play for us the rest of the season. You can make the choice to put guys out there, but you're risking their future. He wants to play pro tennis, and we don't want to keep him from doing that. His presence is felt. He's very vocal at our matches and in his leadership off the court. He'd love to be out there, and it's killing him not to be able to play. He's not going to be able to complete his career here, but he has equipped himself to have a good pro career.
   
• Togan Tokac and Papamalamis are currently ranked No. 4 in the country in doubles. They mesh really well. Tokac is a great leader for Papamalamis. Togan is an accomplished doubles player. They serve and volley well together. They move well together. They have played against a lot of good teams and had success. They're playing with a fair amount of confidence right now.
   
• It's a mix of young players and veterans. What I like about this team in particular is that, typically, by the end of the season, your veteran players step up and play their best tennis. You can see a senior-laden team make a good run in basketball because they know what's expected, because they've been there before.
   
• We'll play Rice at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, and Nebraska and Baylor will play at 10 a.m. Our women will play their second round — if they win on Friday, which I anticipate happening — at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday. There is a lot of good tennis on Saturday. If we beat Rice, we'll play at 2 p.m. on Sunday in the second round. The winner will likely go on to Wake Forest, which is expected to host a super regional next weekend.
   
• Mary Stoiana has been an incredible player for A&M, and her belief system has been infectious for the rest of the team. She never thinks she can't win. It helps a ton when your best player is your hardest worker. That resonates down the lineup. It has been a great four years for her and Mark Weaver. She leads by example. One of the great things I heard from Novak Djokovic one time is that your beliefs have to be greater than your doubts. A young player like Stoiana and other great players have that in great moments. She doesn't question herself.