Commitment Profile
Countdown: Georgia Finds Stars Close to Home
by Ron Cioffi, 4 November 2015
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It didn't take University of Georgia's coach Manny Diaz too long to find one of his recruits for the 2016-17 season. Maybe a shout down the hall of his Athens, Ga., home was enough to snag the second of his sons for the team.
It's a tactic Diaz has used before. One son, Eric, graduated from Georgia in 2015 after being a four-year letter-winner on his father's squad. Next year, his youngest son,
Alex Diaz, is slated to become a Bulldog as well.
Two other recruits from the South are also set to sign with UGA: Alex Phillips and Robert Loeb.
The youngest Diaz didn't mince words when it came to explaining his choice. "I have always wanted to play college tennis for my dad at UGA. Plus it is a great school and is always top 10 in the nation," said the 6'1" high school senior.
When asked how long he's played the game, he recalled starting on the courts, though he couldn't come up with an exact age. "I've played tennis since I could walk," he said. His father, one of the top tennis coaches in the country, dominates even the earliest memories. Not only did the apple not fall far from the tree, in Diaz's case it also didn't fall far from his roots in Athens.
"Yes, growing up and training with my dad has been a great influence on me," he said. "But it is also very tough. He doesn't treat me the same as he treats other players.
"When I was a lot younger, I would always argue with him on court because I never wanted to listen. But, as I became more mature, I realized he was saying everything I needed to hear. It's always been my dream to play for my dad when I went to college, and now the time has come."
The younger Diaz didn't just waltz into his slot on the roster. The 5-Star senior, No. 43 in the nation, just won the USTA Southern Clay Court Boys' 18s crown in early September. His other major titles this year include the Icy Hot Winter and Fall Indoor Level 2 Championships. In the fall tournament he knocked off national No. 31 Bennett Crane, of Huntersville, N.C., in straight sets.
"I think my biggest accomplishment recently was
Kalamazoo," Diaz said. "My doubles partner and I got to the round of 16 in doubles and I beat the No. 13 guy in the nation and the sixth guy in the nation in my class, both in straight sets."
With a current national recruiting No. 43 and RPI of 23, Diaz has achieved the highest rankings of his junior career. The USTA shows him as No. 190 nationally in the Boys 18s.
