Barnaby Smith Signs with Texas A&M Men’s Tennis
Sep 20, 2017 | Men's Tennis
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M men's tennis head coach Steve Denton confirmed Wednesday the signing of elite junior prospect Barnaby Smith of Great Britain to the Aggies' 2018 recruiting class and is set to begin classes in January.
"Kevin and I are so excited that Barney chose Texas A&M," Denton said. "He is a big strong player with tremendous fire power. He plays with a ton of heart and fight that the 12th Man will really enjoy. We look for Barney to make an immediate impact on our lineup."
One of the world's best junior talents, Smith earned a UTR of 13.71 and a No. 62 ITF Ranking in April of 2017. Smith is no stranger to elite competition, the right-hander played in all of the Junior Grand Slams this year; the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. The High Wycombe, Great Britain native, picked up wins at Wimbledon, French Open and Australian Open Junior Championships this season.
"Barney is a great kid and fits our culture perfectly," Texas A&M men's tennis assistant coach Kevin O'Shea said. "His heart and fight remind me of Aggie greats Marcus Lunt and Matt Bain. The guy battles every point and will make his teammates better."
Smith advanced to the semifinals at the Trofeo Juan Carlos Ferrero Grade 1 tournament in both singles and doubles, winning a trio of singles matches and a pair of doubles contests in Spain. A couple days after departing Spain, Smith reached the semifinals at the 42nd City of Florence in Florence Italy. In February of 2017, Smith advanced to the finals of the Siauliai Open in Siauliai, Lithuania; winning four matches in four days.
"I chose to attend Texas A&M because I believe it's the best place for me to strive as a student and as tennis player," Smith said. "Most importantly I see being an Aggie as the best opportunity for me to grow as an individual with the great coaching staff in place in College Station. Gig'em!"
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M men's tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M men's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieMTEN or on Facebook at Facebook.com/AggieMensTennis.
"Kevin and I are so excited that Barney chose Texas A&M," Denton said. "He is a big strong player with tremendous fire power. He plays with a ton of heart and fight that the 12th Man will really enjoy. We look for Barney to make an immediate impact on our lineup."
One of the world's best junior talents, Smith earned a UTR of 13.71 and a No. 62 ITF Ranking in April of 2017. Smith is no stranger to elite competition, the right-hander played in all of the Junior Grand Slams this year; the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. The High Wycombe, Great Britain native, picked up wins at Wimbledon, French Open and Australian Open Junior Championships this season.
"Barney is a great kid and fits our culture perfectly," Texas A&M men's tennis assistant coach Kevin O'Shea said. "His heart and fight remind me of Aggie greats Marcus Lunt and Matt Bain. The guy battles every point and will make his teammates better."
Smith advanced to the semifinals at the Trofeo Juan Carlos Ferrero Grade 1 tournament in both singles and doubles, winning a trio of singles matches and a pair of doubles contests in Spain. A couple days after departing Spain, Smith reached the semifinals at the 42nd City of Florence in Florence Italy. In February of 2017, Smith advanced to the finals of the Siauliai Open in Siauliai, Lithuania; winning four matches in four days.
"I chose to attend Texas A&M because I believe it's the best place for me to strive as a student and as tennis player," Smith said. "Most importantly I see being an Aggie as the best opportunity for me to grow as an individual with the great coaching staff in place in College Station. Gig'em!"
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M men's tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M men's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieMTEN or on Facebook at Facebook.com/AggieMensTennis.
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