Photo by: Analisa Navarrete/Texas A&M Athletics
Men’s Tennis Inks Pair of Blue Chippers
Nov 11, 2020 | Men's Tennis
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M men's tennis head coach Steve Denton formally announced the signing of a pair of blue chip recruits Wednesday. The duo of Luke Casper and Giulio Perego are among the nation's best high school seniors.
"Coach O'Shea and I have put a tremendous amount of time into this recruiting class," Denton said. "It was a tough task to navigate the last several months, but we are thrilled to welcome Luke and Giulio to the Texas A&M tennis family. We are confident that this class will carry on the great tradition of our men's tennis program."
After Casper and Perego signed with the Aggies, Texas A&M has inked 15 blue-chip recruits in the last 14 seasons, when Denton began coaching in Aggieland. Previous blue chippers that donned the Maroon & White include Austin Krajicek, Wil Spencer, Jackson Withrow, Junior Ore, Jeremy Efferding, Shane Vinsant, Harrison Adams, Jordi Arconada, AJ Catanzariti, Hady Habib, Patrick Kypson, Noah Schachter and Pierce Rollins. Of those 14 blue chippers that have completed a season with the Aggies, 11 student-athletes have earned 18 All-American honors.
Casper reached as high as number four on the national junior tennis rankings according to tennisrecruiting.net and earned a career-high 12.80 UTR rating in late 2019. Casper claimed a pair of gold balls after winning the boys 16 title in the USTA National Winter Championships in Orlando and the USTA Boys 16 National Clay Court Championships in Delray Beach, Florida.
"Luke caught my eye early in the recruiting process with his fierce competitiveness, his tremendous explosive athletic ability and his passion for the sport," Denton said. "We are super excited to have one of the very top young Americans to come join our team in Aggieland. Luke comes from one of the most renowned tennis academies in the country that has produced numerous great American players, the Eagle Fustar Tennis Academy. Luke and his parents Mark and Stephanie both fit our culture and core values to a T."
"I am honored that I have been given the opportunity to join the Texas A&M team," Casper said. "I am looking forward to joining my teammates next year, working hard and helping to contribute to the success of the team."
Perego is originally from Milan, Italy and has been training for a couple years in Naples, Florida achieved a career-high UTR of 12.90 in the latest rating available, is one of the top-five Italian junior players and was as high as fifth on tennisrecruiting.net senior rankings. The right-hander earned a career-best junior ITF ranking of 307 after winning the Atlanta ITF tournament at the end of October.
"Giulio played the Orange Bowl last year and was very impressive," Denton said. "He has big weapons in his game with a tremendous amount of potential as a tennis player and a great passion for the game. Giulio trains at The Sanchez Casal Academy in Naples, Florida where Emilio Sanchez, one of the top singles and doubles players on the ATP tour in his day is his coach. We are super excited to have Giulio and his parents Matteo and Paola join our family."
"I chose Texas A&M because for me is the best place whether you choose to study or be an athlete," Perego said. "The thing that excites me the most is that I will be living the "American Dream" and doing it in such a great place and with such great people around me, is simply going to be a life experience that I will never forget."
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M men's tennis. Aggie fans can also keep up to date with the A&M men's tennis team on Facebook or on Twitter by following @AggieMTEN.
The 2020-21 Signing Class
Luke Casper / Santa Cruz, California
Giulio Perego / Naples, Florida
"Coach O'Shea and I have put a tremendous amount of time into this recruiting class," Denton said. "It was a tough task to navigate the last several months, but we are thrilled to welcome Luke and Giulio to the Texas A&M tennis family. We are confident that this class will carry on the great tradition of our men's tennis program."
After Casper and Perego signed with the Aggies, Texas A&M has inked 15 blue-chip recruits in the last 14 seasons, when Denton began coaching in Aggieland. Previous blue chippers that donned the Maroon & White include Austin Krajicek, Wil Spencer, Jackson Withrow, Junior Ore, Jeremy Efferding, Shane Vinsant, Harrison Adams, Jordi Arconada, AJ Catanzariti, Hady Habib, Patrick Kypson, Noah Schachter and Pierce Rollins. Of those 14 blue chippers that have completed a season with the Aggies, 11 student-athletes have earned 18 All-American honors.
Casper reached as high as number four on the national junior tennis rankings according to tennisrecruiting.net and earned a career-high 12.80 UTR rating in late 2019. Casper claimed a pair of gold balls after winning the boys 16 title in the USTA National Winter Championships in Orlando and the USTA Boys 16 National Clay Court Championships in Delray Beach, Florida.
"Luke caught my eye early in the recruiting process with his fierce competitiveness, his tremendous explosive athletic ability and his passion for the sport," Denton said. "We are super excited to have one of the very top young Americans to come join our team in Aggieland. Luke comes from one of the most renowned tennis academies in the country that has produced numerous great American players, the Eagle Fustar Tennis Academy. Luke and his parents Mark and Stephanie both fit our culture and core values to a T."
"I am honored that I have been given the opportunity to join the Texas A&M team," Casper said. "I am looking forward to joining my teammates next year, working hard and helping to contribute to the success of the team."
Perego is originally from Milan, Italy and has been training for a couple years in Naples, Florida achieved a career-high UTR of 12.90 in the latest rating available, is one of the top-five Italian junior players and was as high as fifth on tennisrecruiting.net senior rankings. The right-hander earned a career-best junior ITF ranking of 307 after winning the Atlanta ITF tournament at the end of October.
"Giulio played the Orange Bowl last year and was very impressive," Denton said. "He has big weapons in his game with a tremendous amount of potential as a tennis player and a great passion for the game. Giulio trains at The Sanchez Casal Academy in Naples, Florida where Emilio Sanchez, one of the top singles and doubles players on the ATP tour in his day is his coach. We are super excited to have Giulio and his parents Matteo and Paola join our family."
"I chose Texas A&M because for me is the best place whether you choose to study or be an athlete," Perego said. "The thing that excites me the most is that I will be living the "American Dream" and doing it in such a great place and with such great people around me, is simply going to be a life experience that I will never forget."
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M men's tennis. Aggie fans can also keep up to date with the A&M men's tennis team on Facebook or on Twitter by following @AggieMTEN.
The 2020-21 Signing Class
Luke Casper / Santa Cruz, California
Giulio Perego / Naples, Florida
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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