ORLANDO - Picked to place sixth in the Big 12 before charging its way into the tournament championship match, the UCF men's tennis team has now placed two key figures on the All-Conference First Team in singles, announced by the league office Wednesday afternoon.
From the clay courts of Morocco to the USTA National Campus over 4,000 miles away, Mehdi Benchakroun and Yassine Dlimi have been side-by-side through their tennis journey. Today stands as another highlight alongside each other, with each securing a place on the All-Big 12 Singles First Team.
The first two Knights to secure Big 12 honors in just the program's second season, the duo combined for 32 singles wins en route to the program's second-ever national seed, having been selected to host an NCAA Tournament region in Orlando earlier this week.
Mehdi Benchakroun | Jr.
A two-time Big 12 Player of the Week, Benchakroun boasted a 16-5 record in singles matches, with a 9-5 record on court two during the team's final stretch. With a win over ninth-ranked Jay Friend to clinch a dramatic 4-3 win over No. 10 Arizona in March, the junior consistently battled with the nation's best and progressed as the season did.
He led the squad in clinches with six, including prominent victories over Utah in the regular season and Big 12 quarterfinals. The Moroccan went 5-2 in singles play, his impact being evident in the Knights' perfect 16-0 record in dual matches where he won.
Yassine Dlimi | Jr.
Embarking on his third season with UCF and second leading the Knights' singles lineup, Dlimi authored his best campaign to date with a career-high 16 wins. The junior held it down on court one with a 13-7 record and multiple iconic victories throughout the campaign.
Wins over No. 22 Aidan Kim and No. 7 Jack Pinnongton in the program's two highest-ranked victories of all-time, over fourth-ranked Ohio State and second-ranked TCU, were highlights in an overall dominating performance when it mattered most.
Full Big 12 awards and honors:
Men’s Awards
- Player of the Year- Colton Smith, Arizona
- Freshman of the Year- Cooper Woestendick, TCU
- Newcomer of the Year- Alexandru Chirita, Baylor
- Scholar-Athlete of the Year- Jay Friend, Arizona
- Coach of the Year- David Roditi, TCU
All-Big 12 First Team Singles
- Jay Friend, Arizona
- Colton Smith, Arizona
- Bor Artnak, Arizona State
- Devin Badenhorst, Baylor
- Zsombor Velcz, Baylor
- Mehdi Benchakroun, UCF
- Yassine Dlimi, UCF
- Isaac Becroft, Oklahoma State
- Lui Maxted, TCU
- Jack Pinnington, TCU
- Pedro Vives, TCU
- Cooper Woestendick, TCU
All-Big 12 First Team Doubles
- Jay Friend/Eric Padgham, Arizona
- Colton Smith/Inaki Cabrera, Arizona
- Devin Badenhorst/Luc Koenig, Baylor
- Oskar Brostrom-Poulsen/Marko Miladinovic, Baylor
- Lui Maxted/Pedro Vives, TCU
- Jack Pinnington/Cooper Woestendick, TCU