Men's Tennis Adds Three for 2020-21

STORRS, Conn. – The UConn men's tennis program announced the addition of three student-athletes for the 2020-21 season.  Associate Head Coach Christian Appleman announced that the Huskies will welcome Matthan Tharakan from Oklahoma, Nick Loudermilk from South Carolina and Brett Seaton from Kansas will come to Storrs this fall.

"I am extremely excited about this freshman class, not only because it is my first recruiting class here at UConn but because they are such fine individuals," stated Appleman.  "All three are very good players for sure, but they are going to represent UConn with distinction in all respects not only in their four years in Storrs but in their adult lives as well."

The Huskies are adding two three-star and one four-star recruit according to TennisRecruiting.com.  Appleman will have seven returners next season after losing just Evan Powell to graduation.  The Huskies will lean on seniors John Michael Holtmann (Coral Gables, Fla.) and Yili Zheng (Shanghai, China) as they incorporate their new recruits and get set for the program's return to the Big East.

Matthan Tharakan – Freshman, Tulsa, Okla. / Jenks H.S.

Matthan Tharakan is a TennisRecruiting.com three-star recruit and is currently the top-ranked 18-and-under singles player in the state of Oklahoma. Matthan never lost a singles dual match in his high school career.

"Matthan has the potential to be a very good player for us, maybe right away.  He plays with a lot of maturity and a lot of poise," said UConn Men's Tennis Coach Christian Appleman.  "He competed and won at the highest level nationally and he is a tremendous competitor."

Matthan has received numerous local and regional academic awards, is a distinguished honor graduate and achieved the Research Capstone Diploma. Matthan also participates in numerous extra-curricular activities, including student council and the Pre-med society at Jenks High School. He was the tennis team's #1 singles player and team captain the past two years.

On why Matthan decided to come to UConn: "When I came for my official visit, was really impressed with their athletic and academic strengths. I saw UConn as a great opportunity for me, not only to help the team, but the overall success of UConn."

Matthan will pursue a Pre-Med curriculum at UConn and hopes to become a doctor.

Nick Loudermilk – Freshman, Greenville, S.C. / St. Joseph's Catholic H.S.

Nick Loudermilk is a TennisRecruiting.com four-star recruit from Anderson, SC and is currently ranked nationally in the top 200 of all 18-and-over players (high of #174).  Nick is a three-time all-state selection and led his team to the state finals in 2018 and 2019 and individually finished no lower than third place.  His teams did not lose a dual match in 2018 and 2019 until the state finals, and in 2019 he was named South Carolina Upstate Player of the Year while also receiving the state tournament sportsmanship award.

Coach Appleman: "Nick definitely has a big game and will do some great things during his UConn career.  I am excited to see what he can do for us as a freshman and he will only get better."

Nick also participates in St Joseph's Catholic High School's National Honors Society, the Spanish Honors Society, and the Fine Arts Honors Society.  He has also participated in many high school service retreats and mission trips and at UConn will major in Pre-Med.

On why Nick decided on UConn:  "Ever since I started playing tennis, I dreamed about playing at a Division I college alongside a tight-knit team and a coach that would take my tennis game to the next level. I chose UConn because I knew that this would be where I could make this dream a reality."

Brett Seaton – Freshman, Olathe, Kans. / Olathe West H.S.

Brett Seaton won the Kansas 5A state singles championship as a junior and is two-time All-American.  His singles state finals win last year was the first state championship in Olathe West High School history in any sport. Brett has also been named Missouri Valley Sportsman of the Year.

Academically, Brett has been the recipient of numerous state honors, including the Governor's Scholar, Kansas Honors Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction.  He has also written a book of poetry which was published in May 2020.

Coach Appleman: "Brett has already done some great things in his young life and I am sure his drive to succeed will continue at UConn.  He wanted to start a tradition and leave a legacy at his high school and he certainly did that – I think Brett and his Husky teammates will do the same for UConn Tennis."

Brett was accepted into the Honors Program and the School of Engineering at UConn.

Why Brett chose UConn: "I chose UConn because of its reputation for academic excellence, strong athletics, and, most importantly, the great people who would surround me."