[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

5/19/06

Early pairing bolsters dynamic duo

OSU’s Green-Wilson doubles combination seeks 4 th NCAA title

Friday, May 19, 2006

Jeremy McLaughlin
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle></IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>KYLE ROBERTSON DISPATCH PHOTOS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Scott Green, above, and Ross Wilson, below, are one of three doubles teams in NCAA history to win three national championships. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle></IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle></IMG> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Ty Tucker made a simple decision four seasons ago to pair Scott Green and Ross Wilson on one of Ohio State’s three doubles teams.
Forget a long, calculated analysis of their games to see whether they were compatible. Tucker, the Buckeyes’ tennis coach, needed little thought. He did what he normally does when he has two incoming freshmen — he teams them up. It allows them maximum time to develop camaraderie and familiarity during the next four years.
"The more you are together, the more you become one," Tucker said. "Once you get used to that, good things happen and in that case, good things happened."
Actually, remarkable things happened. Green, of North Canton, and Wilson, of Toledo, are one of three doubles teams in NCAA history to win three national championships. The senior duo ranks 1-2 for most doubles wins at Ohio State and is the top-ranked doubles team in the nation.
All that from an easy move four years ago.
"They established pretty quickly that they were going to be a force to be reckoned with," Tucker said.
Green and Wilson are the No. 1 seed in the NCAA doubles tournament that begins Wednesday in Stanford, Calif. Before that, they play for the Buckeyes in the NCAA team championship. Ohio State faces North Carolina on Saturday in the round of 16.
Initially, Green and Wilson (31-3) were separated during their first collegiate doubles matches. They were teamed with upperclassmen to become familiar with the college game. Once they came together, they immediately clicked and eventually took over the team’s No. 1 doubles spot.
"At the end of our freshman year, in the NCAA Tournament, we played a team that was ranked in the top 10 in the country," Wilson said. "We were beating them 7-4 in pro set and ended up losing 9-7. We definitely knew then that we could play with those kind of players at that level, but we needed to get consistency and more experience."
It came with time, just as Tucker envisioned.
"We knew we had the ability to be one of the top teams, but our sophomore year we took some bad losses," Green said. "But having that capability and getting the experience when we were young really helped us out our junior and senior years."
Green and Wilson have playing styles that are more suited to doubles than singles. Both have strong serves, are solid at the net and can handle all shots hit to their side of the court.
"Ross plays the deuce side left-handed and that normally affects a right-hander to play that side because all the serves they receive are backhands. It ends up being a forehand for (Wilson)," Tucker said. "He can really turn on that and take it to the net.
"Scott is a right-hander and plays the outside. If they serve you down the middle, he’s got a forehand and it’s pretty easy."
The only thing missing on Green and Wilson’s resume is a national outdoor title. Winning one this week would be a fitting end to their stellar careers, Tucker said.
jmclaughlin@dispatch.com