April 13, 2006

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Head Men's Tennis Coach Teddy Viator met with members of the media Thursday afternoon to discuss the signings of Will Thames of Heidelberg (Miss.) Academy and Callen Fraychineaud of Newbury Park (Calif.) High School for the 2006-2007 season.

Opening Statements:

"Both of these players are two of the top two 150 junior tennis players in the United States and are in the top of their section in California (Fraychineaud) and in the south (Thames). I'm excited about signing these kids. They're both very talented and have a lot of potential to improve as players at Southern Miss."

On Will Thames:

"He's been ranked as high as No. 14 to 15 in the south and in 16's. We think that he has a lot of upside to improve once he plays with us. We're looking for him to play early at No. 4, 5 and 6 and then work his way up in singles. Overall, he's got a good game, is a good athlete who also played basketball in high school, he's quick, and his fundamentals are very sound. We're looking forward to getting him in here, and we believe that he will help us."

On Callen Fraychineaud:

"Callen is also a good athlete. The thing that I like about him is that he's only been playing tennis for seven years, and you seldom see someone start that late and become that good, and has his best tennis is ahead of him. He has a good serve and a very good forehand."