The 12th-ranked TCU Horned Frogs received the No. 1 seed for the 2004 Men's Tennis Conference USA Championship. The University of Memphis is hosting the four-day event, which will get underway on Thursday, April 15 at the HPER Varsity Courts.

It is the second time in three seasons the Horned Frogs earned the top seed in the C-USA Championship. TCU has reached the title game for two straight years and is looking to capture its first C-USA title. The Horned Frogs (14-5) are led by senior ALEX MENICHINI (Calabasas, Calif.), who is currently ranked 39th in the ITA national rankings. TCU also features the No. 27. doubles team of junior FABRIZIO SESTINI (Rome, Italy) and sophomore RAFAEL ABREU (Barquisimeto, Venezuela)..

No. 2 Tulane (15-4), the defending C-USA Champion, also received a first-round bye. The 27th-ranked Green Wave have earned three C-USA titles and have reached the title match five teams. Tulane is led by All-American and three-time C-USA Player of the Year MICHAEL KOGAN (Kfar Saba, Israel). The senior is the league’s top-ranked player, currently at the No. 13 spot in the ITA rankings. Kogan and teammate DAVID GOULET (Fr., Longueuil, Quebec) make up the nation’s No. 35 doubles team.

Also receiving first round byes are No. 3 seed Louisville and No. 4 seed USF. The Cardinals (18-7) are ranked No. 45 by the ITA and have won 10 of their last 11 matches. Senior MATT MAYER (Houston, Texas) and sophomore JEREMY CLARK (Stanville, Ky.) are the conference’s top-ranked doubles team, currently 18th in the ITA rankings.

No. 52 USF (11-7) has won four titles in league history. The Bulls lineup features junior ULI KIENDL (Geiselhoering, Germany), currently ranked No. 66 in singles and No. 55 in doubles with senior KARIM BENMANSOUR (Casablanca, Morocco).

All 12 teams in C-USA that sponsor men’s tennis compete in the tournament, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. UAB is seeded fifth, followed by host Memphis, East Carolina, Charlotte, DePaul, Southern Miss, Marquette and Saint Louis. Consolation matches are played as well to determine final standings for the year.

2004 C-USA MEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP SEEDING
1. TCU
2. Tulane
3. Louisville
4. USF
5. UAB
6. Memphis
7. East Carolina
8. Charlotte
9. DePaul
10. Southern Miss
11. Marquette
12. Saint Louis