Men's Tennis Announces 2017 Signing Class
Nov. 16, 2017
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina men’s tennis head coach Josh Goffi added four signees this week in Joseph Brailovsky, Nick Watson, Jacob Beasley and Patrick Cacciatore, who will all join the Gamecocks’ program for the 2018-19 season.
“Our coaching staff couldn’t be happier with the class as a whole,” Goffi said. “We are replacing half of our squad, and, when you do that, you need to make sure that the each incoming student-athlete has the character and values that resonate with our culture. These guys have the ability to handle the immense responsibility of moving our culture forward just like the guys graduating have done. It takes a special type of kid, and these are the guys that we hand selected.”
The No. 52 recruit in the country, Brailovsky has won the Maryland State Singles Championship twice in his high school career. In his time playing at Thomas S. Wootton High School, the North Potomac, Md., native has been named to the all-metro men’s team twice, earned All-American honors and been named The Washington Post Player of the Year. Brailovsky has been ranked as high as No. 34 by TennisRecruiting.net.
“Joseph Brailovsky is relatively underplayed compared to most junior players out there, and he’s athletically gifted,” Goffi said. “He’s an animal on the court competitively with a very solid base under him. I think his level is going to go through the roof in his first year.”
Watson joins the Gamecocks from Baton Rouge, La., where the five-star recruit competes for Catholic High School, the 2017 Louisiana State Boys’ Tennis Champions. He has a 9-1 record versus other five-star recruits and is a three-time singles Louisiana State Champion and three- time all-metro selection. The future Gamecock was a National All-American in 2017 and is currently ranked No. 60 in the 2018 signing class by TennisRecruiting.com. He has been ranked as high as No. 34 in his class.
“Nick Watson is an athlete first and a tennis player second, and I mean that in the best way possible,” Goffi said. “He’s explosive and hasn’t come close to tapping into his full ability. He’s playing at a good level without much of a structured training environment, so when he gets to college, he’s going to take off.”
From Cumming, Ga., Beasley is the No. 68 recruit in the class and competes for King’s Ridge Christian School. He has reached as high as No. 65 in the TennisRecruiting.net rankings. He has four wins over blue-chip opponents and holds four ITF doubles titles, including being the South Carolina ITF doubles champion, and has made it through to two ITF singles finals. Beasley also earned the Sportsmanship Award at the USTA Clay Court Nationals.
“Jake Beasley is a go-getter and is coming in with a ton of tools, which will help him grow into a high end player throughout his college career,” Goffi said. “His need to achieve in everything he does is evident, and what he’s going to bring to the team in that respect is solid gold.”
Cacciatore, a four-star recruit, is from Tampa, Fla., and has been ranked as high as No. 35 in the Class of 2018. He was the 2017 USTA National Level 3 Champion and 2016 Mobile Level 3 Champion. Cacciatore has already competed on the international level, earning his first ATP points at the 2017 Harlingen 25k.
“Patrick Cacciatore is a lefty with a lot of tools, who has everything he needs to become a great player,” Goffi said. “His work ethic is off the charts and with a little game/identity management, big things are coming from him.”
