After coming off tough but close losses to strong teams, Alabama men’s tennis coach George Husack said the Crimson Tide has shown potential as it prepares for the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic tournament in Montgomery this weekend.

“There’s not much that separates us from being a great team,” Husack said. “We have to continue to ask ourselves how we’re going to respond in those tight situations.”

Though the young Alabama team fell to Oklahoma State and No. 7 Oklahoma in last weekend’s tournament at home, Husack said the team showed competitiveness by forcing tiebreakers in six of the 15 combined singles and doubles matches against Oklahoma State, then getting on the board against Oklahoma by clinching a close singles match in consecutive sets.

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Husack said he believes this competitive attitude is one of the best things he sees in this Crimson Tide team as it readies itself for Montgomery.

“I would say one of the best qualities of the team would be response because we kind of gave away a match against Oklahoma State, but we responded well against Oklahoma,” he said. “Also, I see improvement. We had a chance to win against Oklahoma, and we need to play smarter and keep improving if we want to beat teams that are ranked in the top 10.”

Alabama has been no stranger to ranked teams. After facing No. 7 Oklahoma last weekend at home, the Crimson Tide will face three top-25 teams this weekend in Montgomery: No. 9 Mississippi State, No. 23 Clemson and No. 24 Auburn. The Blue Gray National Tennis Classic will also feature Texas Tech, Princeton, Boise State and VCU.

Husack said what is essential for the team is working on fundamentals in practices to make sure players are prepared for the upcoming tournament.

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“In terms of our focus going into this week, number one is to develop details, so, a lot of the small stuff,” he said. “We need to hit outside as much as possible because it’s an outdoor event.”

Because of the proximity of the tournament, Husack also said the team is looking forward to playing and seeing Alabama fans come out in support.

“We’ve had really good crowds,” he said. “We’ve had almost full-capacity crowds at home, and that’s been really exciting. It definitely helps the team, and we’ve made an effort to connect more with the community through a variety of different programs. You know, as much as we want people to come see us, we need to make sure that the people know who we are and can connect with us too.”

Freshman Saxon Buehning said Crimson Tide fans have played a great role in team morale in tough in matches.

“We’ve had great support,” Buehning said. “I mean, the fan base is everything. We feel like when you guys come out and get behind us, it can change a match instantly.”

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As the team seeks to improve its 4-4 record in Montgomery this weekend, confidence on the team is high. Senior captain Daniil Proskura, now ranked No. 12 in the nation, said the team is training its hardest in preparation.

“Our mindset is to just work as hard as we can every day and take opportunities where we have them and play our best tennis and see what happens,” Proskura said.