The 2010 Marquette men’s tennis team opened the season with a roster plagued with uncertainty.

The presence of only one senior and two juniors on the squad made it clear the strength of the team must come from its young and developing talent.

Oklahoma native Logon Collins could be the youthful leader the Golden Eagles are looking for.

Collins is a fresh face on Marquette’s campus. Since his arrival in late August as part of the class of 2014 he has had to deal with the transitions that every college student makes from high school.

On the tennis court, however, he has already shown his potential to become an elite athlete for the Golden Eagles.

Collins had a breakout performance at the Ball State Invitational, held last weekend in Muncie, Ind., where he won the “Cardinal” draw.

A victory over Butler’s Stephen McGloughlin in the final round capped an astonishing run at the bracket title for Collins and showed his ability to be one of Marquette’s top players this season and beyond.

Collins is no stranger to success on the court. As a two-time team captain in high school, Collins was a member of two Oklahoma state championship squads and went 21-0 as a junior in singles.

He also balanced academics with his tennis game as a member of the National Honor Society and graduated in the top one percentile of his class.

One of the biggest changes Collins has experienced  as a collegiate athlete has been the increased level of challenge brought on by his coaches.

“The first couple weeks the coaches beat us down pretty hard,” Collins said. “It’s nice to have someone really push me.”

Collins in no way lacks passion for the sport and finds the most enjoyment in comeback wins.

“Coming back after being down a set to win is the sweetest thing in the world,” Collins said.

Coach Steve Rodecap is well aware of his talent but knows Collins still has a lot of development to come over this year.

“He’s done a really good job and I knew coming in he had a lot of potential,” Rodecap said. “I told him the other day in practice that he’s not even near the level of the player I think he can be.”

The promise Collins brings to the Golden Eagles will undoubtedly impact the chances for the squad to become a major presence in the Big East the next few years.

Collins believes that not only he, but the rest of his team, are destined for greatness, despite their youth.

“We’ve got a lot of potential and the coaches are working us hard,” Collins said. “I think we have a really good chance of being good this next year.”