Before the Illinois men’s tennis team began competition on Friday, the Illini were already earning recognition.

Illinois junior Ryler DeHeart was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, while Illinois freshman Kevin Anderson won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award.

Illinois sophomore GD Jones was also named to the All-Big Ten team. Jones was a unanimous selection, along with Anderson and DeHeart.

“It was a pleasant surprise,” DeHeart said about his recognition. “It’s always nice to be recognized.”

Illinois senior Chris Martin won the 2005 Sportsmanship Award.

Illinois head coach Craig Tiley was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year award as well. It was the seventh time Tiley has won the award in eight years.

“The team has had a great year and they got acknowledged for that tonight,” Tiley said in a press release.