Kates and Tashman Bring Home Gold Medal

This past summer arguably two of the greatest players ever to put on an MIT uniform, Mitchell Kates and Will Tashman, traveled to Israel to represent the United States in the Maccabiah Games. Kates and Tashman, both All-Americans who led MIT to a 91-22 record, 4 straight NCAA Tournament Appearances, and a Final-Four appearance, were hand-picked to join a handful of other Division I players for the international tournament. After defeating host Israel in the semi-finals, USA went on to defeat Argentina to capture the gold medal.

MITHoops.NET spoke with both Kates and Tashman:

USA defeated Argentina in the Maccabiah Championship

How did it feel winning the gold medal at the Maccabiah Games? 

Kates: "Winning the gold at the Maccabi was an amazing feeling, especially on a stage where you are representing your country. There is also some pressure playing with the expectation that you should win being from the US and winning brought a sense of relief as well."

Tashman: "It was an awesome feeling winning gold. Being able to represent your country on an (albeit limited) international scale was a once in a life time opportunity. And taking home the gold was a great reward for us and the USA delegation."

Former co-captains, teammates, and All-Americans at MIT

What was your favorite experience in Israel?

Kates: "Playing with teammates from all over the country and spending a month together was a pretty unique experience. Opening ceremonies might be the most memorable, walking into a stadium with 50,000 people cheering like crazy."

Tashman: "The whole trip was fascinating. There are so many historically significant sites in Israel it's hard to pick just one. I think my favorite place was the Dead Sea/Masada. It was just an incredible view over the desert and the sea."

Kates and Tashman enjoyed their time off the court in Israel

There were many scouts for Israeli and European teams watching your practices and games, how was your interaction with them? 

Kates: "We had Israeli scouts at most practices and games. Several players on our team are currently playing in Israel now and Coach Greenberg coaches Hapoel Jerusalem. They were heavily recruiting most players on our team."

Tashman: "There were a fair amount of scouts following our team around because being Jewish allows us not to count as foreign players in the national league (given that we get citizenship). It was a new experience for me discussing my 'career options' for basketball. A lot of the scouts were very eager to connect me with head coaches of professional teams."

*Note: Both Tashman and Kates were offered contracts to play professionally in Israel

Kates left as MIT's all-time leader in assists and steals

How has your experience with MIT Basketball prepared you for international play? 

Kates: "In Israel, we had only 10 days of training camp before we started games, and pre-seasons at MIT offered a similar urgency to get ready for the season. I think MIT helped prepare me for this. However, European basketball is a very different style and most of us on the team were shocked by the playing and officiating style overseas."

Tashman: "My MIT Basketball experience definitely helped me excel on the international stage. We were an athletic team with a lot of weapons, and Mitch and I played similar roles on the team as we did during our time at MIT. We were both on the court for during crunch-time of our medal round games, so clearly our experience playing with each other allowed us to succeed in pressure situations."

Tashman became the first player in MIT history to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds

What are you up to now and what are your plans for the future? 

Kates: "I am currently in the Masters of Engineering program at MIT, and I plan on graduating in May. My thesis project works with the SportVu player tracking data that NBA teams have started collecting (under Professor Guttag). After graduation I am looking to either continue playing basketball or join a startup."

Tashman: "Right now I'm working at Apple as a product design engineer. I'm living with six other MIT grads, including [former players] Jamie Karraker and Arni Lehto. I plan on being in California for awhile, and playing in some recreational leagues to get my basketball fix. We have a couple guys in the house who can play so it's easy to get a good game going."

More coverage of Kates' and Tashman's experience can be found below:

http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-dominates-the-maccabiah-team-finals/

http://studentlife.mit.edu/news/2013/07/kates-and-tashman-surge-basketball-s-international-stage

MIT Assistant Coach Bill Johnson Travels to Malaysia with Australian Team

2nd-year Assistant Coach Bill Johnson '10 is currently participating in the Sultan Azlan Shah International Basketball Tournament in Malaysia with a semi-professional team from Australia, the Gold Coast Authentic All-Stars. The 6'8" swingman is starting for the club, and scored 12 points in 16 minutes in their opening round win over the Singapore National "B" Team.

Johnson, a 1,000-point scorer and member of the memorable '08-'09 MIT squad, recently had professional stints in Costa Rica and Iceland. He is pursuing a similar endeavor in Australia during MIT's offseason. 

You can follow Johnson and his adventures on his blog: www.BOBNation.com

Bill Johnson '10 and Jimmy Bartolotta '09 suited up with each other recently in Iceland's professional league

MIT Assistant Bill Johnson Featured on MIT Alumni Website

Former MIT standout and current assistant coach Willard "Bill" Johnson sat down with the MIT Alumni Association to talk about his pro hoops career and his return to the Engineers' staff:

http://alum.mit.edu/pages/sliceofmit/2012/01/20/diy-iap-mit-basketball-doubleheader-saturday-january-21/

Bartolotta Continues Dominance Overseas

Jimmy Bartolotta, MIT Basketball's most decorated player and first professional player, finished the first half of his new season in Iceland in fine fashion today. Bartolotta, considered one of the premiere players in the Iceland Express League, is currently averaging 23 points per game while shooting 56% from three-point land and 94% from the free-throw line (Iceland Express League Stats). The former Division III National Player of the Year was highly sought after to return to Iceland after his memorable season last year.

Bartolotta (middle) and Johnson (right) led MIT to its first conference championship in program history

Bartolotta was joined earlier in the season by current MIT assistant coach and former player Willard "Bill" Johnson, who played professionally in Costa Rica for one season before playing with his former MIT teammate in Iceland (read more here: The Mukilteo Beacon). The two suited up and lived together before Johnson's season in Iceland was cut short by an injury, when he returned to the MIT bench for his second season.



Johnson, Bartolotta, and Abby Waner in Iceland. Waner is a former WNBA player and Duke star, and was voted High School National Player of the Year.

Johnson chronicled his experiences in Costa Rica as well as Iceland with Bartolotta on his blog "Ballin' on a Budget" (http://www.bobnation.com/). Bartolotta returns to action after the holiday break.

Bill Johnson signs with Professional Club in Costa Rica

From the official MIT Basketball Website

Former MIT men's basketball player and current assistant coach, Bill Johnson, recently signed a contract to play with ARBA-San Ramon, of the Costa Rican professional league, Liga Superior de Baloncesto. Johnson was also member of the Class of 2005 at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, Wash., where he was a standout on the school's basketball team.

Johnson '10 joined the coaching staff at MIT following one of the most successful careers in Institute history. The two-time captain, who was part of three 20-win seasons, finished his career as the all-time wins leader in MIT history, the 23rd player to reach the 1,000-point milestone, and finished in the top 10 all-time in three-point percentage, free throw percentage, and blocked shots. Johnson was two-time conference Player of the Week, a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference selection, and earned a spot in the NEBCA Division III All-Star Game in 2010. His 40 points versus Clark University on February 18, 2009 sits behind Jimmy Bartolotta '09 and David Koch '62 as the 3rd highest point total in a game in Institute history.

During Johnson's first season on the bench, the Cardinal and Gray recorded a third-straight 20-win season and captured its second NEWMAC title in three years. The Engineers advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament for the third year in a row, defeating Ithaca College in the first round and coming just one game short of the National Sweet 16.

Johnson graduated MIT with a degree in Management Science with a concentration in Finance, a degree in Political Science with a concentration in International Studies, as well as minors in Economics and Theater.

At Kamiak, Johnson was a team captain for the 2004-2005 Knights, along with All-WESCO selection Sean Hermes and former Montana State quarterback Mark Iddins, while helping lead the Mukilteo school to its first and only WESCO 4A Conference Championship and first State Playoff appearance in the school's history.

Johnson takes his talents to San Ramon, COSTA RICA, where he will help ARBA-San Ramon try to capture its first LBS Championship in team history. He also will be working with a non-profit organization, "Beyond Study Abroad," which connects college athletes with disadvantaged communities in the region.

Bartolotta's Groundbreaking Season Ends

(After IR-Reykjavik's final regular season game in Reykjavik, Iceland. From left to right: former MIT hooper Brandon Suarez '09, former player and current assistant coach Bill Johnson '10, former player Paul Burkard '10, former player and current pro Jimmy Bartolotta '09, former MIT Lacrosse player Brian Coffey '09, and former MIT football player and Academic All-American Tommy Franklin '09)

Former MIT standout Jimmy Bartolotta and his team, IR-Reykjavik, fell to Keflavik in overtime, 95-90, last night in the final game of the Icelandic Express League quarterfinal series. Bartolotta, playing through an injury he suffered in the last regular game of the season, scored 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting for IR.

Bartolotta, who holds a Management Science degree, a Physics degree, and an Economics minor from MIT, ends his season in Iceland as one of the top players in the league, averaging 21.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 54.4% from the field, a staggering 47.6% from three, and 87.9% from the free-throw line. Prior to Bartolotta's joining of the team, IR was sitting at the bottom of the standings with a 3-7 record. After coming off the bench in his first game, Bartolotta quickly established the team chemistry needed for IR to make the playoffs, leading IR to an 8-5 record during his time.

Tech Hoops caught up with Jimmy after his game: "My time [in Iceland] was an absolutely amazing experience. IR is a fantastic organization, from the coaching staff and management to the players who I became so close with. I had some great memories here, and believe IR will be a powerhouse in the Express League for years to come."

Jimmy then went on to talk about how is experience at MIT prepared him for professional basketball: "Much of my success so far is undoubtedly credited to the lessons learned while at MIT and with Coach Anderson. Coach A taught me to push myself to my mental and physical limit, and then push a little harder. The discipline and work ethic I developed is truly paying off now."

Bartolotta travels back to his hometown of Littleton, Colorado before he and his agent weigh the offers he has lined up for next season.

Bartolotta Leads in Playoff Run

Former MIT star and National Player of the Year Jimmy Bartolotta lead his team, IR-Reykjavik, to victory in the Icelandic Express League quarterfinals last night. Despite a grueling foot injury he suffered two games ago, Bartolotta dropped 18 points along with 7 assists in the 106-89 win over 3rd place Keflavik.

Bartolotta is currently 4th in scoring in the Express League, averaging 22.2 points per game. IR plays Keflavik again in the best-of-3 series tomorrow, March 23rd. The winner advances to the semi-finals and will face off with KR-Reykjavik, who finished 2nd in the league with a 16-6 record.

Box Score

Bartolotta Named Eurobasket.com Player of the Week

For his tremendous performance last week for IR Reykjavik, former MIT star Jimmy Bartolotta has been named the Eurobasket.com Player of the Week.

You can read more at Eurobasket.com.

Bartolotta Pours in 33, IR Dismantles KR

Former MIT standout Jimmy Bartolotta again led his team, IR Reykjavik, in scoring this evening, pouring in 33 points en route to a 124-96 route of 2nd-ranked KR. Since entering the starting lineup for IR, the team has gone 7-2 with Bartolotta, after a 3-9 start prior to his arrival. Over that span, the team has gone from 2nd-to-last to 6th in the league standings, and are in good condition to make the postseason.

Bartolotta is averaging a team best 23 ppg and 50% three point shooting. IR closes out the regular season this coming Thursday, in a match-up with Fjölnir. In attendance will be current MIT assistant Billy Johnson, as he cheers on his former teammate in his first visit to Iceland. Coach Johnson has plenty of experience cheering on Bartolotta from their four years together on the MIT squad, as both entered MIT in the 2005-06 season.

Bartolotta Strong Again as IR Wins 2nd Straight

Jimmy Bartolotta was back in action tonight, after last night's game against KFI was rescheduled due to inclement weather. Bartolotta's IR side came out on top, winning 92-82, as he scored 16 points. He is now averaging 25 points per game for the season, on 60% shooting from 2, 45% shooting from 3, and 94.4% shooting from the FT line. Despite being 3-8 prior to Bartolotta's arrival, IR has won its last two game with the former MIT star. IR seems poised to make a run for the playoffs, as they have moved up to a tie for 8th place in the Iceland Express League (IEL). The top 8 teams in the league qualify for the postseason.

IR is back in action next Thursday, January 27, as they travel to Tindastoll. Tindastoll is currently one game ahead of IR in the rankings, and a win could move IR into the 6th or 7th position in the IEL.

Bartolotta Shines Again, Leads Team to Victory

In just his 2nd game of the season, former MIT star Jimmy Bartolotta led his Icelandic squad, IR Reykjavik, to a 97-89 victory over Njardvik. Bartolotta led the team with 32 points, on 9-16 shooting, as well as adding 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. In his first two games with IR, Bartolotta has scored 58 points on 17-29 shooting (17-18 FTs).

The full boxscore for this afternoon's game can be found at the Iceland Express League website.

Pictures from the game can be found here.

IR next plays on Thursday, January 20.

Bartolotta Leads Team in Scoring in First Appearance of Season

MIT alum, and 2009 DIII Men's Basketball Player of the Year, Jimmy Bartolotta has signed with IR Reykjavik of the Express Basketball League, the top league in Iceland. Bartolotta played with Air Avellino of Serie A in Italy last season.

In his first appearance last night, Bartolotta led his team in scoring with 26 points, on 8-13 shooting, against one of the top teams in the league, Keflavik. The full box score and story can be found at EuroBasket.com. Bartolotta and IR on Janueary 16 against Njardvik.

Follow Jimmy at his new blog: http://jimmybartolotta.blogspot.com/
Jimmy talks about getting his Italian passport, working out with his new team, and the many pleasant distractions in Iceland!

Jimmy Bartolotta Sits Down with The Blog

It has been over a year since MIT made its surprise run to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2009. The leader of that team, and MIT's all-time leading scorer, Jimmy Bartolotta has rode the success and media exposure from his senior season to a life he never envisioned entering MIT. The whirlwind began when MIT shocked the DIII world by winning their first ever NEWMAC tourney. After enjoying some success in the NCAA tournament, Bartolotta was awarded every major personal honor possible for a DIII basketball player, including D3hoops.com Player of the Year, NABC Player of the Year, ESPN/COSIDA Academic All-American of the Year, and the prestigious Jostens Award. Following the season, Bartolotta was invited to the site of the DI Final Four to compete in the NABC/Hershey's Senior All-Star Game. While there, Bartolotta was the media darling, receiving congratulations from Wisonsin head coach Bo Ryan, and being featured in articles in the New York Times, Boston Globe (written by Bob Ryan), the Denver Post, and ESPN, among others. With the media flurry, Bartolotta was approached by many international agents, finally signing with Mario Scotti of the Two Points agency. Following that, Bartolotta signed with Air Avellino of Italy's Serie A, joining former NBA and NCAA stars such as Dee Brown (Illinois), DeMarcus Nelson (Duke), and Chevon Troutman (Pittsburgh), as well as internationl stars such as Cenk Akyol (Turkey).

In this two-part interview, Bartolotta discusses his time in Italy, as well as his observations and expectations of the current MIT squad.

Part 1


Part 2


Check back to mitbasketball.blogspot.com for full coverage of MIT basketball.

Taiwan Player Blog: Day 5, Mitch Kates and Will Tashman

Image courtesy of Dawn Anderson

All of the international teams embarked on a day tour of several famous locations in Taiwan. First, we ventured deep into the mountains to the Gold Ecological Park, an old gold mining town. There were numerous spectacular views, including one of a 35 foot solid copper statue of Lord Guan, a warlord in Asian history. We also were surprised to find the remnants of a miniature golf course from hundreds of years ago.Image courtesy of Dawn Anderson

Next, we visited Juifen old street, a famous alley located in the mountain town of Ruifang. The street was filled with vendors selling various goods and foods. In particular, there was a distinct smell of 'sticky tofu' (that is actually what it is called) that really stung the nostrils. Third, we visited the memorial of Chiang Kai Shek, founder of Taiwan. We witnessed the changing of the guards ceremony. For dinner, we went to a very fancy seafood buffet. Image courtesy of Dawn Anderson

Pat enjoyed some snail, while Noel stuck with the usual chicken fingers and fries. Jamie and Ben consumed a combined 6 pounds of desserts. Lastly, we took the world's fastest elevator to the top of the world's second highest building, Taipei 101. Even with a light fog at night, you could see for miles.Image courtesy of Dawn Anderson

Tomorrow afternoon we will be departing for the USA.

Some of our best memories can be recalled from this catchy tune. It was played everywhere we went.

Enjoy:

Taiwan Player Blog: Day 4, Mitch Kates and Will Tashman

Image courtesy of Dawn Anderson

We headed over to Kainan University early in the morning for an autograph session. We were extremely surprised to see a crowd of Kainan girls stretching for hundreds of meters. We spent the next hour signing posters and taking pictures with all of our new fans.

To warm up for the game, we played ping pong for an hour in the table tennis classroom. Jimmy Burke defeated Jamie Karraker in the finals of the tournament to take the crown.

Image courtesy of Dawn Anderson

In the championship game, we played Taipei Physical Education College in front of another packed house. After hot shooting from the floor early on, TPEC led after the first couple minutes, but Noel's inside presence helped to silence the crowd. Great shooting from Billy Johnson and stifling defense from Patrick Sissman helped propel us to a commanding lead in the second half. The seniors finished their career on top, as we all got to cut down the nets after the game. After a trophy presentation, we got to take a couple hundred last minute photos with the fans.

We said goodbye to our gracious hosts at Kainan University and headed back to the hotel to prepare for the night market.

The night market in Taipei was filled with street vendors selling everything from sunglasses to squid, which Billy Bender ate happily. The less adventurous crowd went to KFC for some fine dining. Several of the players bought t-shirts and other small gifts.

-Mitch and Will

MIT Wins Kainan Tournament

MIT is the champion of the 5th Annual Kainan University Invitational with a win over Taipei Physical Education College in the finals. The final score was 98-81.

Taiwan Player Blog: Day 3, Mitch Kates and Will Tashman

Image courtesy of Dawn Anderson

We didnt have a game until late afternoon today, so we got another chance to sleep in. Before we left for the game, some of the players got a chance to head down to the weight room for a quick lift.

The game was played in front of a packed house, as we played the host Kainan University. Unlike any college game, they play music in the background. DJ Adam, who announced for the Beijing Games, plays music ranging from Lady Gaga to Dr. Dre, and the entire crowd seems to know every song. He also commentates the game, and during one occasion joked about Billy Johnson going to college for 5 years. We won comfortably, putting us in the championship game against Taipei Physical Education College.

The MIT alumni association in Taiwan took the team out to dinner in Taipei for an extravagant 6 course meal. We went to a French restaurant called L'Idiot, and were served amazing food. The President of the Taiwan Alumni Association wished us luck in our championship game tomorrow. After the dinner, we headed back to the hotel and relaxed in the spa to keep our legs fresh.

Tomorrow should be a much more competitive game, so we will keep you posted.

-Will and Mitch

Taiwan Player Blog: Day 2, Mitch Kates and Will Tashman

Image courtesy of Dawn Anderson

We did not have a game until the afternoon so everyone got to sleep in. We ate breakfast at the hotel and took a bus over to the gym with the opposing team, watching Asian action films and music videos. We played a team from Kyushu, Japan. They were very quick and played hard the entire game. In the end, our superior shooting and rebounding helped us prevail.

Over the course of the first two days, we noticed some unexpected cultural differences. First, they have uniquely shaped bathroom utilities. Second, mopeds are the main form of transportation and they disregard all red lights. Third, the walk signal actually walks and then runs when time is running out to cross the street. Lastly, we bow and exchange gifts before and after games.

After we returned to the hotel, we went to the hotel's spa. After swimming under the waterfall, floating in the whirlpool, chilling under the water jets, and hanging out in the hot tub, we went to the steam room and showered. After showering, you are given yukatas. We went to dinner at the Windmill with all the other teams and the president of Kainan. There was another impressive spread of delicious food and desserts.

After dinner, several of us decided to indulge in an ancient Asain tradition. We ventured off to the Taiwan royal spa where we each received massages and were served tea, soup, fruits, vegetables, and cheesecake.

Tomorrow we play host Kainan University.

-Mitch and Will

Taiwan Player Blog: Mitchell Kates

Image courtesy of Dawn Anderson

Our first day in Taiwan we had a 6:30AM wake up call, which would normally be brutally early, but since our time clocks were so messed up, everyone was wide awake. They had an amazing breakfast spread, including made to order omelets and some unrecognizable fruits. We then took a charter bus to the Kainan campus, a college established only 8 years ago, with impressively large buildings and nice facilities.Image courtesy of Dawn Anderson

With the other teams in the tournament, we watched an interactive puppet show, highlighted by an impressive Titanic skit from Noel, Paul, Ben, Zuk, Will, and Kevin Bryne, all of whom stood at least a foot and a half above the puppet show curtain. Following the presentation, we had lunch and opening ceremonies. The president of the university wished all the teams well, which was followed by a largely male dominated cheerleading crew performance.

We played our first game in the afternoon against the Hsuan Chang, a team from Taiwan. Our size and strength were too much, and we were able to pick up a comfortable win. At night, after another gourmet meal (most of which we couldn't identify or eat) and numerous pictures with Kainan students and fans, we had basketball night. Kainan's clubs on campus performed a wide array of impressive talents. Also, each team had an opportunity to perform. We choose to go with a Taylor Swift/Miley Cyrus sing and dance combo (don't judge, we tried to pick songs they would recognize). To cap the night, the hotel had my lost luggage, which had been left in San Fransisco. We play at 11AM against a team from Japan tomorrow.

-Mitch Kates

Taiwan Player Blog: Will Tashman

After flying to San Francisco on an especially long flight, my body thought that that was our end destination. Unfortunately, my mind knew that we still had a 13 hour flight to go. It went pretty smoothly, or as smoothly as a 13 hour flight can be for a 6-7 guy. When we landed in Taiwan we went straight to the hotel, which was just as amazing as it looked in the pictures. Kainan university clearly wanted us to have a comfortable stay.

As we arrived at the gym for our first practice, I noticed significant differences from Rockwell Cage. The floor and hoops were normal, but the ceilings were especially high and the stands had just been put in. It was a little like playing in a really small football stadium.

The most shocking part of the trip has been the reaction of the Taiwanese people to us. Traveling with half a dozen guys about 6-6 or taller catches a lot of stares. Coach Paul Grant often hears "ooo's" and "ahhs" (see picture above). And with the number of pictures we take with the citizens and other basketball players, you would think we were in the NBA or something.

It has been an exciting and exhausting first couple of days.

-Will Tashman