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

MIT Returns to Taiwan to Defend Tourney Crown

For the full release, visit the MIT Official Athletics Site.

After a successful 2009-2010 season, MIT returns to the hardcourts this week at the Kainan Invitational tournament in Taiwan. The Engineers will spend nine days on the northeast coast of Taiwan while competing in the eight-team tournament, which will be held from May 24-27. Tech first made the trip to Taiwan in 2006 as it captured the inaugural championship title.

Behind the stellar play of Jimmy Bartolotta '09 and Mike D'Auria '06, the Engineers won four straight games en route the 2006 Kainan Invitational crown. Tech defeated Taiwan's SBL pro team, Yo Ming, 80-68, in the championship game. Leading the way for MIT this time around will be All-America selection, Noel Hollingsworth, as well as D3Hoops Northeast Rookie of the Year, Mitchell Kates. Tech is hoping to build on the success of its record-setting 2009-10 campaign, in which the team eclipsed the program record for wins in a season (22), made it back to the NCAA tournament for the second straight season, and rose to as high as #8 in the national D3hoops.com rankings.

For the 2010 tournament, the eight team field is divided into two groups for the preliminary rounds. The second-place teams in each group will face off in the Consolation Final on May 27 while the group winners will play for the Tournament Championship later on the same day.

Fans can follow MIT's progress in the tournament, including updates by some of the players, on MIT's official Twitter and Facebook pages. Follow along at http://twitter.com/MITengineers and http://www.facebook.com/MITengineers.

On Wednesday evening, the team will experience more special local hospitality from the MIT Club of Taiwan, who invited the team to a dinner in downtown Taipei. There are over 500 MIT alums in the Taiwan area. The MIT Club of Taiwan will also be welcoming MIT President Susan Hockfield on her upcoming Asian trip.

2010 Player Highlights: Ben Montgomery, Arni Lehto, Patrick Gichuiri, and Devin Dee

In our last installment of the MIT Hoops Blog's 2009-2010 season highlights, we focus on four young players who were instrumental in providing depth to the MIT basketball program this past season. Freshman forward Ben Montgomery appeared in all 27 games this season for the Engineers and was one of the team's hardest workers. He could always be counted on to give everything he had on the court, leading the team in charges taken, as is evident from the highlight clip below.

Sophomore guard/forward Arni Lehto was a steady contributor to the team whenever he was called on. There were several games throughout the year where he was utilized in the rotation and responded with solid play. Freshmen Patrick Gichuiri and Devin Dee also played well whenever Coach Larry Anderson called on them. Highlights for all three players can be found below.

Ben Montgomery Highlights


Arni Lehto, Patrick Gichuiri, and Devin Dee Highlights

2010 Player Highlights: Patrick Sissman and Eric Zuk

For this installment of the MIT Hoops Blog's 2010 Player Highlights, we focus on two of this year's squad's captains: senior guard Patrick Sissman and junior guard/forward Eric Zuk. Both players' contributions to the program are not measurable with just statistics, as they broght vital intangibles to the squad, including leadership, toughness, and a team-first mentality. Both players are showcased in the combined highlight reel below.

2010 Player Highlights: Billy Bender

After being a big contributor on last year's record-breaking MIT squad, Billy Bender continued his superb play this season. Playing well off the bench early in the year, Bender was brought into the starting lineup midway through the season and he did not miss a beat. Although his primary role was as a defensive stopper, usually guarding the other teams best perimeter/wing player, Bender still put up solid numbers offesnively, averaging 7.8 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game. That included two games, at Emerson (12/1/09) and versus WPI (1/13/10), in which he led the team in scoring, while also leading the team in rebounding on numerous occasions, including a 12 rebound performance at home against Wheaton (1/23/10). Below are highlights of Bender from this past season.

2010 Player Highlights: Jimmy Burke

MIT freshman guard Jimmy Burke had a stellar year for the Engineers. Although he battled injury during several stretches of the season, Burke flourished in his role as the team's 6th man, coming in and knocking down big shots and making clutch plays in many games this season. For the season, Burke was the team's 3rd leading scorer at 9.2 ppg, while leading the team in three-point field goals made (2.3 per game) and three-point field goal percentage (40%).

Below are abbreviated and extended versions of his highlights for the 2009-2010 season.

Extended Highlights


Abbreviated Highlights

2010 Player Highlights: Will Tashman

MIT freshman forward Will Tashman was a constant presence in the MIT lineup this past season. His work on both ends of the court was a factor the team relied on throughout the year, playing a major role in the team's success. However, as the season progressed, those watching the team began to realize that Tashman was just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. His continued development during the season earned him the team's Most Improved Player award. After averaging 8.7 ppg and 7.2 rpg as a freshman, while leading the team in FG% at 56.8%, Tashman is poised for a breakout year as a sophomore.

An intensely passionate and competitive player, Tashman is also very gifted, with a very broad basketball skill set. Tashman is very strong inside, making him a strong presence defensively, on the boards, and offensively in the post. He also has a solid shooting stroke, which makes him effective in his mid-range game and even from behind the arc. Glimpses of all facets of his game can be seen in the highlight clips below.

Extended Highlights


Abbreviated Highlights

Announcement of Next Year's Captains Highlight Annual Team Banquet

On Friday, April 9, nearly 50 people connected with the MIT men's basketball community joined together at the MIT Faculty Club to celebrate the past season. The annual banquet featured speaker Dana Mead, who is the current chairman of the Institute's board of trustees, and concluded with the presentation of team awards and announcement of next year's captains.

Director of Athletics Julie Soriero opened and closed the evening, while Mead Wyman '62, captain Billy Johnson, and assistant coach Indran Ratnathicam '98 also provided remarks. Wyman delivered an insightful speech with an alumni perspective and Ratnathicam, who was also a former player under head coach Larry Anderson, focused his talking points on leadership.

Following dinner and Mead's thoughtful oration, Anderson provided some reflections on the year's success before being joined by coaches Kevin Byrne and Brian Phillips for the distribution of the yearly hardware. As voted by the student-athletes on the basketball team, sophomore standout Noel Holingsworth was named Team MVP. Mitchell Kates was unanimously selected as Rookie of the Year; fellow rookie Will Tashman was cited as Most Improved; and junior Eric Zuk was tabbed with the Jack Barry Leadership Award.

Bob Ferrara '67, who has served as the cornerstone for the program's alumni efforts, provided announcements to the group throughout the evening and played an active role in organizing the event. As the evening neared its conclusion, Anderson left everyone with a sense of excitement about the program's bright future and announced the captains for the 2010-11 season as selected by the team: Eric Zuk and Mitchell Kates.