Three Land Spot on All-Conference 1st Team; Anderson Coach of the Year

Juniors Noel Hollingsworth, Will Tashman, and Mitchell Kates have all been named to this year's NEWMAC All-Conference 1st Team. This is the first time in NEWMAC history that three players of the same school earned All-Conference 1st Team honors.

Head Coach Larry Anderson was awarded Coach of the Year once again, his third honor in seven years.

6'9" Noel Hollingsworth was a Preseason All-American selection this year, and will enroll in graduate school at MIT  next year to use his remaining year of eligibility (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Junior Mitchell Kates earns his third straight All-Conference award after leading MIT to its best season ever (Pic: Tom Gearty)

6'8" Will Tashman, the league leader in rebounds, earns his second straight 1st Team All-Conference honor (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Head Coach Larry Anderson has solidified himself as one of the country's most successful coaches in recent history (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Emerson College Joins NEWMAC Conference

The NEWMAC announced today the addition of Emerson College to its conference. Emerson will officially join in the 2013-2014 season, and become the 8th member institution for men's basketball. The Emerson Men's Basketball team is coached by Jim O'Brien, who previously coached at Boston College and Ohio State.

MIT Develops Technology for NBA Dunk Contest

The MIT Media Lab recently teamed up with the NBA and Turner Sports to develop a device that measures the force of a dunk. This technology, the Slam Net Force, was used in the NBA Dunk Contest over the weekend.

Read more here: http://www.wired.com/playbook/2012/02/new-net-measures-the-force-of-monster-dunks/

(the following video was featured on NBA.com and has already accrued almost 150,000 views)

MIT Draws Skidmore College, Heads to Upstate New York

The nationally-ranked MIT Basketball squad and fans joined each other in the Stratton Student Center today to watch the NCAA Division III Selection Show and the tournament bracket unveiled. MIT will face Skidmore College, the Liberty League champions, at host Hartwick College on Friday (time TBA). The winner will play Saturday versus the winner of the Hartwick/Framingdale State game.

This is MIT's fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

View the entire 2012 Division III bracket here: http://d3hoops.com/playoffs/men/2012/mens-bracket-released

MIT's Historic Win in the Boston Globe

Read more here:

http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/extras/colleges_blog/2012/02/kates_carries_m_1.html?s_campaign=8315

MIT Cuts Down Nets in NEWMAC Championship

The first time in history the nets have been cut at Rockwell Cage (Pic: Tom Gearty)

The #3 MIT Men's Basketball team earned their third NEWMAC Tournament Championship in four years with a 65-60 win over Springfield College today in Rockwell Cage. The Engineers move to 25-1 in this historic season with an automatic birth to the NCAA Division III Tournament, their fourth straight tournament appearance.

6'8" Will Tashman during the opening tip (Pic: Robert Krawitz)

Freshman Paul Dawson handles the point (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Junior Point Guard Mitchell Kates earned the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player award with 24 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, and a steal. 6'8" Will Tashman, who earned the award during last year's championship, hauled in 10 rebounds along with his 5 points and 4 assists. All-American Noel Hollingsworth registered 14 points and 10 boards, while sharp-shooter Jamie Karraker connected on three three-pointers.

MIT has out-rebounded their opponents by over 11 rebounds per game this season (Pic: Robert Krawitz)

This is the first time the regular season champion has won the tournament championship since 2006 (Pic: Tom Gearty)

On the defensive end, seniors Billy Bender and Daniel Mccue suffocated Springfield with their relentless pressure. This is the Engineers 11th straight win over the Pride.

Kates makes an acrobatic move for 2 of his 24 points (Pic: Robert Krawitz)

The NCAA Tournament pairings will be announced via webcast Monday at noon here: http://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/article/2012-02-20/winter-championships-selections

Fans are invited to watch the show with the MIT team in the Coffee House Lounge on the third floor of the Stratton Student Center.

MIT students and fans celebrate the victory (Pic: Tom Gearty)

MIT Advances to NEWMAC Championship with 65-42 Win

Junior Mitchell Kates shot 7-of-10 in the first half vs. Babson (Pic: Robert Krawitz)

The nationally-ranked #3 MIT Basketball team, the host of this year's NEWMAC Conference Tournament, took down visiting Babson College, 65-42, in front of a sell-out crowd in Rockwell Cage yesterday afternoon. Tech held to Babson to just 8 points for over a 15-minute span that spilled over into the second the half of the semi-final game.

6'8" Will Tashman was difficult to stop inside (Pic: Robert Krawitz)

Mitchell Kates couldn't be stopped in the first half, scoring 15 of his 19 points in the frame to go with his 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and steal. Preseason All-American Noel Hollingsworth, recently named to the CoSIDA Academic All-American squad, notched 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, a steal, and an assist in the win. Last year's Tournament MVP Will Tashman was a force down low, scoring 14 points with 6 rebounds and 4 assists in just 21 minutes of action. Senior Billy Bender pitched in 12 points and 8 rebounds as well.

Rockwell Cage was filled to capacity for the semi-final game (Pic: Robert Krawitz)

MIT shot 55% from the field while holding Babson to 39% from the field and 7% from three.

Tech takes on Springfield College today at 1pm for the NEWMAC Conference Tournament Championship.

MIT vs. Babson Tip-Off 1pm EST

The nationally-ranked #3 MIT Engineers take on the Babson Beavers at 1pm EST today in Rockwell Cage in the NEWMAC semifinals.

Watch the game live: http://www.b2livetv.com/partner_members.asp?id=246

MIT Basketball Featured in Boston Globe

"Third-ranked MIT gets A in Chemistry"

Read more here: http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/mens_basketball/articles/2012/02/24/mit_baskeball_bouncing_to_the_head_of_the_class/?page=2

New York Knicks Coach "Needs an MIT Guy"

Mike D'Antoni, Head Coach of the New York Knicks of the NBA, is shown on camera proclaiming his need for an MIT basketball player:

"We got a Harvard...I need an MIT guy"

 

MIT to Face Babson in Semifinals

6'8" Junior Will Tashman rips a board away from Babson in their last outing (Pic: Tom Gearty)

#4 seeded Babson College defeated #5 seed Wheaton College last night in the NEWMAC quarterfinals 62-58 to advance to the semifinals versus MIT. Both games between the Beavers have been extremely close this season. Babson had MIT down 13 points in the second half in their last outing before Tech went on an 11-0 run and come away with the victory.

MIT, ranked #3 the nation, tips off against Babson at 1pm on Saturday in Rockwell Cage.

Hollingsworth, Karraker Academic All-Americans

Noel Hollingsworth and Jamie Karraker, who both have junior eligibility, have both earned a spot on this year's CoSIDA Academic All-American Second Team. 10 players in all of Division III (over 5,000 student-athletes) compose the two teams, and the NEWMAC provided three of them (Senior Matt Carr of WPI also earned the honor).

Both Hollingsworth and Karraker will stay at MIT for graduate school, and use their final year of eligibility.

MIT continues to lead all other Division III institutions in number of Academic All-Americans produced.

Read more here: http://mitathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/2011-12/releases/20120221txy6e2

2012 NEWMAC Men's Basketball Championship

This upcoming weekend, MIT will play host to the conference tournament for the second time in program history. MIT will tip-off on Saturday at 1pm and face the winner of the Wheaton vs. Babson contest. Free food and drinks will be provided during the MIT game.

Below are the tournament pairings:

2012 NEWMAC Men's Basketball Championship

Quarterfinals: Wednesday, February 22 at Babson:
         #5 Wheaton at #4 Babson - 7:00 p.m.

Semifinals: Saturday, February 25 at MIT:
         Winner #4/5 Seed at #1 MIT - 1:00 p.m.
         #3 Springfield vs. #2 WPI - 3:00 p.m.

Championship: Sunday, February 26 at MIT
         Semifinal Winners - 1:00 p.m.

MIT, Jeremy Lin, and ESPN

Former MIT assistant coach Oliver "Doc" Eslinger, now the head coach at CalTech, was featured as a guest writer on ESPN.com. Coach Eslinger talks about his experience recruiting Jeremy Lin to MIT.

Read more here: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/37066/development-in-lin-years

MIT Caps Historic Season with Win

The #3 ranked MIT basketball squad avenged their only loss of the season against WPI with a 71-66 victory on Wednesday. The visiting Engineers, now 23-1, went on a 21-1 run to start the second half, and downed last year's regular season champions on their home court. MIT's 23rd victory sets the record for most wins in program history.

The big-man duo of All-American Noel Hollingsworth and All-Region Will Tashman combined for 41 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 assists. Point guard Mitchell Kates led the second-half surge, scoring all of his 11 points in the frame along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Senior Billy Bender connected on two big threes and nailed all four of his crucial free-throws for 12 points.

MIT, the NEWMAC Regular Season Champions, will play host to this year's Conference Tournament next weekend. MIT plays on Saturday, Feb. 25th, at 1pm in Rockwell Cage versus the winner of the Wheaton vs. Babson quarterfinal game.

Tech Back to #3 in Polls

In this week's D3Hoops.com Top 25 Poll, the MIT Men's Basketball team moved its way back up to #3 in the nation.

Other Northeast Region schools in the top 25 include Amherst (#2), Middlebury (#4), and Albertus Magnus (#20). Just outside of the Top 25 are Western Connecticut (#26), Keene State (#27), Wesleyan (#32), Williams (#34), Eastern Connecticut (#35), Rhode Island College (T-#38), and WPI (T-#38).

MIT Clinches Title in OT Win

The MIT Basketball team earned its second regular season championship in three years in thrilling fashion over the weekend with a 63-60 overtime win over Clark University.

Mitchell Kates scored 16 points with 5 assists and 2 steals while stat-stuffer Billy Bender pitched in 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, and an assist. Freshman big-man Andrew Acker and senior Dan Mccue continued their hot streak off the bench for the Engineers. 6'8" Acker posted 11 points and 7 rebounds in 22 minutes, while Mccue knotted 8 points with stellar defense.

With the win, MIT ties the program record for most wins in a season (22), clinches the NEWMAC Regular Season Championship, and will host the Conference Tournament as the #1 seed.

In their last regular season game, MIT travels to WPI on Wednesday to avenge their only loss of the season.

MIT Upends Babson 59-47 on Senior Night

After trailing 40-27 to Babson with 15 minutes left, Tech went on a 32-7 run to end the game and earn their 21st victory of the season.

6'5" Senior Billy Bender uses his length to overpower smaller guards on Senior Night (Pic: Tom Gearty) 

Mitchell Kates led the way with 13 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds, sharp-shooter Jamie Karraker connected on three three-pointers for 11 points, and All-American Noel Hollingsworth pitched in 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Big-man Will Tashman had a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with his 9 points, while senior Billy Bender capped his Senior Night with 7 points and 6 rebounds.

6'8" Will Tashman shows why he is the most dominant rebounder in the NEWMAC  (Pic: Tom Gearty)

The stars of the show, however, were Dan Mccue and freshman Andrew Acker. Their boost of energy off the bench was the turning point of the game, after the Engineers suffered one of their worst halves in recent history. Acker made timely defensive plays while Mccue nailed two three-pointers to swing the momentum Tech's way.

All-American Noel Hollingsworth has still put up league-leading numbers, despite constant double and triple teams (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Prior to the game, seniors Billy Bender and Arni Lehto were recognized for their contributions to the team over the past four seasons. Former Engineer great David Koch was also recognized for his endowment of the head coach's position.

Former MIT Basketball greats with Head Coach Larry Anderson (Pic: Tom Gearty)

MIT travels to Clark on Saturday and look to tie their highest win total in Institute history.

Senior Day Profile: Dan Mccue

No one has a story quite like Dan Mccue's. The whiz kid from a farm in Maine joined the MIT squad back in the 2007-2008 season, and his impact on the team was immediate. His freshman season was highlighted by an 18-point, 5-rebound performance versus Springfield College while earning Team Rookie of the Year honors.

It was then learned that Mccue had been playing his entire freshman campaign in complete pain. A hip disorder caused his bones to grind against each constantly, forcing him to undergo two hip surgeries. Mccue would have to sit out his sophomore season. After providing support on the sidelines during the 2008-2009 year, and putting in countless hours of rehabilitation every day, Mccue was told his hips did not heal properly. Another season missed and three hip surgeries later, doctors told Mccue he would never be able to play basketball again.

But this wouldn't stop Mccue. After even more rehabilitation, the 6'3" guard returned to the court last year, helping lead the team to a NEWMAC Championship and the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament. He was most well-known to fans for his two-point bank-shot in the last minute versus Ithaca College of the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament, a shot that put the Engineers ahead for the win.

This year, Mccue was voted team captain, and has been an invaluable leader on the floor and in the locker room. The shooting guard is also 7th in the conference in A/TO ratio (1.5). Off the court, Mccue is an Economics major with concentrations in Political Science and Finance and has applied to MIT's Graduate School. If admitted, Mccue will return for his final year of eligibility.

Senior Day Profile: Arni Lehto

Arni Lehto came to MIT from Helsinki, Finland, with a wealth of basketball experience playing on club teams in his homeland. Lehto's hard work, skill, and passion for the game earned him a spot on the squad, and ever since, the "Finnish Fury" has been an incredible leader during MIT Basketball's most successful era in history.

Lehto, a two-time Academic All-Conference selection, has helped lead the Engineers to four 20-win seasons, three NCAA Tournament Appearances, two Conference Tournament Championships, one Conference Regular Season championship, and a number of team records. Lehto will join Bender as MIT Basketball's all-time winningest class with a record of 83-24.

Off the court, Lehto was recently featured on the blog for his work with HelmetHub, an award-winning idea that has received much publicity. Lehto, a mechanical engineering major and economics minor, has been accepted to Stanford's Graduate School.

Senior Day Profile: Billy Bender

Bender in his Sophomore year drives past current New York Knick Jeremy Lin (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Billy Bender came to MIT from Woodlands, Texas as a freshman on the famed 2008-2009 squad, and his quirky knack to find the ball and get it in the hoop was discovered immediately. The 6'5" guard/forward possessed all the skills a utility player needs; Bender could do everything.

Bender is considered one of the top defenders in the NEWMAC (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Billy Bender started off his career with a bang. In fact, the current success of the MIT Basketball can be traced back to "The Shot" by Bender his freshman year. Down two with seconds left in the quarterfinals of the 2009 NEWMAC Tournament versus Coast Guard, the quiet but deadly freshman nailed a baseline jumper to send the game into overtime. MIT would go on to win the game and eventually the program's first conference championship. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Bender's heroics were needed again as he sunk all four of his free-throws in the final seconds of the overtime upset of #17 Rhode Island College. "Big Shot Bender" had emerged.

Bender comes into Senior night with 702 career points, 389 rebounds, and 183 assists (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Since then, Billy Bender has quietly been a force for the Engineers, and has turned into not only the most efficient offensive player in the conference, but one of the premiere defenders as well. Bender is currently ranked in the top 15 in more categories (12 out of a possible 13) than any other player in the conference, reflecting his overall impact on the game. He currently leads the NEWMAC in field goal percentage (57.9) and three-point field goal percentage (47.3). He is also 4th in FT% (76.6), 4th in defensive rebounds (4.6), 8th in steals (1.4), 8th in rebounds (5.8), 8th in A/TO (1.4), 9th in 3FGM (1.2), 11th in minutes (29.2), 12th in assists (2.0), 13th in blocks (0.4), 15th in scoring (10.2). More importantly, Bender consistently guards the opposing team's best player.

Off the court, Bender is a Chemical Engineering major, and has offers from a number of different chemical manufacturing firms for next year.

Tech Wins 20th Game

The #5 MIT Men's Basketball team triumphed in a thriller versus 2nd-place Springfield College yesterday afternoon with a 69-67 victory. Tied with under a minute to go, sharp-shooter Jamie Karraker nailed a three from the corner and hit the final two free-throws (his 999th and 1000th career points) of the game to secure MIT's fourth 20-win season in a row in front of a packed house at Springfield College. This is MIT 's 10th straight win versus the Pride of Springfield, as the Engineers move to 20-1 on the season and 8-1 in conference.

The MIT Engineers continue to make history (Pic: Shri Ganeshram)

Leading the way with another incredible performance was big-man Will Tashman, scoring 17 points with 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and a thunderous block that pinned the ball against the backboard. All-American Noel Hollingsworth followed suit with 16 points, while Mitchell Kates scored 15 points to pass current Assistant Coach Bill Johnson '10, Bill Eagleson '64, Joe Levesque '95, and David Tomlinson '91 to move into 17th all-time on the MIT scoring list (1,067).

Junior Will Tashman currently sits at 875 points and 632 rebounds for his career (Pic: Shri Ganeshram)

Senior Billy Bender scored 10 points along with his 7 rebounds, all while holding Alex Berthiaume, who is tied with Hollingsworth for the NEWMAC scoring crown, to just 4-of-15 shooting.

This is Head Coach Larry Anderson's fifth 20-win season (Pic: Shri Ganeshram)

Tech takes on Babson College at home on Wednesday at 6pm in the final regular season home game for the Engineers. This Senior Night will honor Billy Bender and Arni Lehto, MIT's all-time winningest class with a record of 83-24 (0.78).

MIT Basketball Featured on SportsIllustrated.com

The MIT Men's Basketball Team, ranked 5th in the country, appears today on Sports Illustrated's website. Read more here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/alexander_wolff/02/03/middlebury.mit.wolff/index.html?sct=cb_wr_a1

Hollingsworth, Karraker Honored with Academic All-District Award

Juniors Noel Hollingsworth and Jamie Karraker were each named to the Capital One Academic All-District men's basketball first team today. They will now be placed on the Academic All-America ballot. Read more here: http://www.mitathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/2011-12/releases/20120202r43lp9

MIT Moves to 19-1 While Hollingsworth Hits 1,000 Points

The #5 MIT Men's Basketball squad took care of business at Wheaton last night with a commanding 85-56 victory to solidify their first place standing in the NEWMAC at 7-1 (19-1 overall). Tech jumped out on the Lyons 34-7 fifteen minutes into the game, and never looked back. Despite going cold from three (4-21), MIT shot a staggering 81% from inside the arc (29-36) for the game.

Noel Hollingsworth becomes the 25th player to reach the 1,000-point milestone for MIT (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Leading the way once again was current NEWMAC Player of the Week Noel Hollingsworth, netting a game-high 19 points with 9 boards, 4 blocks and 3 assists. The 6'9" Center also hit the career 1,000-point mark on his 12th point of the night. Teammate Mitchell Kates hit the mark last week, while Junior Jamie Karraker is inches away with 992 points.

Junior Dan Mccue led the scoring surge for Tech with back-to-back triples in the first half (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Following suit with a dominating performance was 6'8" Will Tashman, who registered his ninth double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Mitchell Kates also contributed 17 points with 4 steals and 3 assists, while Senior Billy Bender pitched in 13. 

MIT takes on 2nd place Springfield at their place this Saturday at 2pm.

Kates Siblings Featured in Daily Pennsylvanian

MIT Junior point guard Mitchell Kates and his sister, Jackie Kates, have been playing basketball with each other their whole lives. Read more about Jackie, a freshman guard at University of Pennsylvania, and MIT's newest 1,000-point scorer here: http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2012/02/jackie_kates_big_brother_knows_best