Once again, the MIT men's basketball team made history, although the Tech faithful needed to sweat it out until the very end. The Engineers were the last team named as CBS and the NCAA announced the NCAA Division III Tournament bracket during Monday morning's selection show. MIT is at the bottom right of the bracket and will travel to Wayne , NJ, to face Freedom Conference champion DeSales University (22-5). Nationally-ranked No. 10 William Paterson (25-2) out of the NJAC will host the first and second round pod, and will face GNAC champ Albertus Magnus (22-6) in the opening round.
Click here for a look at the complete bracket: NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship
The Engineers were one of 19 at-large (or Pool C) selections for this year's tournament. Its the first at-large bid for the MIT men's basketball team in the history of the NCAA Championships, and marks MIT's second consecutive appearance.
MIT will have the chance to face NEWMAC champion Clark Univerity if both teams can advance to the Sweet 16. The Cougars also have a difficult road as they travel to Reading, PA, to face the Albright Lions (21-5). Two nationally-ranked teams complete their pod as No. 18 Randolph-Macon and No. 21 Cabrini meet in the first round.
The opening round games are slated for March 4 and 5. Dates and times for the first round have not yet been announced. Check back to mitbasketball.blogspot.com for additional coverage leading up to the Engineers' first-round game.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Poor Outside Shooting Too Much to Overcome, MIT Falls in NEWMAC Semi
A season low 17.4% shooting from outside (4-23) was too much for MIT overcome, as they fell in the NEWMAC semifinals to Clark this afternoon at Rockwell Cage, 71-59. Clark, on the other hand, shot well all night, going 51% from the field and 48% from deep. MIT was led by Noel Hollingsworth who scored 30 points and added 9 rebounds. MIT missed the presence of Billy Bender, who was out for the second consecutive game with injury. In his absence, the MIT guards shot a combined 0-10 from 3.MIT came out of the gates on fire, taking a 17-4 lead 4.5 minutes into the contest. Undeterred, Clark mounted a 15-2 run to knot the game at 19 by the 9 minute mark of the first half. MIT thought they had weathered the storm, scoring 3 points to take the lead back 22-19, but Clark had other ideas as they went on a 15-0 run to take a 12 point lead with 2.5 minutes remaining in the half. MIT would not go away, as they went on a 9-0 run of their own, making the halftime margin 34-31 Clark.
The first 10 minutes of the second half were highly-contested, as there were 5 lead changes and 3 ties. However, with MIT up 49-47 with just under 13 minutes to play in the game, Clark went on a 13-2 run over a 6 minute stretch that MIT would not be able to recoup from. Clark would push the lead to double digits in the final 2.5 minutes of the contest, and were able to hold the lead for a 71-59 win.
Official MIT Release
MIT will now have to hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. NCAA selections will be made tomorrow, Sunday, February 28, and will be released via webcast on Sunday morning starting at 10:00 AM. The webcast link can be found on the NCAA website. Clark will play the winner of the WPI/Springfield matchup, slated for later this afternoon.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Engineers Begin Quest for Second Consecutive NEWMAC Title Against Clark
On Saturday, nationally-ranked No. 13 MIT (22-3) hopes to take advantage of its first bye in the history of the NEWMAC postseason tournament in propelling to its third finals appearance in five seasons. The test will be stiff for the Engineers, who are 3-1 at home in the NEWMAC playoffs, and 2-1 all-time against Clark in the postseason. The Cougars enter the tilt full of confidence after dispatching Wheaton College on the road. The Lyons had proved to be MIT's nemesis this season after defeating the Engineers twice (the only Division III team to upend MIT this year), but they lost to Clark on Wednesday, 58-55.
Clark held MIT to its lowest scoring total of the season in the team's first meeting and its fourth-lowest scoring total of the year in the second encounter. The Engineers escaped with victories in both contests, although both games required a significant rally by the Cardinal and Gray.
On January 16, MIT erased a 14-point first half deficit en route to a 54-51 win in Worcester. The Cougars led 35-21 with two minutes remaining in the opening period before Mitchell Kates ran off six straight points to cut the lead to eight at the break. In the second half, MIT shot 55% from the floor while holding the Cougars to 29% shooting. Mark Alexander had a chance to tie the game at the end, but his attempt from three fell short.
In the second meeting of the season, MIT shrugged off a seven-point second half deficit to defeat Clark, 59-52. The Cougars led 38-31 with 14 minutes left to play, but four three's by rookie Jimmy Burke and a commanding 31-17 advantage for MIT on the glass proved to be the difference.
MIT and Clark rank first and second in the league in scoring defense and have slugged it out in the previous matchups, making it wise to take the under. The Engineers' battles against the Cougars have resulted in their two worst games of the year in terms of field goals made. On the other hand, MIT held Clark to a season-low 43 field goal attempts in their first trip to Rockwell Cage. Noel Hollingsworth has been the leading scorer in both meetings, totaling 20 points and 11 rebounds at Clark and 17 points in the re-match.
The keys for MIT include controlling the boards (+20 in two games), taking care of the basketball (-9 turnover margin), and keeping the Cougars off the free-throw line (22-of-26 against MIT). The Cougars offensive figures to go through Mark Alexander, who is third in the NEWMAC in scoring at 17.5 points per game and is second in the league in free-throw attempts. Alexander has totaled 29 points in two games versus the Engineers this season, while Brian Vayda has added 28. Both teams will look to shoot the open three, although few are expected to be had as the team's also rank first and second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense.
Clark held MIT to its lowest scoring total of the season in the team's first meeting and its fourth-lowest scoring total of the year in the second encounter. The Engineers escaped with victories in both contests, although both games required a significant rally by the Cardinal and Gray.
On January 16, MIT erased a 14-point first half deficit en route to a 54-51 win in Worcester. The Cougars led 35-21 with two minutes remaining in the opening period before Mitchell Kates ran off six straight points to cut the lead to eight at the break. In the second half, MIT shot 55% from the floor while holding the Cougars to 29% shooting. Mark Alexander had a chance to tie the game at the end, but his attempt from three fell short.
In the second meeting of the season, MIT shrugged off a seven-point second half deficit to defeat Clark, 59-52. The Cougars led 38-31 with 14 minutes left to play, but four three's by rookie Jimmy Burke and a commanding 31-17 advantage for MIT on the glass proved to be the difference.
MIT and Clark rank first and second in the league in scoring defense and have slugged it out in the previous matchups, making it wise to take the under. The Engineers' battles against the Cougars have resulted in their two worst games of the year in terms of field goals made. On the other hand, MIT held Clark to a season-low 43 field goal attempts in their first trip to Rockwell Cage. Noel Hollingsworth has been the leading scorer in both meetings, totaling 20 points and 11 rebounds at Clark and 17 points in the re-match.
The keys for MIT include controlling the boards (+20 in two games), taking care of the basketball (-9 turnover margin), and keeping the Cougars off the free-throw line (22-of-26 against MIT). The Cougars offensive figures to go through Mark Alexander, who is third in the NEWMAC in scoring at 17.5 points per game and is second in the league in free-throw attempts. Alexander has totaled 29 points in two games versus the Engineers this season, while Brian Vayda has added 28. Both teams will look to shoot the open three, although few are expected to be had as the team's also rank first and second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense.
Video Interviews: Eric Zuk and Noel Hollingsworth
We are back for this week's final installment of player video interviews. Today we have interviews with junior captain Eric Zuk and sophomore center Noel Hollingsworth.
Eric discusses the atmosphere in last weekend's NEWMAC clinching win over Springfield, about his expectations for the season, and how differently teams have been preparing for MIT this year than in years past.
Noel discusses his transition from the Ivy League to MIT, advice he would give to other players in his sitatuion, and how it has been working with formner NBA center Paul Grant on the coaching staff here at MIT.
Eric discusses the atmosphere in last weekend's NEWMAC clinching win over Springfield, about his expectations for the season, and how differently teams have been preparing for MIT this year than in years past.
Noel discusses his transition from the Ivy League to MIT, advice he would give to other players in his sitatuion, and how it has been working with formner NBA center Paul Grant on the coaching staff here at MIT.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Video Interviews: Mitchell Kates and Jimmy Burke
We are back for another installment of MIT player video interviews. Tonight we shift our focus to the Garden State, as we profile two freshman guards from New Jersey.
Mitch Kates, from Colts Neck, NJ, discusses how it has been stepping into a void left at the point guard position after last year's graduating class, how it has been adjusting to his role as the floor leader for this team, and his expectations before the season.
Jimmy Burke, from Scotch Plains, NJ, talks about his success in high school and how it compares to this season, his role on the team, and when he realized this year's team was pretty good.
Check back tomorrow as we profile junior captain Eric Zuk and sophomore center Noel Hollingsworth.
Mitch Kates, from Colts Neck, NJ, discusses how it has been stepping into a void left at the point guard position after last year's graduating class, how it has been adjusting to his role as the floor leader for this team, and his expectations before the season.
Jimmy Burke, from Scotch Plains, NJ, talks about his success in high school and how it compares to this season, his role on the team, and when he realized this year's team was pretty good.
Check back tomorrow as we profile junior captain Eric Zuk and sophomore center Noel Hollingsworth.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Video Interviews: Patrick Sissman and Ben Montgomery
In our second installment of the player video interviews, we focus on the two players on the squad from Maryland: senior captain Patrick Sissman and freshman forward Ben Montgomery. The guys discuss keys to the team's success and Patrick reflects on his career at MIT.
MIT to Face Clark; WPI, Springfield Advance in NEWMAC Tourney
Top-seeded MIT (22-3) will host No. 5-seeded Clark University (14-12) on Saturday, February 27 at 1 p.m. after the Cougars defeated No. 4 Wheaton (10-15), 58-55, at the Lyons' Emerson Gymnasium. As expected, the game was virtually even across every statistical category, but the Cougars held on despite leading by nine with three minutes to play and a poor performance at the charity stripe in the game's final minutes. The Lyons had a chance to tie the game, but Brendan Degnan's buzzer-beating three missed.
In earlier action, No. 3 WPI (19-6) jumped out to an 18-2 start before prevailing, 76-71, against No. 6 Coast Guard. Kyle Nadeau paced four players in double figures with 16 points and seven assists. Fernando Perez added 14 points and 14 rebounds. Coast Guard climbed back into contention behind a phenomenal performance by Greg Marshall, who dropped in a game-best 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting. The Bears finish the season at 7-16.
Worcester's version of the Engineers will face No. 2 Springfield College (14-12) in the second semi-final hosted by MIT on Saturday. It took all 40 minutes for the Pride to shake last-place Babson (10-16). Matt Zoia hit two three's in providing the Beavers with a late push, but led by Ryan Coburn's 9-for-10 effort at the line and game-high 15 points, Springfield advanced, 71-65.
In earlier action, No. 3 WPI (19-6) jumped out to an 18-2 start before prevailing, 76-71, against No. 6 Coast Guard. Kyle Nadeau paced four players in double figures with 16 points and seven assists. Fernando Perez added 14 points and 14 rebounds. Coast Guard climbed back into contention behind a phenomenal performance by Greg Marshall, who dropped in a game-best 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting. The Bears finish the season at 7-16.
Worcester's version of the Engineers will face No. 2 Springfield College (14-12) in the second semi-final hosted by MIT on Saturday. It took all 40 minutes for the Pride to shake last-place Babson (10-16). Matt Zoia hit two three's in providing the Beavers with a late push, but led by Ryan Coburn's 9-for-10 effort at the line and game-high 15 points, Springfield advanced, 71-65.
MIT Drops A Spot in Final Regular-Season NCAA NE Region Rankings
The final of four in-season regional rankings were released today by the NCAA, and MIT fell to the #3 ranking in the Northeast region, only trailing Williams and Middlebury.
Full rankings can be found here: NCAA Release.
Full rankings can be found here: NCAA Release.
Statistically Speaking
This is how MIT stacks up statistically in the NEWMAC and against other NCAA DIII teams across the country. Stats are for games through 2/21/2010. Only statistics in which MIT is top 2 in the NEWMAC as a team and top 10 in individual categories are listed. Note that the NCAA does not rank all categories that the NEWMAC ranks.
Team Stats
Individual Stats
Team Stats
| Statistic | Value | NEWMAC | NCAA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoring Defense | 58.8 | 1 | 8 |
| Rebounding Margin | +7.0 | 1 | 18 |
| Scoring Margin | +12.2 | 1 | 19 |
| 3FGM | 7.56 | 1 | 56 |
| FG% | 46.3 | 1 | 89 |
| Assists | 14.48 | 1 | 104 |
| A/TO | 0.90 | 1 | 170 |
| Rebounding Defense | 30.6 | 1 | |
| Scoring Offense | 71.0 | 2 | 201 |
| FG% Defense/td> | 39.8 | 2 | 27 |
| 3FG% Defense | 21.5 | 2 |
Individual Stats
| Player | Statistic | Value | NEWMAC | NCAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noel Hollingsworth | Scoring | 20.2 | 1 | 42 |
| FG% | 56.9 | 1 | 58 | |
| Rebounds | 9.1 | 1 | 65 | |
| Blocks | 1.44 | 3 | 93 | |
| Mitchell Kates | Steals | 2.20 | 1 | 62 |
| Assists | 4.24 | 1 | 92 | |
| A/TO | 1.25 | 6 | ||
| FG% | 49.6 | 7 | ||
| Scoring | 13.3 | 8 | 485 | |
| FT% | 69.3 | 9 | ||
| Jimmy Burke | 3FGM | 2.46 | 1 | 91 |
| 3FG% | 41.3 | 4 | ||
| Will Tashman | Rebounds | 7.0 | 4 | 216 |
| FG% | 55.4 | 2 | ||
| Billy Johnson | 3FGM | 1.64 | 5 | 387 |
| Billy Bender | Rebounds | 5.3 | 9 | |
| 3FGM | 1.21 | 10 |
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Video Interviews: Billy Johnson and Will Tashman
This is the inaugural edition of our player video interviews. Every day this week, leading up to the NEWMAC tournament hosted by MIT on February 27-28, we will be posting two new player interviews. We will include more video interviews in the coming weeks, and we hope to have every player and coach interviewed at least once before the season is over.
For today's episode, we have senior captain Billy Johnson and freshman forward Will Tashman profiled. Billy talks about the team this year, how the team compares to last year, and why he grew a beard. Will talks about his first year at MIT, why his recruiting class has been so productive so quickly, and reminisces about high school.
Thanks to fellow NEWMAC supporter Mark S. for his input that motivated us to actually get these interviews done!
For today's episode, we have senior captain Billy Johnson and freshman forward Will Tashman profiled. Billy talks about the team this year, how the team compares to last year, and why he grew a beard. Will talks about his first year at MIT, why his recruiting class has been so productive so quickly, and reminisces about high school.
Thanks to fellow NEWMAC supporter Mark S. for his input that motivated us to actually get these interviews done!
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