MIT Hoops Featured on NCAA.com

"MIT Off to Best Start in Program History"

http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2011-12-14/mit-best-start-program-history

Women's Team Off to Hot Start

The MIT Women's Team will go for 4-in-a-row on Dec. 30th (Pic: Tom Gearty)

The MIT Women's Basketball squad has also started the season in strong fashion. The Engineers are currently 6-3 overall and 3-1 in conference, including two dramatic wins over WPI and Coast Guard Academy, as well as a dominating victory over academic rival CalTech 100-26. Led by Head Coach Sonia Raman, Tech looks to extend their 3-game win streak against Simmons College on December 30th at Rockwell Cage.

Senior Arni Lehto Wins Design Competition

An overflowing crowd of over 1,200 packed Kresge for the popular competition (Pic: 2.009 Website)

Senior Arni Lehto and his mechanical engineering design team recently participated in and were crowned winners in MIT's 2.009 Competition. This competition, the culmination of semester-long work in 2.009, MIT's Product Engineering Processes class, involves teams that "design and build working alpha prototypes of new products."

Lehto's team, who created a bicycle helmet "vending machine" in HelmetHub, beat out seven other teams' designs, which included a sonar-operated faucet, a heating and cooling unit for paraplegics, and an electric power boost for mechanical wheelchairs. Lehto's presentation in front of a packed Kresge Auditorium can be watched below (Lehto speaks from 2:12-6:18).

Lehto has been part of all three MIT conference championships (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Lehto, a native of Finland, is a four-year member of the men's hoops squad and a two-time Academic All-Conference selection. He and senior Billy Bender will graduate as MIT Basketball's all-time winningest class, and currently hold a record of 75-23 (.765).

#4 MIT, Karraker Make History

The nationally-ranked #4 Engineers took down Wheelock College 71-47 last night for their 12th win in a row and the best start in the 111-year history of the program. Also setting the history mark was Jamie "Cakes" Karraker. On his seventh trifecta of the night, "Cakes" notched his 232nd career three-pointer, surpassing the great Jimmy Bartolotta (2009) on the all-time three-point list. Through Dec. 11, Karraker is second in the nation in 3FG made per game (4.4).

6'8" Will Tashman snags a board. He is averaging 10.3 rebounds a game this season (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Behind Karraker's 23 points was All-American Noel Hollingsworth's 18 points and 8 rebounds. Hollingsworth is averaging 19.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg on the year. Senior Billy Bender filled the stat sheet again with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals to end his incredible first semester. All-Region performer and last year's NEWMAC Tournament MVP Will Tashman grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in 22 minutes, and two-time All-Conference point guard Mitchell Kates dished out a game-high 6 assists.

Will "Big Country" Dickson gets a feed from Freshman Paul Dawson (Pic: Tom Gearty)

The Engineers also saw valuable contributions from the bench, including three blocks and a dunk from high-flying freshman Matt Redfield, as well as 4 assists from veteran "Lieutenant" Dan Mccue. Tech out-rebounded the visiting Wildcats 35-23, dished out 22 assists on 29 makes, and shot 42% from three.

Freshman Matt Redfield throws one down. Redfield is averaging a block every 6 minutes (Pic: Tom Gearty)

The team takes a break for finals and the holidays, and returns to action in the new year on January 4th versus NEWMAC opponent Springfield College.

NYTimes: MIT Scientists Capture Speed of Light

MIT's Media Lab

Scientists in MIT's world-renowned Media Lab have created an imaging system that captures light moving at the nanosecond level. The Media Lab has been a popular choice among undergraduates for UROPs, MIT's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. This allows students to work alongside Nobel-Prize winning professors and researchers who are working on projects like the one mentioned above. 

Many of the MIT basketball players have taken advantage of "UROPs". For instance senior Dan Mccue worked with Professor Stephen Ansolabehere on a political science research project that analyzed campaign financing, while senior Arni Lehto spent time at the Hatsopoulos Microfluids Lab. "UROPs are an incredible opportunity," Mccue notes. "You get the chance to get your hands on ground-breaking research, all while getting funding and/or academic credit."

Read more on the Media Lab work in the New York Times:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/science/speed-of-light-lingers-in-face-of-mit-media-lab-camera.html

MIT #4 in Nation

MIT Basketball moved up to #4 in this week's D3Hoops.com Top 25 poll. The Engineers, with a nation's-best record of 11-0, have beaten their opponents by an average margin of victory of 27 points. They are shooting 52.5% from the field, 40.2% from three, and have a +11.5 rebounding margin. This is the program's highest national ranking ever.

NEWMAC foe WPI is currenly ranked 20th in the country, while other Northeast Region teams Williams (#7), Amherst (#6), and Middlebury (#1) were ranked as well.

Read more about the Top 25 poll here: http://d3hoops.com/top25/men/2011-12/week3

Karraker Earns POW

Sharp shooter Jamie Karraker was honored for his career performances last week by earning NEWMAC Player of the Week. MIT has now owned the award for three of the four weeks. Karraker, a senior with another year of eligibility left, shot the lights out for the undefeated Engineers, connecting on 17 three-pointers in the three games, while posting a career-high of 27 points versus UMass-Boston, and then topping that with 28 points against Salem State. Karraker is averaging 15.7 points per game this year while shooting a red-hot 44.4% from three, and is seven three-pointers away from becoming MIT's all-time three-point leader.

Karraker is a computer science whiz who spent last summer in California interning with Facebook and training with teammate Will Tashman and Stanford players.

Read more here: http://newmacsports.com/sports/mbkb/2011-12/POTW/mbkbPOTW121211

MIT Blurb in the Herald

"No. 7 MIT better Kates than Never" 

http://bostonherald.com/sports/college/basketball/view.bg?articleid=1387535&srvc=sports&position=2

#7 MIT Wins Thriller at Tufts

The nationally-ranked MIT Engineers took down Tufts University in dramatic fashion in front of a bustling crowd at Cousens Gynasium yesterday afternoon. Down six with four minutes left, Tech scored on timely possessions to grab their 11th victory in a row, and solidify a nation-best 11-0 record.

The hero of the game was none other than All-Conference point guard Mitchell Kates. Kates scored on several key possessions, and stole two key balls on defense, one of which sealed the game. The captain finished the night with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists.

All-American Noel Hollingsworth dominated throughout, scoring 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting along with 11 rebounds. All-Region performer Will Tashman grabbed 6 caroms off the glass, including a block that saved the Engineers, while Billy Bender and Jamie Karraker pitched in 8 points and 7 points, respectively. 6'7" Freshman Dennis Levene played 15 valuable minutes for MIT, grabbing timely rebounds and two momentum-changing charges.

MIT finishes off the semester with Wheelock College on Wednesday at 7PM in Rockwell Cage.

#7 MIT Downs Salem State

The #7 MIT Engineers led by as much as 28 points over visiting Salem State, and eventually cruised to a 78-66 victory tonight at Rockwell Cage. Tech accumulated 9 steals and 6 blocks on defense, while dishing out 17 assists offensively. Salem State, who boasts 18 league championships and 21 NCAA Tournament appearances, could not handle MIT's inside and outside game, as the Engineers shot 40% from three and scored 46 points in the paint.

Mitchell Kates drives past Salem State's Andrew White. Kates is majoring in Computer Science (Pic: Tom Gearty)

After scoring a career-high 27 points on Tuesday, Jamie Karraker decided to one-up that with a 28-point performance tonight versus the Vikings. Karraker connected on 7 three-pointers, now just 8 three-pointers away from becoming MIT's all-time three-point field goal leader.

Senior Billy Bender swarms Salem State's Apollos Wade. Bender currently has a 73-23 record while playing at MIT (Pic: Tom Gearty)

All-American Noel Hollingsworth poured in 20 points along with 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 2 steals. This is Hollingsworth's ninth game in double-digits and fifth time scoring 20 or more points. Fellow big-man Will Tashman produced his sixth double-double of the season with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists.

6'9" Noel Hollingsworth keeps Salem State's Hamed Akanni at bay. Hollingsworth, who has another year of eligibility, has 835 career points (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Mitchell Kates showed why he is one of the best point guards in the nation, finishing the night with 14 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. Senior Billy Bender added 6 points and 10 rebounds.

Freshman Paul Dawson runs the show. Dawson, a biological engineering major, led his high school team to two state championships in Georgia (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Tech travels to Tufts University on Saturday at 3pm. The Tufts Jumbos are 6-2 on the season, with their only two losses coming in overtime.