2012 Alumni Event

The Fourth Annual Men's Basketball Alumni Event is next weekend (February 4). For more information and the registration link, go here. This year, the alumni game will begin at 2 pm, followed by a meal at the alumni house and the varsity game at 7 pm. Prior to the varsity game, Caltech will honor the top rebounders in program history.

First Term Highlights

Caltech completed its non-conference season with a record of 5-6, marking the best start since 1994-95. On December 31, the Beavers hosted Babson College, the Beavers from the east coast and the New England Men's and Women's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). Coach Eslinger coached in the NEWMAC prior to his move to the SCIAC and also played against Babson in the 90's as a player at Clark University.

Edwards scored his 1,000th point on Dec. 31

Boosted by Michael Edwards' 25-point night, the host Beavers earned a 57-52 victory over Babson after trailing by as many as 13 points. With his game-high scoring output, Edwards became the 12th player in Caltech history to record at least 1,000 points. Ethan Boroson tied a school record with five steals to go along with his five points and four rebounds. The win marks the first time Caltech has beaten Babson.

In November, The Beavers' first win of the season was a nail-biter, as Boroson came through with a clutch basket with 10 seconds remaining to give Caltech a 63-62 edge. Edwards scored a season-high 28 in that contest and Alex Runkel posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

A few days later, the Beavers started a three game win streak against the University of Dallas (69-53) on the second day of the Thanksgiving Classic. Caltech followed with a tremendous road win at West Coast Baptist, a game that saw the Beavers post 95 points, the most points accumulated in a win since Caltech beat American Indian Bible in 1989-90. Caltech then went to Minnesota and beat Macalester 71-65 before coming back home for the Babson game after the winter break.

Through 11 games, the Beavers are ranked 45th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage defense (29.1 percent), 131st in assists per game (14.3), and 144th in 3-pointers made per game (6.6). 405 division III schools are ranked.

The basketball team was also highlighted in the Institute's Happy New Year video:

Minnesota Trip Report

After its 3-2 start, Caltech traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota to take on two MIAC opponents. The Beavers beat Macalester, 71-65, on Monday, Dec. 12 to score their third win in a row and what is believed to be the first out-of-state NCAA win in program history. In a tightly contested and physical battle, the Beavers were able to hold off a resilient Scots' squad during the closing minutes of the game. Caltech scored 17 points off Macalester's 18 turnovers and registered 10 steals for the game. Michael Edwards scored 24 points and Todd Cramer had 19 points and 10 assists. Pan Wang scored a career-high 12 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 3 steals. The next day, the Beavers drove down the road to face Hamline. The Pipers came out strong and never looked back as Caltech moved to 4-3 on the year. Edwards and Cramer again led the visitors in scoring with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Bryan Joel added 9 points.

Beavers Score Historical Road Win

Caltech traveled to West Coast Baptist last Thursday and earned a historical victory, 95-79. The win marked the first time the Beavers beat the Eagles (previously 0-2), and the 95 points are believed to be the most ever scored on the road by a Caltech team. In addition, the Beavers improved to 3-2, their best start since the 1994-95 season when they won their first eight games (all against non-NCAA schools). Michael Edwards and Bryan Joel were the game high scorers with 22 points each. Todd Cramer had 19 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals. Andrew Hogue scored 13 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Collin Murphy had 5 points and 8 boards. You can read Murphy's take on the game here.

Caltech Hoops in the News

Lots happening in Pasadena. Caltech posted it's second win of the season this past Sunday as it defeated the University of Dallas on the second day of the Thanksgiving Classic, 69-53. After a slow start, the Beavers found their way back to .500 (2-2) as they shot 6 of 12 from behind the arc and 56.7 percent overall in the second half. Todd Cramer paved the way with 16 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. Michael Edwards led all scorers with 21 points while freshmen Bryan Joel and Andrew Hogue combined for 23 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.

----

Collin Murphy, a junior captain from Wasilla, Alaska, is contributing periodically to the new blog, HoopSpeakU. You can read his first post here.

Coach Eslinger is also writing for HoopSpeak on the new Coaches Forum. His first post is here.

----

And, if you haven't heard, Caltech made Esquire's Best of 2011 for it's record-breaking victory last February.

Beavers Win Home Opener

Caltech recorded a victory in its first home game of the season on Tuesday. Michael Edwards poured in 28 points and new Beaver guard Bryan Joel had 12 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals in his first collegiate start. Alex Runkel posted a double double with 10 points and 10 boards. The game was intense -- a back and forth affair for 40 minutes. Ethan Boroson scored on an acrobatic bank shot to give Caltech the lead for good with 10 seconds remaining.

Get Ready for Beaver Season

Caltech's season opener is less than two weeks away. A strong core of juniors will lead the way, highlighted by Michael Edwards, Caltech's leading returning scorer. Sophomore All-SCIAC selection Todd Cramer led the league in assists and the team in rebounds in his opening campaign. Sophomore Mike Paluchniak led the conference in minutes played as a first year player. The Beavers brought in two more freshmen to join their returners and it looks like they'll each make a significant impact. Bryan Joel is a lead guard who can play the point and has scoring skills. Andrew Hogue is a do-it-all guard/wing/forward.

Check out the 2011-12 roster here and the recently released season preview here. The schedule is an exciting and challenging one. As usual, good teams from out east are traveling to Pasadena and Caltech will take a trip to the Twin Cities in December.