Isaac Dobie ’27 captures NEWMAC Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Year
Dobie: "I stuck with it because I enjoyed the game.”
On Feb. 27, Isaac Dobie ’27, from Kitty Hawk, N.C., was named the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year for the 2023-34 season, making him the seventh Engineer to claim the honor. Rome Delgado-Gonzalez ’26 won the award in the previous season.
Dobie started all 25 games that he appeared in, averaging 14.6 points per game while totaling 110 rebounds and 31 steals. He had a league-best 18.3 points per game in NEWMAC play, with eight games of 20 or more points including an explosion for a career-high 37 points against Clark University.
Dobie spoke with the Tech to answer some rapid-fire questions.
TT: Congratulations on winning the NEWMAC Rookie of the year award! What does winning this award mean to you?
Dobie: I am very grateful to have won this award and I am appreciative to whoever voted for me. That said, my teammates helped me win it by getting me the ball and always playing hard, so I thank them as well.
What made you decide to play basketball at MIT?
Dobie: I chose to play basketball at MIT because it is a great school, and because I had an opportunity to play here. I really liked my future teammates from my visit.
TT: When did you start playing basketball?
Dobie: I started playing basketball when I was 7 because I was tall for my grade and that gave me an advantage. I stuck with it because I enjoyed the game.
TT: What has been the hardest part about being a student-athlete at MIT?
Dobie: The hardest part about being a student-athlete at MIT is the time commitment. Nearly all of my time in season is spent either on school or basketball, which can be difficult.
TT: What has been the most rewarding part of being a student-athlete here?
Dobie: For me, the most rewarding part of being a student-athlete at MIT is being able to play the sport that I love with my teammates and getting to hang out with them while we do schoolwork as well.
TT: What is your fondest memory of this past season?
Dobie: My fondest memory of this past season is our win against Wheaton because we ended a long losing streak, and we showed lots of promise for the future.
TT: What would you change if you could replay the season?
Dobie: If I could replay the season, I would hope to enter with less nervousness. I started off slow because I was afraid to make a mistake. I also would focus on crashing the glass more often because I could have been a better rebounder than I was.
TT: How did you stay motivated after losing a game?
Dobie: I stay motivated after losses by always focusing on the next game regardless of how the previous one went. There is no way to change how the last game went so my teammates and I try to focus on doing everything we can to win the next game.
TT: Do you have any rituals that you must perform before a game?
Dobie: I do not have any specific pregame rituals. I just make sure that I am physically ready by stretching, and I also listen to music.
TT: Is there a particular significance to your jersey number?
Dobie: I am a Celtics fan and Bill Russell was my all-time favorite player growing up, so I used to wear number 6. Once I got to middle school, the rules only allowed for jersey numbers to contain digits 1-5, so I switched my number to 5 because Kevin Garnett was my favorite player at that time.
TT: Is basketball your favorite sport to watch? If not, what’s your favorite sport to watch?
Dobie: I rarely watch basketball these days, but I still root for the Celtics. My favorite sport to watch is actually mixed martial arts. My favorite fighter is Islam Makhachev.
TT: If you could play with any basketball player one on one, who would it be?
Dobie: If I could 1v1 any basketball player I would want to play Matthew Dellavedova. It drove me crazy to watch him beat the Celtics in the playoffs because of his playstyle. I would lose of course, but maybe I could get a cheap shot in while we played. Just kidding.
TT: What advice has Coach Anderson (the coach of MIT Men’s Basketball) given you that you'll always remember?
Dobie: Coach Anderson tells us to make every aspect of the game a small personal competition. For example, making every rebound a competition between you and the other guy. This makes me play a little harder so I will always remember it.