1. A method for estimating a channel vector for a communications channel, the method comprising: generating an eigen-based weight matrix based on a dominant eigenvector matrix derived from an autocorrelation matrix of a channel vector, the weight matrix comprising the product of a data selection matrix, the dominant eigenvector matrix, and the pseudo-inverse of a projection matrix, the projection matrix comprising the product of a transmit pilot matrix, a pilot selection matrix, and the dominant eigenvector matrix; and multiplying the eigen-based weight matrix with a received pilot vector to generate an estimated data channel vector.