Ben Kuchipudi ’25
Sports Editor
Last Thursday, our Crusaders fell to the first seeded Colgate Raiders in the Patriot League quarterfinals 81-64, ending the season on a disappointing note. Despite the loss, there are a lot of positives to take from Dave Paulsen’s first season as head coach.
Holy Cross finished 10-22 on the season and a 6-12 record in Patriot League play, good enough for ninth place. Senior Joe Octave led the team in scoring with 14.6 per game and junior Caleb Kenney grabbed 6.5 boards per contest. Kenney also led the team with 2.2 blocks and 0.8 steals per game, an overall breakout season for the junior punctuated by winning the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year. Freshman Joe Nugent also lit up the league shooting a blistering 40.3% from three point range, hitting 56 of them this past season. Overall, there seemed to be an emphasis on freshmen being an integral part of the rotation, with five playing at least 20 games this season.
The season didn’t end the way most wanted it to, but there are a lot of positives to take away. The Crusaders beat some notable opponents this season, including Georgetown on the road in the second game of the year, an overtime road victory against the Patriot League finalists Lehigh, the Turnpike Trophy at home against Boston University, Winter Homecoming against American, and their Cousy Cup game against Bucknell. They also won their first tournament game since 2019 with a 84-68 road victory against Army, with Joe Octave pouring in 28 points to lead the team. The record may not say it, but winning a playoff game with a rotation filled with underclassmen is a huge step for the future of Holy Cross basketball, and the team is only going to get better.
With seniors such as Joe Octave, Bo Montgomery, and Louth Coulibaly graduating this year, all eyes are on junior Caleb Kenney and sophomore Will Batchelder to lead the team next season. Kenney proved to be a true leader this season, averaging 12 points, 6.5 boards, and over 2 blocks en route to the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year award, and with him being the oldest guy on the team next year, he will be in a featured role. Will Batchelder had a very up and down season, but he was a Patriot League All-Rookie player last season, and he had six games scoring over 15 points this year, so look for him to have a bounce back season. More importantly, the upcoming sophomore will be looking to make a jump next season. Joe Nugent has to continue his lights out shooting, and players such as DeAndre Williams, Kahlil Singleton, Declan Ryan, and AJ Wills will be in larger roles, so they will need to step up. I have faith in this team, and it’s really because of the culture Coach Paulsen has instilled.
Before Paulsen was hired, the team was coached by Brett Nelson, and it’s pretty clear that there was a disconnect between Nelson and some of his players. It was clear that Nelson had preferences on who to play and he would play guys more than others even if it was detrimental to the team. In what was supposed to be a “rebuilding year” for the Crusaders, they went out and won a playoff game, something few expected. It may not seem like a lot, but this is the first step towards a bright future for Crusader men’s basketball.
Featured image courtesy of Holy Cross Men’s Basketball Instagram
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