The Spire

Brendan Grudberg ’28

Staff Writer

The Holy Cross men’s basketball team heads into its second year with head coach Dave Paulsen, and with that comes some new faces to the Crusader lineup. The Crusaders are looking to build off a season in which they managed a Patriot League quarter final berth and a 10-win season, a mark that the Crusaders have been hovering around for a few years now. Having lost two of its three leading scorers to graduation, the team has brought in a wide range of talents and skill sets in hopes to put itself back in Patriot League contention for the 2024-25 season.

With the NCAA transfer portal taking over college sports, with basketball being no exception, the Crusaders have opted to bring in two transfers to bolster up the 2024 recruiting class. Holy Cross is at an inherent disadvantage when it comes to the portal, as being a four-year institution with no graduate programs, Crusaders’ sports teams have no appeal to experienced fifth (or even sixth) year seniors looking to spend their remaining eligibility. Still, Paulsen and company have managed to land two players in this year’s portal, both of which they hope will contribute over the coming years.

First up is junior Jaiden Feroah, a 6-8 forward coming from Green River College in Auburn, WA. A Utah native, Feroah played in the Northwest Athletic Conference at JUCO Green River for his first two seasons of college basketball. There he was an immediate contributor, averaging 13 points and 10 boards his first year and bumping it up to 18 points as a sophomore on 61% shooting. Feroah looks to provide efficient scoring and great rebounding to a Crusader lineup lacking in those departments in 2024.

Gabe Warren, the second transfer, is a sophomore coming from Rice University in Houston, TX. Warren was rated a 4-star prospect by ESPN as a member of the 2023 recruiting class, but looks for a fresh start in Worcester after logging just 6 minutes per game his freshman season. Warren could be a real X-Factor if his skillset can translate to the collegiate level, as his 6-6, 220lb frame puts few caps on his physical ability. It’s worth taking a shot on a kid who was a McDonald’s All American nominee in high school and won a state title, and Coach Paulsen’s team should be a great place for Warren to fulfill his potential.

Now, for the freshmen. The Crusaders’ 2024 recruiting class looks well rounded on the surface and has the potential to fulfill long-standing team needs.

Headlining this recruiting class is Aidan Richard, a 6-6 forward from San Antonio, TX. Richard had a decorated high school career at Ronald Reagan High School, where he won Texas District 28 MVP in back-to-back seasons and was named a 3-star recruit by 247sports. Richard comes in behind multiple proven upperclassmen at his position, but may get a chance to contribute from day one depending on how the rotation shakes out.

Following Richard is Max Green, a 6-6 combo guard from La Grange, KY. Green had a phenomenal high school career at Oldham County High School, where he led the entire state of Kentucky in scoring his senior year (32.1 PPG). Green is a lights out shooter and screams efficiency across the board, having nearly achieved a 50/40/90 shooting split in his junior campaign. This is great news to the Crusaders, who already shot above 35% from deep in the 2023-24 season, which was good for 2nd in the entire Patriot League. Being a taller guard with a pure jumpshot, Green also has a chance to make an impact from day one in the Crusaders’ lineup.

Next up is Tyler Boston, a 5-10 180lb guard from Severn, MD. Boston played at the Bullis School, a prep school in Maryland, where he led his team to two straight conference championships and made the All-Conference team in each of his final three seasons. Boston’s quickness and strength at the point guard position provide something the Crusaders have been missing in recent years. The Crusaders ranked at the bottom of the Patriot League in assists per game last season. While it’s unclear if Boston will have any consistent role his first year, adding a floor general to the roster is a smart move for the future iterations of Coach Paulsen’s squad.

Rounding out the 2024 recruiting class is 6-10 center Chuck Hare, a Shelton, CT native coming from Kingswood Oxford Prep School. Hare provides something relatively unique to the Crusaders’ roster—size. Standing at 6-10, Hare is the tallest player on the roster in his first season, and his polished skillset utilizes every inch of that frame. The Crusaders have been short of traditional big men for the last several years, having ranked second to last in rebounds per game last season in conference play. Hare is a real contender for minutes this season, as he is the only true traditional center on the roster. Whether or not Hare succeeds early on, Crusader fans should be excited about this addition and its potential to fill Holy Cross’ long standing gap at the center position.

With six new faces in this year’s lineup, the Crusaders have the potential to make significant strides from last season if the cards fall properly. With a mix of transfers and first-years, big men and guards, and recruits coming from all over the country, the men’s basketball team is investing lots into its future while also shaping itself up for a successful 2024-25 campaign.

Featured image courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics