Thomas Healy ’28
Staff Writer
The Holy Cross men’s basketball team went into this past weekend searching for their first win of the young season. Well, they got that and more, sweeping the College Hill Classic in Providence. With wins over Sacred Heart, Brown, and New Hampshire, the Crusaders improve to 3-2 heading into Wednesday’s home opener. This is the team’s best start under second-year head coach Dave Paulsen–a fireproof sign of things to come. The team possesses a young core, and after injuries last week to solo-senior Caleb Kenney and talented transfer Gabe Warren, a question loomed. How were the undersized and inexperienced youth of the team going to manage the load? Now, Kenney did play this weekend, unlike Warren, but was on limited minutes. Kenney typically starts at the 5 for the Crusaders, but hasn’t started since a hit to the jaw in the season opener against Wisconsin. He was sidelined in the Rhode Island game; his jaw injury was severe enough for him to don a Jason Voorhees-esque mask this weekend to protect his mouth.
Filling the reigning Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year’s starting spot was Junior transfer Jaiden Feroah. Coming off a 15 rebound game against Rhode Island, the 6 ‘8 Feroah utilized his height very effectively, averaging nearly 7 boards during the tournament. Feroah is a part of a contingent of newcomers who received quality minutes in Providence, namely freshmen Max Green, Tyler Boston, and Aidan Richard. For three guys who only had two college games under their belt, wow did they impress. In all three games, Green proved to be a go-to offensive threat at any moment in the game (17 PPG), Boston possessed an inherent ability to get downhill and facilitate with his jittery movements (5 APG), and Richard flashed his lockdown defense and untapped shooting potential. Richard hit the game winning shot with time expiring in the UNH game, a game in which he shot 80% from beyond the arc. How this young core fared over three games in three days speaks volumes about where this team is at.
It is easy for a team to be worn down over a tournament like this, especially one missing two key players. However, the depth and efficiency of the squad can help to relieve tired legs. Every player on the team did their job this weekend. This is something the statsheet does not show. Each guy ferries a distinctiveness in their game that, when added all up, is how a team’s success can be measured. Joe Nugent is an elite spot up shooter with his quick release, DeAndre Williams is a glue-guy on both sides of the ball–the list goes on.
It is a long season–31 games. In that time, a team will explicate its resolve. How well do they execute uncomfortable situations? There is nothing comfortable with three games in three days–which is why this weekend is a telling sign of the team’s resilience. If there is any three game stretch to build off of–this is the one. It’s the team’s first 3 game winning streak since the 2021-2022 campaign which was late in the season. This early of a streak leads well into the 8 non-conference games left until Patriot League play opens up in the new year. Those 8 games will be no breeze, either, with quality matchups against Virginia, Harvard, and Quinnipiac.
The best we can do as the student body is rally around the team. Go to the games. I realize the walk up the hill can be dissauding (especially for those of you in Williams), but believe me it will be worth it. This is a Crusader team that has potential to raise a lot of eyebrows this season. Picked to finish second to last in the Preseason Patriot League Poll, this team is primed and eager to prove doubters wrong. They have the coach, players, and momentum to get it done.
Featured image courtesy of College of the Holy Cross
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