Thomas Healy ’28
Staff Writer
Basketball is an erratic game. On the court, momentum can shift in an instant — a missed shot, a sudden steal, a buzzer-beater from half-court. The game flows between chaos and control, with players reading each play like a living puzzle that never stays still. One second you’re soaring for a dunk, the next you’re scrambling to defend, the roar of the crowd rising and falling with every heartbeat. Every player needs to play solid offense and defense, placing an emphasis on positional versatility.
Many don’t realize that, off the court, much of this remains the same. The ups and downs of the transfer portal, NIL world, and locker room antics shape the way a program is run. For the Holy Cross men’s basketball team, the drastic effects of this volatility have been felt. When the transfer portal opened a month ago, the team lost four key players. A program once prying into the top tier of the Patriot League suddenly found itself knocked back — like landing on a bad square in a board game, forced to go back two spaces. Well, in tune with the unpredictability of basketball, the team landed a solid recruiting class — via high school and the portal. While a heavy task of integrating the newbies awaits, the team is looking substantially improved from a month ago.
Among the high school recruits is Aiden Disu, a 6’6 wing from Texas. Probably the most exciting incoming player, Disu adds great positional size and should be an immediate impact player. Of the new recruits, Disu is most poised to fill the shoes of transferee and PL ROY Max Green who left for Northwestern. With a healthy roster, Disu will be a double digit scorer with the potential to win ROY.
Next up is another Texan, Tim Finau. Coming in at 6’11, 225, Finau adds indispensable length to a Crusaders team that will be without perennial big man Caleb Kenney next year. His command of the court as a playmaking center will help the flow of Dave Paulsen’s offense. Finau will complement fellow bigs Chuck Hare and Declan Ryan in a solid frontcourt.
Next on the manifest is Jude Haigh. Haigh, originally from Pennsylvania, played his Senior year at Green Canyon H.S. in Utah. Haigh stands 6’5, 200 as a guard/wing — I’m beginning to notice a pattern with this incoming class. Haigh grew up in a basketball family with his dad currently serving as an assistant coach for the Utah State WBB team. Look for Haigh to be a volume 3P shooter with the Saders after shooting 42% from three his Senior year.
Now for the transfers. Will Aljancic led D2 Findlay with 13.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and was named first team all conference. He will be entering Holy Cross as a Junior with two years of eligibility. Aljancic received interest from several high majors, notably UAB, Ohio, and Kent State. When asked about the best part of his game, he said, “On the court, I’m a drive first wing. I can get to the rim on anyone and shoot pretty well from three. I’m a high-motor player who brings a lot to a team. I can defend well and bring a sense of toughness onto the court.”––ScoutWithBart on Substack
The final chip of the ‘25-26 Crusaders is John St. Germain, another D2 standout. St. Germain is a more traditional point guard who averaged 15 points per game and shot 45.5% from three at Augusta University. St. Germain is a much needed addition to the backcourt after the Saders lost Kahlil Singleton to the portal monster. He’ll act as a secondary ball handler to Tyler Boston and DeAndre Williams.
It remains to be seen how these talents will translate to the higher level. It also brings up questions about team chemistry and how the new guys will mesh with the current ones. Rest assured, I’m confident that Coach Paulsen will have the team ready for the opening game in November.
The team could be in a much worse situation given that they lost nearly ⅓ of the team to the portal. This roster makeup going into next year keeps the Saders in the middle of the pack in the Patriot League.
If the team stays healthy and current underclassmen take a step up, there’s a real potential for Holy Cross to outperform expectations. If the incoming talent provides the much needed depth and versatility, it will allow Coach Paulsen to be more creative with his lineups and schemes.
Of course, this is the best case scenario. Nevertheless, this year seems like an important building block — not just for immediate success, but for establishing a strong, capable core in the midst of portalmania.
Featured image courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics
Web Edited by Zexuan Qu ’28
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