Thomas Healy ’28
Staff Writer
College basketball is back! Well, almost. Teams have begun to play preseason scrimmages with the start of the season fast approaching. Through these ‘secret’ scrimmages, we get a small taste of the chaos that makes college basketball so enticing. Buzzer beaters, passionate fanbases, and, of course, the potential bracket busters and Cinderella teams.
For a sport that draws substantial national attention annually, it’s amazing how fast college basketball is evolving with no stopgaps. It’s not simply that schools are paying athletes, as schools have been doing that for 40 odd years, it’s that now these transactions are well-documented and in the limelight.
Partnerships between athletes and brands have also drawn a new line between athlete and businessperson. There’s truly no lack of imagination on behalf of the marketers. For the first time ever, we have athletes’ faces appearing on Red Bull cans. But hey, no judgement here–whatever captures the mind of the consumer.
With no serious limits on NIL, NCAA sports have swayed to the professional side of things, away from the amateur.
Somewhere within the weeds of this dynamic lies the Patriot League. As the late sports writer John Feinstein contended, the Patriot League consists of the “last amateurs”–the title of his 2000 book about Patriot League hoops. Elite academically, absent of the funds of the blue bloods of the world, but still competing athletically. That’s the Patriot League in a nutshell.
It’s not the purest form of collegiate athletics (D2 and D3 have that honor), but it is the best blend between academics and competitive athletics. Not convinced? The Patriot League boasts the second best roster continuity from last year in college basketball at 57%.
The Ivy League is highest with 62%. In other words, 57% of all players in the Patriot League returned from last season, barring those who graduated. This is an extremely high proportion considering the lowest: the American Athletic Conference (AAC) with a Lilliputian 18%.
Holy Cross is lucky to be in one of the best conferences in college sports. The Patriot League is a sanctuary that guards against the worst side effects of NIL. However, every school is affected even a little bit in the NIL world.
It’s like a storm passing through: some get drenched, others just feel a little drizzle, but no one stays completely dry. If you have a breakout season in the Patriot League, you’re going to get interest from a mid- to high-major school. Player retention will always be a challenge.
The Holy Cross men’s basketball team lost four to the transfer portal in the spring. Two were everyday starters. As it goes for the rest of the conference, Army was gutted having lost four out of five starters, Loyola MD had three picked up in the portal, and Bucknell lost 2024/25 Patriot League Player of the Year, Noah Williamson, to Alabama.
Of the 15 players who made the three All-Conference teams in March, only three return this season. Of course, players graduate and go on to life after college. But some also transfer. The lack of returning talent this year makes the Patriot League extremely intriguing for the upcoming season. There are several question marks on each roster that might not be answered until the end of the season and, outside of the top 2-3 teams, the conference is wide open.
For the Crusaders led by third-year head coach Dave Paulsen, the loss of Caleb Kenney is arguably the biggest question mark on the roster. How do you replace a player of his caliber? Some would claim that you can’t.
Next, how will the inexperienced guys fare? Holy Cross brings on two Division-II transfers in John St. Germain and Will Aljancic as well as seven other guys who have little to no D-I experience. However, it’s an incredibly deep roster that is led by players that want to be here, namely, Joe Nugent and Deandre Williams–two upperclassmen who have remained integral parts of the team.
The team opens up play November 3 at Providence at 7:15 PM before heading out west to play Utah and BYU. Go Cross Go!
Featured image courtesy of Holy Cross Magazine
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