Alex Sepe ‘28
Staff Writer
Holy Cross men’s basketball enters the season looking less like the team that stumbled to an 11-22 finish a year ago and more like a program mid-reconstruction. With a wave of new faces on the roster, head coach Dave Paulsen is betting an overhaul is exactly what this team needed.
The numbers alone didn’t tell a flattering story: 11-22 overall, 5-13 in Patriot League play, with blowout losses to Brown, Dartmouth and Harvard along the way. But the season wasn’t without signs of life. Picked to finish near the bottom of the conference, Holy Cross found its footing late, knocking off Lafayette in the Patriot League Tournament’s opening round before falling to Lehigh on Nasir Whitlock’s half-court heave. It wasn’t enough to salvage the year, but it gave this season’s team something to build on.
Holy Cross’s returning core gives Paulsen plenty to build around. Senior point guard John St. Germain III steadies the offense, exactly the kind of experienced floor general this squad needs. Up front, Aidan Richard returns as one of the few sure things on the roster, looking to build on a bigger role. Chuck Hare is this team’s most intriguing breakout candidate; at 6’11”, the tools have always been there. Senior forward Declan Ryan adds experience to a frontcourt in flux, while walk-ons Austin Mejia and Ethan Clark look to build on their roles this season. The most anticipated return is Joe Nugent, back after an Achilles injury. If he finds his pre-injury form, he adds a real dimension to this roster. And after waiting his turn, sharpshooter Jude Haigh looks ready to earn his role in the rotation.
Holy Cross also has real production to replace. Gabe Warren and DeAndre Williams depart after being fixtures in the rotation, leaving an obvious gap in experience and depth. Tyler Boston and Aidan Disu are also gone, two more key pieces from last season’s offense. It’s a significant chunk of the roster to replace in one offseason, and how quickly the newcomers fill those roles may determine how fast this team can compete.
The newcomer class will carry a lot of weight this season. Arius Alijosius and Kole Hanson headline the transfer additions, both arriving with Division II experience and expected to step into real roles from day one. Rounding out the transfer class are two more 4-men: Elijah Flowers, a redshirt transfer from Old Dominion with good length and athleticism, and UPenn transfer Bradyn Foster, a do-it-all forward in his own right.
On the freshman side, Jaelon Germany and Tristen Wilson are the names to know, two guards Paulsen is counting on to contribute right away. Big man Kosi Mgbejiofor adds much-needed size to the frontcourt rotation, while Liam Rigney, a 4-man from Oregon, earned a walk-on spot with the Crusaders. Altogether, Holy Cross has more overall depth and talent than it’s had in recent years, and how quickly this group comes together may be the biggest factor in how far this team goes.
Dave Paulsen enters his fourth season as head coach, tasked with turning a retooled roster into a more competitive product than last year’s ninth-place finish. The staff has turned over too: associate head coach Bryson Johnson and assistant coach Sydney Armand are both gone, replaced by new assistants DeVon Price (Brown) and Brady Antanopoulos (Gonzaga), meaning Paulsen is integrating a new staff and a mostly new roster at the same time.
Holy Cross’s non-conference slate doesn’t offer much room to hide, either. The Crusaders hit the road for a gauntlet of high-major tests, including URI, Villanova, Texas A&M, and TCU, before Patriot League play even begins, games that will say a lot about where this retooled roster stands. Inside the conference, Holy Cross will look to climb back up the standings after finishing ninth a year ago, with an eye on revenge against Lehigh, American, and Army, all of whom retained much of their rosters.
Don’t be surprised if Holy Cross turns heads this season. With a talented mix of returning experience and newcomers ready to contribute right away, the pieces are in place for a real leap. After finishing ninth a year ago, this looks like a team ready to push into the top half of the Patriot League and maybe further.
Image courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics
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