Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball

The Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team represents the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, in NCAA Division I competition. The team competes in the Patriot League and plays their home games in the Hart Center.[2] The program boasts such notable alumni as Boston Celtics legends Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn, and longtime Providence College basketball coach Joe Mullaney.

Holy Cross Crusaders
2020–21 Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team
UniversityCollege of the Holy Cross
Head coachBrett Nelson (2nd season)
ConferencePatriot
LocationWorcester, Massachusetts
ArenaHart Center
(Capacity: 3,536)
NicknameCrusaders
ColorsRoyal Purple[1]
    
Uniforms
Home
Away
NCAA Tournament Champions
1947
NCAA Tournament Final Four
1947, 1948
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1947, 1948, 1950, 1953
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1947, 1948, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1977, 1980, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2016
Conference Tournament Champions
ECAC: 1977, 1980
Patriot League: 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2016
Conference Regular Season Champions
MAAC: 1990
Patriot League: 1994, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007

History

Beginnings and national prominence

Basketball first appeared at Holy Cross in 1900 but was discontinued several times until its reinstatement in 1939. In 1947, the Crusaders, behind coach Doggie Julian, NCAA tournament MVP George Kaftan, star Joe Mullaney and freshman point guard Bob Cousy, beat Oklahoma at Madison Square Garden to win the NCAA championship.[3]

The team entered the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament as the last seed in the 8-team tournament. In the first game, Holy Cross defeated the Navy 55–47, in front of a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden. Mullaney led the team in scoring with 18 points, mostly in part to Navy coach Ben Carnevale's decision to have his players back off from Mullaney, who was reputed as being more of a playmaker than a shooter.[4] In the semi-final match, Holy Cross faced the City College of New York, coached by Nat Holman. The Crusaders, led by Kaftan's 30-point game, defeated the Beavers 60–45.[5] In the championship game, Holy Cross faced a Bruce Drake coached University of Oklahoma team in another sold-out game at Madison Square Garden. Kaftan followed up his semi-final game performance with 18 points in the title game, leading the Crusaders to a 58–47 victory against the Sooners.[5]

Holy Cross finished the 1947 championship season with 23 straight wins and became the first college from the New England area to win a national college basketball title. 35,000 people watched a parade in the team's honor on Holy Cross Day in Worcester. Future NBA legend Cousy was named AP and UP player of the year. In 1989, the NCAA voted teammate George Kaftan to the all-decade team of the 1940s. Along with UConn, Holy Cross is one of the two New England colleges to ever win the NCAA tournament.

The Crusaders followed up their championship by advancing to the 1948 NCAA Tournament's Final Four. After advancing to the Elite Eight in 1953, the Crusaders would wait 63 years before claiming another win in the NCAA Tournament.

In 1954, Holy Cross won the NIT Tournament behind another future NBA Hall-of-famer and Celtics legend Tom Heinsohn. This is widely recognized as the College's second national title in basketball due to the prestige of the NIT at the time.

In 1977, Holy Cross defeated a talented Providence team twice on last-second shots by forward Chris Potter and led top-ranked Michigan at the half in the first round of the NCAA tournament before being defeated.[6] The following year, Sports Illustrated ranked Holy Cross and freshman of the year Ronnie Perry ninth in its pre-season poll.

Following the team's championship years of the 40s and 50s, the Crusaders have been ranked only occasionally by the Associated Press. After appearing in 65 of 116 total weekly polls (56%) in the 1950s, the Crusaders appeared in only 5 of 126 weekly polls (4%) in the 1960s and 9 of 148 (6%) in the 1970s.[7] The Crusaders have not been nationally ranked since January 1978.[8]

Patriot League

Holy Cross could have joined the newly founded Big East Conference in 1980, but college President Rev. John E. Brooks, S.J., vetoed the move for academic reasons. Holy Cross stayed independent until joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) to start the 1983–84 season. It moved to the Patriot League in 1991.

In recent decades, the men's basketball team has been the leading varsity program of the Holy Cross' athletic department. The men's basketball team has won six Patriot League titles (1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2016) since the league's formation in 1991.

With Ralph Willard as head coach, the Holy Cross men's team nearly accomplished three major upsets in the NCAA tournament. In 2001 as a fifteen seed, the Crusaders lost 72–68 to a second-seeded Kentucky team who advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. In 2002, the sixteenth-seeded Crusaders nearly became the first #16 seed to defeat a #1 seed, losing 70–59 to a top-seeded Kansas squad who advanced to the Final Four. The Crusaders led 37–35 at halftime, 44–39 with 11 minutes remaining and trailed by three points with fewer than two minutes remaining. In 2003 as a fourteenth seed, the Crusaders lost 72–68 to third-seeded, Dwyane Wade-led Marquette that would advance to the Final Four.

In 2016, the Crusaders made a miraculous run in the postseason. The team entered the Patriot League Tournament as the ninth seed and ultimately defeated second-seeded Lehigh in the championship game to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. The Crusaders then defeated Southern University marking the first NCAA win for the program since 1953.

Seasons
Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
1900–01 None 6–6
1901–02 Powers 4–5
1902–03 Powers 6–5
1903–04 Powers 10–2
1904–05 Powers 6–4
1905–06 Powers 12–3
1907–08 Powers 12–6
1908–09 Powers 4–8
1920–21 Casey 2–0
1921–22 Casey 14–3
1922–23 Casey 7–13
1923–24 Casey 5–9
1924–25 Simendinger 10–5
1925–26 Reed 8–9
1926–27 Reed 7–6
1927–28 Reed 13–6
1928–29 Reed 10–7
1929–30 Reed 12–7
1930–31 Reed 10–6
1934–35 Riopel 3–12
1939–40 Krause 2–3
1940–41 Krause 4–7
1941–42 Krause 5–4
1942–43 Riopel 1–5
1943–44 Riopel 6–8
1944–45 Riopel 4–9
1945–46 Julian 12–3
1946-47 Julian 27–3NCAA Champions
1947–48 Julian 26–4NCAA Final Four
1948–49 Sheary 19–8
1949–50 Sheary 27–4NCAA Elite Eight
1950–51 Sheary 20–5
1951–52 Sheary 24–4NIT Quarterfinals
1952–53 Sheary 20–6NCAA Elite Eight
1953–54 Sheary 26–2NIT Champions
1954–55 Sheary 19–7NIT Quarterfinals
1955–56 Leenig 22–5NCAA First Round
1956–57 Leenig 12–12
1957–58 Leenig 16–9
1958–59 Leenig 14–11
1959–60 Leenig 20–6NIT First Round
1960–61 Leenig 22–5NIT Semifinals
1961–62 Oftring 20–6NIT Quarterfinals
1962–63 Oftring 16–9
1963–64 Oftring 15–8
1964–65 Oftring 13–10
1965–66 Donohue 10–13
1966–67 Donohue 16–9
1967–68 Donohue 15–8
1968–69 Donohue 16–8
1969–70 Donohue 16–9
1970–71 Donohue 18–8
1971–72 Donohue 15–11
1972–73 Blaney 9–17
1973–74 Blaney 8–18
1974–75 Blaney 20–8NIT First Round
1975–76 Blaney 22–10NIT Quarterfinals
1976–77 Blaney 23–6NCAA First Round
1977–78 Blaney 20–7
1978–79 Blaney 17–11NIT First Round
1979–80 Blaney 19–11NCAA First Round
1980–81 Blaney 20–10NIT Second Round
1981–82 Blaney 16–114−45th
1982–83 Blaney 17–135−33rd
1983–84 Blaney 12–185−95th
1984–85 Blaney 9–198−63rd
1985–86 Blaney 12–186−86th
1986–87 Blaney 9–196−86th
1987–88 Blaney 14–158−64th
1988–89 Blaney 13–155–96th
1989–90 Blaney 24–614–21stNIT First Round
1990–91 Blaney 18–128–43rd
1991–92 Blaney 18–1110–43rd
1992–93 Blaney 23–712–22ndNCAA First Round
1993–94 Blaney 14–149–51st
1994–95 Raynor 15–129–54th
1995–96 Raynor 17–128–43rd
1996–97 Raynor 8–195–74th
1997–98 Raynor 7–203–96th
1998–99 Raynor 7–203–96th
1999-00 Willard 10–183–95th
2000–01 Willard 22–810–21stNCAA First Round
2001–02 Willard 18–159–52ndNCAA First Round
2002–03 Willard 26–513–11stNCAA First Round
2003–04 Willard 13–157–75th
2004–05 Willard 25–713–11stNIT Second Round
2005–06 Willard 20–1211–32nd
2006–07 Willard 25–913–11stNCAA First Round
2007–08 Willard 15–145–98th
2008–09 Willard 18–1411–32nd
2009–10 Kearney 9–225–97th
2010–11 Brown 8–217–73rd
2011–12 Brown 15–149–54th
2012–13 Brown 12–184–107th
2013–14 Brown 20–1412–63rdCIT Second Round
2014–15 Brown 14–168–106th
2015–16 Carmody 15–205–139thNCAA First Round
2016–17 Carmody 15-179–95th
2017–18 Carmody 12-198–106th
2018–19 Carmody 16-176–1210th
2019–20 Nelson 3-292–1610th
2020–21 Nelson 0-00–0-
Total:1421–1034

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

[9]

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Crusaders have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 13 times. Their combined record is 8–13. They were national champions in 1947.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1947Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship Game		Navy
CCNY
Oklahoma		W 55–47
W 60–45
W 58–47
1948Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game		Michigan
Kentucky
Kansas State		W 63–45
L 52–60
W 60–54
1950Elite Eight
Regional 3rd Place Game		NC State
Ohio State		L 74–87
L 52–72
1953Round of 22
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		Navy
Wake Forest
LSU		W 87–74
W 79–71
L 73–81
1956Round of 25TempleL 72–74
1977Round of 32MichiganL 81–86
1980#11Round of 48#6 IonaL 78–84
1993#13Round of 64#4 ArkansasL 64–94
2001#15Round of 64#2 KentuckyL 68–72
2002#16Round of 64#1 KansasL 59–70
2003#14Round of 64#3 MarquetteL 68–72
2007#13Round of 64#4 Southern IllinoisL 51–61
2016#16First Four
Round of 64		#16 Southern
#1 Oregon		W 59–55
L 52–91


Men's NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player

NIT results

The Crusaders have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 12 times. Their combined record is 11–11. They were NIT Champions in 1954.

Year Round Opponent Result
1952First Round
Quarterfinals		Seattle
Duquesne		W 77–72
L 68–78
1954Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship Game		St. Francis (NY)
WKU
Duquesne		W 93–69
W 75–69
W 71–62
1955QuarterfinalsSaint Francis (PA)L 64–68
1960First RoundSt. BonaventureL 81–94
1961First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game		Detroit Mercy
Memphis State
Providence
Dayton		W 86–82
W 81–69
L 83–90
W 85–67
1962First Round
Quarterfinals		Colorado State
St. John's		W 72–71
L 74–80
1975First RoundPrincetonL 63–84
1976First Round
Quarterfinals		Saint Peter's
NC State		W 84–78
L 68–78
1979First RoundDaytonL 81–105
1981First Round
Second Round		Southern Miss
Syracuse		W 56–54
L 57–77
1990First RoundRutgersL 78–87
2005First Round
Second Round		Notre Dame
Saint Joseph's		W 78–73
L 60–68

Men's National Invitation Tournament Most Valuable Player

CIT results

The Crusaders have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) one time. Their record is 1–1.

Year Round Opponent Result
2014First Round
Second Round		Brown
Yale		W 68–65
L 66–71

Appearances in final national polls

Holy Cross has made 79 appearances in the AP Poll since it was introduced during the 1948-1949 season, peaking at No. 1 for five weeks in 1950.[10] The College last appeared in the AP Poll during the 1977-1978 season. Holy Cross has finished the year ranked by the Helms Athletic Foundation in 1947 and in the final Associated Press poll of the season on six occasions:

YearRankingRecord
1947127-3
1950427-4
19521324-4
19531320-6
1954326-2
19561422-5
19601620-6

Retired jerseys
Holy Cross Crusaders retired numbers
No. Player Years
12George Kaftan1945–1949
15Ron Perry1976–1980
17Bob Cousy1946–1950
22Togo Palazzi1951–1954
24Tom Heinsohn1953–1956
32Jack Foley1959–1962

NBA players
Bob Cousy

International players
Jehyve Floyd

Awards
All-America

References
  1. College of the Holy Cross Identity Standards and Guidelines (PDF). Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  2. Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball 2007–08 media guide. Accessed April 20, 2008.
  3. http://sportslifer.wordpress.com/2009/03/14/once-upon-a-time-holy-cross-was-king-of-hoops/ Once Upon a Time, Holy Cross Was King of Hoops
  4. Reynolds, p51.
  5. Reynolds, p52.
  6. "Holy Cross Was Once King of Hoops". SportsLifer's Weblog. 2009-03-15. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  7. "Total AP Men's BB Poll Appearances Summary – College Poll Archive – Historical College Football and Basketball Polls and Rankings". www.collegepollarchive.com. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  8. "Holy Cross (MA) 1978 AP Men's Basketball Rankings – College Poll Archive – Historical College Football and Basketball Polls and Rankings". collegepollarchive.com. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  9. . Retrieved 2017-February-28.
  10. "Holy Cross AP Basketball Poll Summary – College Poll Archive – Historical College Football and Basketball Polls and Rankings". collegepollarchive.com. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.