Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball

Holy Cross Crusaders
Holy Cross Crusaders
	2016–17 Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team
University	College of the Holy Cross
Head coach	Bill Carmody (2nd season)
Conference	Patriot League
Arena	Hart Center ; (capacity: 3,600)
Nickname	Crusaders
Colors	Royal purple;
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
	ECC: 1977, 1980; Patriot League: 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2016
Conference regular season champions
	1994, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007

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.^[3] The program boasts such notable alumni as Boston Celtics legends Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn, and longtime Providence College basketball coach Joe Mullaney.

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 and Bucknell University graduate 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.^[4] The team entered the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament as the last seed in the 8-team tournament. Along with UConn, Holy Cross is one of the two New England colleges to ever win the NCAA tournament.

In the first match, Holy Cross defeated the Navy 55 to 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.^[5]

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 to 45.^[6]

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.^[6] 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.

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 good 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.^[7]

The following year, 1978, 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.^[8] The Crusaders have not been nationally ranked since January 1978.^[9]

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.

In 2016, the Crusaders, led by stars Malachi Alexander, Anthony Thompson, and Robert Champion, made a miraculous run in the postseason. The team entered the Patriot League Tournament as a #9 seed and knocked off #8 Loyola Maryland, #1 Bucknell, #4 Army, and finally, #2 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. It should be noted that winning a play-in game is not actually a real win in the NCAA tournament, but rather a play-in game. Bucknell (2) and Lehigh (1) remain the only Patriot League schools with actual NCAA tournament victories in the Patriot League era.

Ralph Willard Era

During Ralph Willard's tenure as coach, the Holy Cross men's team came close to 3 major upsets in the NCAA tournament. In 2001 as a 15 seed, the Crusaders lost 72–68 to a 2nd seeded Kentucky team who advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. In 2002, the 16th 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 14th seed, the Crusaders lost 72–68 to 3rd seeded, Dwyane Wade-led Marquette. Marquette advanced to the Final Four.

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

Men's NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player

1947–George Kaftan

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

CIT results

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

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

Notable Crusaders

Former players and coaches in the Basketball Hall of Fame

Doggie Julian, coach 1967
Bob Cousy, player 1970
Ed Krause, coach 1975
Tom Heinsohn, player 1986

Crusaders in the NBA

Former Players

George Blaney (1961–1962)
Bob Cousy (1950–63)
Jack Foley (1962–63)
Tom Heinsohn (1956–65)
Joe Mullaney (1949–50)
George Kaftan (1948–53)
Dermie O'Connell (1948–50)
Togo Palazzi (1954–60)
Kevin Stacom (1974–82)
Garry Witts (1981–82)

Former Coaches

Joe Mullaney (1969–71)

Awards

All-America

1947– George Kaftan (Second Team)
1948– George Kaftan (Second Team)
1948–Bob Cousy (Third Team)
1949– Bob Cousy (Second Team)
1950– Bob Cousy (First Team)
1953– Togo Palazzi (Third Team)
1954– Togo Palazzi (Third Team)
1955– Tom Heinsohn (Third Team)
1956– Tom Heinsohn (First Team)
1962– Jack Foley (Second Team)

References

^ [1], ESPN
^ "Visual Identity Toolkit". College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
^ Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball 2007–08 media guide. Accessed April 20, 2008.
^ 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
^ Reynolds, p51.
^ ^a ^b Reynolds, p52.
^ "Holy Cross Was Once King of Hoops". SportsLifer's Weblog. 2009-03-15. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
^ "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.
^ "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.

External links

Official website

[1] [1], ESPN

[2] "Visual Identity Toolkit". College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved August 4, 2024.

[MDG-3] Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball 2007–08 media guide. Accessed April 20, 2008.

[4] ttp://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

[5] Reynolds, p51.

[p52-6] Reynolds, p52.

[7] "Holy Cross Was Once King of Hoops". SportsLifer's Weblog. 2009-03-15. Retrieved 2016-09-14.

[8] "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.

[9] "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.

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v t e Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball
Venues	Hart Center (1975–present)
Rivalries	Boston University
Culture & lore	The Crusader "Chu! Chu! Rah! Rah!" Crusader Pep Band
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–34 1934–35 1935–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
NCAA national championship in bold; NCAA Final Four appearance in italics

v t e Patriot League men's basketball
Teams	American Eagles Army Black Knights Boston University Terriers Bucknell Bison Colgate Raiders Holy Cross Crusaders Lafayette Leopards Lehigh Mountain Hawks Loyola Greyhounds Navy Midshipmen
Championships & awards	Patriot League men's basketball tournament Player of the Year
Seasons	1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23