Andrew Pace
The Holy Cross Crusaders are the athletic teams representing the College of the Holy Cross. The Holy Cross men's basketball team competes in NCAA Division I and has a rich history, winning the NCAA Tournament in 1947 and the National Invitation Tournament in 1954. The team has also made several notable appearances in the postseason, including 13 appearances in the NCAA tournament. The Holy Cross Crusaders women's basketball team has also made several appearances in the postseason, including 12 trips to the NCAA tournament. Holy Cross is a founding member of the Patriot League, recognised for its emphasis on academic and athletic success, with high student-athlete graduation rates.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Holy Cross Basketball Team Name | Crusaders |
| Holy Cross Basketball Team | Men's and Women's |
| Holy Cross Basketball Team's Achievements | Men's team: won the NCAA Tournament in 1947, National Invitation Tournament in 1954, and six Patriot League titles (1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2016). Women's team: made 12 trips to the NCAA tournament and one appearance in the Women's National Invitation Tournament and the Women's Basketball Invitational. |
| Holy Cross Basketball Team's League | Patriot League |
| Holy Cross Basketball Team's Conference | Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) |
| Holy Cross Basketball Team's Home Ground | Hart Center at the Luth Athletic Complex, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Holy Cross Basketball Team's Rivals | Boston College |
| Holy Cross Basketball Team's Alumni | Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, and Joe Mullaney |
| Holy Cross Basketball Team's Coaches | Dave Paulsen (current), Doggie Julian |
| Holy Cross Basketball Team's Scholarships | Available through NCSA |
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What You'll Learn
Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team history
The Holy Cross Crusaders are the athletic teams representing the College of the Holy Cross. They compete in NCAA Division I, primarily as members of the Patriot League, of which Holy Cross is a founding member.
The Holy Cross men's basketball team has a rich history, winning two national tournament championships. They won the NCAA Tournament in 1947 and the National Invitation Tournament in 1954, at a time when the NIT was considered equal to, if not more prestigious than, the NCAA Tournament. The team also reached the Final Four in 1948 and the Elite Eight in 1950 and 1953. In 1947, the Crusaders, led by 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. Kaftan scored 18 points in the title game, leading the Crusaders to a 58-47 victory against the Sooners. Holy Cross finished the 1947 championship season with 23 straight wins and became the first college from New England and the state of Massachusetts to win a national college basketball title.
The Crusaders have won six Patriot League titles (1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, and 2016) since the league's formation in 1991. In 2016, the team captured its first win in an NCAA Tournament game since the 1953 season. With Ralph Willard as head coach, the Holy Cross men's team nearly pulled off three major upsets in the NCAA tournament. In 2001, as a fifteenth seed, they narrowly lost to a second-seeded Kentucky team, who advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
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. Instead, Holy Cross stayed independent until joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) for the 1983-84 season. They moved to the Patriot League in 1991. In 1986, Holy Cross joined Division I-AA of the Patriot League for football and terminated its series with Boston College. The last basketball game between the two schools was played on January 17, 2006, with Boston College winning 63-53. The two schools renewed their rivalry in basketball in 2010 as part of the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight.
The Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team has produced notable players, including Boston Celtics legends and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn. The team's fans and alumni create one of the best atmospheres within the Patriot League, and the athletes train in world-class facilities, including the state-of-the-art Luth Athletic Complex.
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Holy Cross basketball alumni
The Holy Cross Crusaders are the athletic teams representing the College of the Holy Cross. They compete in NCAA Division I, primarily as members of the Patriot League. The Holy Cross men's basketball team has won two national tournament championships, winning the NCAA Tournament in 1947 and the National Invitation Tournament in 1954. The team has also reached the Final Four in 1948 and the Elite Eight in 1950 and 1953.
The College of the Holy Cross has had many notable basketball alumni over the years. The program boasts notable alumni such as Boston Celtics legends and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn. Cousy was named AP and UP player of the year following the 1947 championship season, and Heinsohn helped the Crusaders win the NIT Tournament in 1954, which is widely recognized as the College's second national title in basketball. Another notable alumnus is longtime Providence College basketball coach Joe Mullaney, who led the team in scoring during their 1947 championship run.
Other notable alumni include Togo Palazzi, who played six seasons in the NBA and captained the Crusaders team that won the 1954 NIT Championship; Malcolm Miller, the first player to sign a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors and an NBA champion; and Keith Simmons, a professional basketball player.
The Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team has had a rich history, with many notable alumni going on to have successful careers in the NBA and beyond. The team has also experienced great success in Division I basketball, with multiple tournament appearances and championships to their name.
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Holy Cross basketball scholarships
The College of the Holy Cross is a founding member of the Patriot League, which places as much emphasis on academic and leadership success as athletic achievement. The Holy Cross Crusaders are the athletic teams representing the College of the Holy Cross. They compete in NCAA Division I, primarily as members of the Patriot League.
The Holy Cross men's basketball team has won two national tournament championships, winning the NCAA Tournament in 1947 and the National Invitation Tournament in 1954. The team has also reached the Final Four in 1948 and the Elite Eight in 1950 and 1953. The Holy Cross women's basketball team has also made several appearances in the postseason, including 12 trips to the NCAA tournament.
The College of the Holy Cross offers men's basketball scholarships and women's basketball scholarships. The Holy Cross Men's Basketball program page provides information about the school and its basketball program, including recruiting contacts, names of past alumni, and scholarship opportunities. Similarly, the Holy Cross Women's Basketball scholarship page provides information about the school, its basketball program, and scholarship opportunities.
To enhance their chances of being recruited by a basketball program, student-athletes can use the tools and information provided by NCSA, including details on who to contact about recruiting at Holy Cross. NCSA has been connecting coaches and athletes since 2000, and this year, over 127,000 high school athletes are using the NCSA network to get their highlights in front of coaches at colleges nationwide. To get started, athletes can create a free profile to become a verified NCSA basketball athlete and start connecting with coaches at their desired college.
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Holy Cross basketball facilities
The College of the Holy Cross is a founding member of the Patriot League, which places as much emphasis on academic and leadership success as athletic achievement. The Holy Cross Crusaders, the athletic teams representing the college, compete in NCAA Division I.
The Holy Cross men's and women's basketball teams play and train at the McKenna Arena, located in the Pfeil Center. The arena features six basketball hoops and two full courts, with a seating capacity of approximately 700. It also hosts intramural sports and activities, as well as numerous social gatherings and community events.
The college's principal facilities include Fitton Field for football, with a capacity of 23,500. The Blackthorn Golf Club is the home course for the men's and women's golf teams, featuring a par 72, 7136-yard layout with four sets of tees.
Holy Cross athletes train in world-class facilities, including the state-of-the-art Luth Athletic Complex, which includes the Hart Center Arena. The college's athletic training room was renovated in 2015 and offers ample space and top-of-the-line equipment to support fitness and athletic performance.
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Holy Cross basketball championships
The Holy Cross Crusaders are the athletic teams representing the College of the Holy Cross. They compete in NCAA Division I, primarily as members of the Patriot League. The Holy Cross men's basketball team has won two national tournament championships: the NCAA Tournament in 1947 and the National Invitation Tournament in 1954. The 1946–47 Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team represented the College of the Holy Cross, located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in NCAA competition in the 1946–47 season. The team, led by coach Alvin "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.
The Crusaders, who played their home games at Boston Garden and the South High Community School in Worcester, Massachusetts, won their first four games of 1946–47, experienced a three-game losing streak, and then finished the year with 23 straight victories. The team entered the NCAA Division I men's 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, which was partly due to Navy coach Ben Carnevale's decision to have his players back off from Mullaney, who was known more as a playmaker than a shooter. In the semi-final match, Holy Cross faced the City College of New York, coached by Nat Holman, one of the game's earliest innovators. The Crusaders, led by Kaftan's 30-point game, defeated the Beavers 60–45.
In the championship game, Holy Cross faced the University of Oklahoma, led by coach Bruce Drake, in another sold-out game at Madison Square Garden. Kaftan followed up the semi-final match with 18 points in the title game, leading the Crusaders to a 58–47 victory against the Sooners. Holy Cross became the first college from the New England area and the state of Massachusetts to win a national college basketball title. 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. The Holy Cross women's basketball team has also made several appearances in the postseason, including 12 trips to the NCAA tournament, one appearance in the Women's National Invitation Tournament, and one appearance in the Women's Basketball Invitational. They are 1–12 in the NCAA Tournament, with their lone win coming in 1991 as an upset over the 6th-seeded Maryland team.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Holy Cross Basketball is Division I.
The Holy Cross Basketball team is called the Crusaders.
Holy Cross Basketball competes in the Patriot League.
The Holy Cross men's basketball team has won one NCAA Division I tournament in 1947.
The Holy Cross men's basketball team has won two national tournament championships, including the NCAA Tournament in 1947 and the National Invitation Tournament in 1954. They have also reached the Final Four in 1948 and the Elite Eight in 1950 and 1953. The team has made 79 appearances in the AP Poll, peaking at No. 1 for five weeks in 1950.
