T & G Preview

Men's basketball: Austin Butler healthy, determined, to help Holy Cross take next step
Retooled Crusaders focused on improving after dismal season
Jennifer Toland
Telegram & Gazette

WORCESTER — For the first time in three years, Holy Cross senior guard Austin Butler feels 100 percent healthy.
Butler played most of his sophomore season with a torn labrum in his right (shooting) shoulder — and started all 33 games — then had surgery in April 2019 to address the issue, but still had discomfort throughout last season, when he, again, started every game.
“I didn’t feel any relief,” Butler said before Tuesday’s practice. “I still had that heavy feeling for a while. I knew something was up.”
Butler got through the year with treatment before and after games and practices — “It didn’t fix it,” he said, “but it helped,” — and in May underwent a rib resection, Butler said, to increase blood flow to his right arm. The surgery and subsequent rehab and physical therapy were all successful, Butler said.


“Finally having that relief and having that free motion in my arm is a relief,” Butler said, “and I can’t wait to see what I can do on the court this year.”
The 6-foot-5, 212-pound Butler has been a warrior for Holy Cross and, along with classmate Matt Faw, a constant for the Crusaders during the roster upheaval of the last year.
When Holy Cross opens its COVID-delayed and long-awaited 2021 season against Boston University at 2 p.m. Monday at the Hart Center, there will be eight new players, including freshmen Mike Rabinovich and Judson Martindale, who both starred at Worcester Academy, and junior Gerrale Gates, a transfer from the University of New Orleans who is eligible this year under the NCAA Division 1 Council’s blanket waiver allowing transfer student-athletes to compete immediately this season if specific criteria are met.
“Our returning guys have done a great job and meshed well with the new guys,” second-year Holy Cross coach Brett Nelson said. “I feel like we have really good chemistry. We’ve had a ton of quality time together and I think it shows on the court. Hopefully when the lights go on and we play real games, we’ll continue to do what I’ve seen in practice.”
HC won just three games last season. The team’s best player and 2019-20 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, Joe Pridgen of Winchendon, was among those to transfer out.
In addition to Butler and Faw, sophomore guards Ryan Wade, who played in every game as a freshman, and Joey Reilly, and junior forward D.J. Hart are HC’s returning players.
“You hear, ‘Oh, you’re young and inexperienced,’ and ‘You’re coming off a bad year,’” Butler said, “but that’s not how we’re viewing it at all. To us, last year, we forgot about that completely and we’re eyes forward and focused on next week against BU. In a way, COVID, giving us this extra time to practice, helped us. Having extra time to prepare and get to know each other and work on relationships and chemistry on and off the court, I think we’ve done a good job with that. We’re a very connected group. On the court, we’re playing really well together. We’re excited to get out there.”
The Crusaders are slated to play a 16-game, regular-season schedule against PL foes. The 10 Patriot League schools are divided into three regional mini-conferences. Holy Cross is in the North with Army, Boston University and Colgate. HC will play BU six times, Army and Colgate four times each and also host Lehigh for two games Jan. 23-24.
Martindale said Butler did a great job of helping to keep the team connected during the uncertain summer months, and that has continued since the Crusaders returned to campus in September.
“Austin is the kind of leader who just goes out and always does the right thing,” Martindale said. “Getting knowledge from him and getting a feel for the things he’s experienced is helpful. He’s not the type of guy who’s going to leave you behind. He’s going to make sure everybody is on the same page before we move to the next thing.”
Butler enters this season ranked seventh all-time in program history in average minutes played per game (31.3). Last year, he averaged 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists, and scored his 1,000th career point. He is the only returning player in the Patriot League who ranked in the top 20 in the conference in scoring, rebounds and assists in 2019-20.
“I’m happy for Austin to feel healthy,” Nelson said. “He’s playing well and you can see that he feels well. He has a lot of experience, minutes and games, and he’s been really consistent in practice. He has to continue to do that and lead by example.”
This year will mark the latest Holy Cross has played its season opener since 1944, and the extended preseason has been beneficial for the young Crusaders, but also challenging.
“As a coach,” Nelson said, “I’ve done everything I can to keep our guys engaged, change things up, playing a lot more 5-on-5, game situation stuff, mini games, than we have in the past. It’s been good four our guys to create as much of an atmosphere of a game as we can. I give our guys all the credit; they’ve remained focused, they’ve brought it every day in practice and they’re continuing to get better.”
Nelson has been pleased with his team’s consistency in practice and also the improvement of the freshmen.
Earlier this week, Nelson did not reveal his starting five, but did say he plans on playing deep into the bench this year. Lack of depth was a major issue for HC last season.
“We’re going to play a lot of guys,” Nelson said. “Everybody has a different role and, in my opinion, everybody is going to have an impact on every game. Depth is a great strength of our team. We’re not going to get caught up in who starts and who doesn’t. We’re going to play a lot of guys, and it definitely will be good this year to have depth and fresh bodies, especially in the second half.”
Monday’s game against BU, which was pushed back two days to accommodate BU’s testing schedules and cadence resulting from the holiday break, will be the Crusaders’ first at the Hart Center since Feb. 29. There will be no fans in attendance.
“It’s crazy,” Butler said. “Going home in March (for remote learning), having surgery, because of COVID not knowing if we would have a season, being here with basically a whole new team, the word to use is ‘excited.’ We haven’t played a game in more than 10 months. Next Monday, running out on the court we will miss the fans, but we control what we can control, and we will bring our own energy, be locked in and ready to go. The good news is we can finally get on the court Monday.”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @jentandg
Holy Cross at a glance
Coach: Brett Nelson, second season (3-29)
League: Patriot League
2019-20 record: 3-29 (2-16)
Top returning players: Sr. G Austin Butler (11.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg), Sr. F Matt Faw (8.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg), Soph. G Ryan Wade (5.7 ppg).
Key losses: F Joe Pridgen (17.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg), F Connor Niego (8.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg).
Notable newcomers: Jr. F Gerrale Gates, Jr. G Malcolm Townsel, Fr. G R.J. Johnson, Fr. G Bo Montgomery, Fr. G DaJion Humphrey, Fr. F Mike Rabinovich, Fr. G/F Judson Martindale, Fr. F Louth-M Coulibaly