Post by rgs318 on Dec 22, 2023 11:07:30 GMT -5
I just received this email from Coach Paulson. It addresses a number of points made here on Crossports so I am taking the liberty of reposting it. If you like what the Coach shares, please consider making a donation (or another donation) to Crusader basketball.
COACH PAULSEN’S STARTING 5
#1 SEASON'S GREETINGS!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone in our Crusader Basketball Family! I hope that this Holiday Season you will be able to spend time with family and friends, find an opportunity for some rest and relaxation, and be able to reflect on the many blessings we all enjoy.
Last night my wife, Kathy, and I were excited to host the members of our team, our managers, our coaching staff and their families for a holiday party. We all enjoyed some fantastic food and had plenty of laughs as everyone participated in the “White Elephant” gift exchange game. As all of our guests left our house, I was struck by what a wonderful privilege it is for me to coach such a special group of young men at an institution that truly aspires to excellence both academically and athletically. It would be impossible for anyone to spend time with the members of our team and not be impressed by their thoughtfulness, their work ethic, and their concern for others. They are phenomenal ambassadors for Holy Cross and it is my sincere hope that you will get the opportunity to get to know our players even better in 2024.
#2 TEAM UPDATE
Our team has struggled so far this season. We had a very gratifying win at Georgetown in front of a large contingent of Holy Cross faithful. Thank you to all of you who were able to make the trip to support our program in DC. Despite this early triumph, we have been plagued by inconsistent performances and a short-handed roster. After playing four games in eight days where I was disappointed with our team’s response to adversity and defensive focus, we have been able to make significant progress in our practice sessions.
Our practices since our game at St. John’s have been physically and mentally demanding, with a focus on defensive and offensive fundamentals as well as the ability to respond to mistakes with a “Next Play” mentality. In my many years as a head coach, I have learned that there is always a lag time between practice and game performance. So far, our improved execution and focus at practice has not yet translated to sustained success in games. We have had stretches of excellent basketball in each of our games since St. John’s only to have other stretches of poor execution which have derailed our ability to win. I have been pleased with how our players have responded after each loss and their continued improvement and focus in practice. I believe that we are making progress and am hopeful that this will yield improved results in our upcoming games
We are hopeful that Bo Montgomery '24 will be able to start a return to play protocol after the Holidays and are optimistic that he will be back on the court in the earlier parts of Patriot League play. Will Batchelder '26 is expected to make a full recovery and be back on the court when we resume practice on December 26. Louth Coulibably '24 saw his first action in a month at Harvard and we’re hopeful that he will continue to progress after this latest injury setback. There is no immediate timetable on the return of Jade Tse '24.
The injuries and illnesses that have afflicted our veteran players have provided an expanded opportunity for several freshmen who have demonstrated their potential to be key contributors this season and beyond. Hopefully, the experience that these players have gained, combined with our improved practice habits, will allow our team to perform at a higher level when we are operating with a full complement of our players in the near future.
I am excited to coach this team and am looking forward to seeing the continued progress that we can make over the next few months.
#3 RECRUITING UPDATE
We were thrilled to sign four outstanding student-athletes to National Letters of Intent in November. You can read more about this signing class here. Each one of these young men has the ability, skill, and work ethic to make an immediate impact on our program next year. More importantly, each individual is an ideal fit for our unique quest to achieve academic and athletic excellence at Holy Cross. Here is a quick update on each individual since our initial press release in November:
Tyler Boston has led his Bullis School team to a 7-0 record including a win over nationally ranked IMG Academy. Bullis is ranked #12 in the Nation by MaxPreps and #18 in the country by ESPN. Boston scored 14 points, dished out 5 assists and had 5 steals in the victory over IMG, and was recently named the MVP of the Bullis Holiday Tournament.
Max Green is currently leading the state of Kentucky in scoring, with a season-high of 48 points. Last year Max was 8th in the State in scoring and and led the state in free throw shooting percentage.
Chuck Hare is averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds per game for the Kingswood-Oxford School and was recently named the MVP of the Prestigious KIT Invitational. The 6-11 Hare continues to progress, earning the praise of veteran St. Andrew’s School Coach Mike Hart who told me “Chuckie is the most improved player I’ve seen since Tyler Kolek and Keegan Records.”
Aidan Richard was named a 3-star recruit by 247 Sports and is currently the 8th-best 3-point shooter in Texas. He is currently averaging 19 points per game for Ronald Reagan HS in San Antonio.
We are excited to welcome these four outstanding young men to campus in the fall. We currently have one available scholarship for next fall and are actively evaluating our options to help move our program forward.
#4 WINTER HOMECOMING ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10
We would like to formally invite you to attend our Winter Homecoming Game on Saturday, February 10 at 2 p.m., when we host American University. Men’s basketball alumni will be recognized on the court at half-time of the game and we will host a post-game reception in the Men’s Basketball Office Suite after the game. I have intentionally shifted the reception from pre-game to after the game so that I can have the time to visit with those who can make the trip back to campus. As I have said many times, I want all of our basketball alumni to feel like this is your program and would encourage you to target this date as an opportunity to connect with fellow alums, the current members of our team, and get to know each member of our coaching staff on a more personal level. More information will be sent out in the near future, but please hold this date! You can register for our alumni day today!
#5 LET’S IMPROVE OUR “ASSIST” RATE:
Just like I implore our team to share the ball and play unselfishly, this is my request that you help our program reach its fundraising goal of $250,000 for fiscal year 2024 by earmarking your donation to the Crusader Athletics Fund for men’s basketball and by encouraging your teammates and friends to do the same. I shared in my last update that the College is incredibly supportive of our program, and we are responsible for raising less than 7% of what we need this year.
Your financial support is critically important so that we can fulfill our promise to provide the best possible undergraduate athletic experience for our student-athletes. Specifically, your support will be used to enhance our program in the following three areas:
1. supplemental nutritional offerings on the road and on campus for pre- & post- workout fueling and recovery;
2. enhanced recruiting budget to support our national recruiting strategy;
3. cutting-edge technology to assist in our teaching and training efforts, such as enhanced digital video editing software and the latest strength and conditioning programs.
To this end, the College and our Athletic Department will participate in a Day of Giving in conjunction with the Winter Homecoming on February 9 and 10, so you can make your gift or pledge on that day. As always, you can contact Cara Abraham in the Crusader Athletics Fund at chanraha@holycross.edu for help with any of your fundraising questions.
Thanks again for your tremendous support of our men’s basketball program. I am even more convinced than ever that, together, we can help transform our program back to the top of the Patriot League. There is much work to be done, but I’m confident that our combination of tradition, facilities, a supportive administration and our passionate fan base will help springboard us to the top!
Merry Christmas!
Dave Paulsen
Head Coach
My thanks to Coach Paulson! (...both for this letter and for all he is doing for the HC hoops program)
COACH PAULSEN’S STARTING 5
#1 SEASON'S GREETINGS!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone in our Crusader Basketball Family! I hope that this Holiday Season you will be able to spend time with family and friends, find an opportunity for some rest and relaxation, and be able to reflect on the many blessings we all enjoy.
Last night my wife, Kathy, and I were excited to host the members of our team, our managers, our coaching staff and their families for a holiday party. We all enjoyed some fantastic food and had plenty of laughs as everyone participated in the “White Elephant” gift exchange game. As all of our guests left our house, I was struck by what a wonderful privilege it is for me to coach such a special group of young men at an institution that truly aspires to excellence both academically and athletically. It would be impossible for anyone to spend time with the members of our team and not be impressed by their thoughtfulness, their work ethic, and their concern for others. They are phenomenal ambassadors for Holy Cross and it is my sincere hope that you will get the opportunity to get to know our players even better in 2024.
#2 TEAM UPDATE
Our team has struggled so far this season. We had a very gratifying win at Georgetown in front of a large contingent of Holy Cross faithful. Thank you to all of you who were able to make the trip to support our program in DC. Despite this early triumph, we have been plagued by inconsistent performances and a short-handed roster. After playing four games in eight days where I was disappointed with our team’s response to adversity and defensive focus, we have been able to make significant progress in our practice sessions.
Our practices since our game at St. John’s have been physically and mentally demanding, with a focus on defensive and offensive fundamentals as well as the ability to respond to mistakes with a “Next Play” mentality. In my many years as a head coach, I have learned that there is always a lag time between practice and game performance. So far, our improved execution and focus at practice has not yet translated to sustained success in games. We have had stretches of excellent basketball in each of our games since St. John’s only to have other stretches of poor execution which have derailed our ability to win. I have been pleased with how our players have responded after each loss and their continued improvement and focus in practice. I believe that we are making progress and am hopeful that this will yield improved results in our upcoming games
We are hopeful that Bo Montgomery '24 will be able to start a return to play protocol after the Holidays and are optimistic that he will be back on the court in the earlier parts of Patriot League play. Will Batchelder '26 is expected to make a full recovery and be back on the court when we resume practice on December 26. Louth Coulibably '24 saw his first action in a month at Harvard and we’re hopeful that he will continue to progress after this latest injury setback. There is no immediate timetable on the return of Jade Tse '24.
The injuries and illnesses that have afflicted our veteran players have provided an expanded opportunity for several freshmen who have demonstrated their potential to be key contributors this season and beyond. Hopefully, the experience that these players have gained, combined with our improved practice habits, will allow our team to perform at a higher level when we are operating with a full complement of our players in the near future.
I am excited to coach this team and am looking forward to seeing the continued progress that we can make over the next few months.
#3 RECRUITING UPDATE
We were thrilled to sign four outstanding student-athletes to National Letters of Intent in November. You can read more about this signing class here. Each one of these young men has the ability, skill, and work ethic to make an immediate impact on our program next year. More importantly, each individual is an ideal fit for our unique quest to achieve academic and athletic excellence at Holy Cross. Here is a quick update on each individual since our initial press release in November:
Tyler Boston has led his Bullis School team to a 7-0 record including a win over nationally ranked IMG Academy. Bullis is ranked #12 in the Nation by MaxPreps and #18 in the country by ESPN. Boston scored 14 points, dished out 5 assists and had 5 steals in the victory over IMG, and was recently named the MVP of the Bullis Holiday Tournament.
Max Green is currently leading the state of Kentucky in scoring, with a season-high of 48 points. Last year Max was 8th in the State in scoring and and led the state in free throw shooting percentage.
Chuck Hare is averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds per game for the Kingswood-Oxford School and was recently named the MVP of the Prestigious KIT Invitational. The 6-11 Hare continues to progress, earning the praise of veteran St. Andrew’s School Coach Mike Hart who told me “Chuckie is the most improved player I’ve seen since Tyler Kolek and Keegan Records.”
Aidan Richard was named a 3-star recruit by 247 Sports and is currently the 8th-best 3-point shooter in Texas. He is currently averaging 19 points per game for Ronald Reagan HS in San Antonio.
We are excited to welcome these four outstanding young men to campus in the fall. We currently have one available scholarship for next fall and are actively evaluating our options to help move our program forward.
#4 WINTER HOMECOMING ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10
We would like to formally invite you to attend our Winter Homecoming Game on Saturday, February 10 at 2 p.m., when we host American University. Men’s basketball alumni will be recognized on the court at half-time of the game and we will host a post-game reception in the Men’s Basketball Office Suite after the game. I have intentionally shifted the reception from pre-game to after the game so that I can have the time to visit with those who can make the trip back to campus. As I have said many times, I want all of our basketball alumni to feel like this is your program and would encourage you to target this date as an opportunity to connect with fellow alums, the current members of our team, and get to know each member of our coaching staff on a more personal level. More information will be sent out in the near future, but please hold this date! You can register for our alumni day today!
#5 LET’S IMPROVE OUR “ASSIST” RATE:
Just like I implore our team to share the ball and play unselfishly, this is my request that you help our program reach its fundraising goal of $250,000 for fiscal year 2024 by earmarking your donation to the Crusader Athletics Fund for men’s basketball and by encouraging your teammates and friends to do the same. I shared in my last update that the College is incredibly supportive of our program, and we are responsible for raising less than 7% of what we need this year.
Your financial support is critically important so that we can fulfill our promise to provide the best possible undergraduate athletic experience for our student-athletes. Specifically, your support will be used to enhance our program in the following three areas:
1. supplemental nutritional offerings on the road and on campus for pre- & post- workout fueling and recovery;
2. enhanced recruiting budget to support our national recruiting strategy;
3. cutting-edge technology to assist in our teaching and training efforts, such as enhanced digital video editing software and the latest strength and conditioning programs.
To this end, the College and our Athletic Department will participate in a Day of Giving in conjunction with the Winter Homecoming on February 9 and 10, so you can make your gift or pledge on that day. As always, you can contact Cara Abraham in the Crusader Athletics Fund at chanraha@holycross.edu for help with any of your fundraising questions.
Thanks again for your tremendous support of our men’s basketball program. I am even more convinced than ever that, together, we can help transform our program back to the top of the Patriot League. There is much work to be done, but I’m confident that our combination of tradition, facilities, a supportive administration and our passionate fan base will help springboard us to the top!
Merry Christmas!
Dave Paulsen
Head Coach
My thanks to Coach Paulson! (...both for this letter and for all he is doing for the HC hoops program)
