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Post by rgs318 on Sept 12, 2021 16:27:18 GMT -5
OK, the hoop season is less than 8 weeks away. IIRC we see a lot more about the team and the coming season at this time of year. Last year there was a lot more about the team and coming games. Now most of what we read seems to be about recruits for other PL teams or where former Crusaders have relocated.
Anyone hearing anything about Holy Cross and/or the team and players in this coming season?
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Post by Crosser on Sept 12, 2021 20:13:16 GMT -5
The only place I’m going to hear anything about the coming season is right here on Crossports. I’ve got to admit though that my optimism about our basketball team has been somewhat strained by the realization that I apparently had too much optimism about our football team.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Sept 12, 2021 21:43:11 GMT -5
The only place I’m going to hear anything about the coming season is right here on Crossports. I’ve got to admit though that my optimism about our basketball team has been somewhat strained by the realization that I apparently had too much optimism about our football team. For your strained optimism the doctor prescribes multiple viewings of a Kyrell Luc highlight reel. Repeat as necessary.
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Post by crusader1970 on Sept 13, 2021 6:52:54 GMT -5
For your strained optimism the doctor prescribes multiple viewings of a Kyrell Luc highlight reel. Repeat as necessary. Still laughing. Great response.
Personally I absolutely have no idea what to expect from this year's team. I think any success will revolve around what we get out of the Center position.
My biggest concern will be our ability to score. I expect to see a lot of zone defenses against us and worry about our ability to hit the three.....which is one of the critical components of success with any college team these days.
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Post by Tom on Sept 13, 2021 7:43:14 GMT -5
Not sure where we're looking for the chatter.
I anticipate the Telegram will put out an article or two sometime around Halloween. I think we'll see the team's twitter account get more active when official practice starts. This could be a little more sporadic than usual as the assistant AD in charge of tweeting has a big boss who's head is already out the door. The transitioning AD situation makes things like tweeting and feeding stories to the Telegram potentially less automatic.
You are correct that Crossports has been pretty quiet on the topic. Although it doesn't normally stop me from posting, it's hard to add something insightful or interesting to the conversation when no one here has seen anyone other than DJ Hart play in person. We saw improvement in 2020-21 over 2019-20. It would have been hard not to. Last year was such a screwy year. we can't be sure how meaningful any data from that season is. Is this team going to be a .500 team? Will they be a PL semi finalist? Will they legitimately challenge for a PL title? Answering "yes" to any of those questions would qualify as improvement. While I do believe this team will improve, I have no clue which of those three categories this team will fall in.
My only prediction for this season: At some point both NAD and HCFC45 will vocally disagree with the officiating.
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Post by Ray on Sept 13, 2021 8:36:37 GMT -5
I think my answer here is that nobody has any idea what to expect. The late-season gains last year were encouraging and a cause for optimism. But PL history says experience wins in this league, and this roster is still horribly inexperienced. But then again, so is just about everyone in the league (less so Colgate and BU).
There used to be a continuity to this league, full of four-year players developing and graduating, programs helmed by relatively (by industry standards) stable coaching regimes, in various stages of rebuilding or contending, rising and falling. But it seems like that entire structure has been dismantled, or at least significantly decayed.
Basically, long way around of saying that I don't know how to set my own expectations, because the lens through which I used to evaluate these things doesn't seem applicable anymore. So, I'm left to sit back and watch it unfold with little in the way of preconceived notions.
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Sept 13, 2021 9:11:43 GMT -5
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Post by timholycross on Sept 13, 2021 9:20:35 GMT -5
Big leap of faith rating Louth that much of a contributor. Hope he's right and Louth's more than just a vastly improved physique. In terms of game action, he's a pure freshman.
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Post by hchoops on Sept 13, 2021 9:30:21 GMT -5
Thanks, SOV if you read this HC preview without the numbered ranking at the start, you would think we would be higher than 8. Pretty optimistic words, not rank, especially with no mention of Bo, Bubba or the freshmen.
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Post by Ray on Sept 13, 2021 9:57:05 GMT -5
Interesting take... sort of a fair point about HC's sieve-like defense, but to hang a lot of emphasis on that "worst in the country" stat loses a lot of context. Let's not forget, playing 10 of 16 games against (far more experienced and disciplined) Colgate and BU skewed those numbers quite a bit. Still, any of the optimistic takes for HC depends on the leap of faith that the raw materials on hand can be "coached up" into a competent-or-better defensive unit.
Getting back to Tom's post above, this gets back to "what constitutes success" this year. Is a top-4 finish and/or a semi-final appearance "good enough", given that essentially the whole team(*) would return from that step forward in 2022-23. (*) -- as much as you can ever make that assumption, given the proliferation of the transfer portal.
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Post by newfieguy74 on Sept 13, 2021 10:12:06 GMT -5
Interesting take... sort of a fair point about HC's sieve-like defense, but to hang a lot of emphasis on that "worst in the country" stat loses a lot of context. Let's not forget, playing 10 of 16 games against (far more experienced and disciplined) Colgate and BU skewed those numbers quite a bit. Still, any of the optimistic takes for HC depends on the leap of faith that the raw materials on hand can be "coached up" into a competent-or-better defensive unit. Getting back to Tom's post above, this gets back to "what constitutes success" this year. Is a top-4 finish and/or a semi-final appearance "good enough", given that essentially the whole team(*) would return from that step forward in 2022-23. (*) -- as much as you can ever make that assumption, given the proliferation of the transfer portal. My approach for the season is: 1. Start with my over-exuberant, purple-colored, irrational expectations 2. Divide by 2 3. Hope for the best.
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Post by hchoops on Sept 13, 2021 11:18:26 GMT -5
Last week
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Post by hchoops on Sept 13, 2021 11:20:09 GMT -5
Not exactly prime time
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Post by Tom on Sept 13, 2021 11:22:10 GMT -5
I have compiled a list of everyone on the roster who has played more than a half a season of D-I college basketball:
Gerrale Gates DJ Hart
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Post by dharry13 on Sept 13, 2021 12:52:22 GMT -5
I think I'm most intrigued by Nolan Dorsey on this team. Recruited by a pretty good Mid Major program in New Mexico. 3 star recruit with great length.
I have no clue on him beyond hudl posts and his offers while in the recruitment process. But seeing pictures of him and his length of an off guard - I'm excited to see what he brings.
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Post by hchoops on Sept 14, 2021 9:48:30 GMT -5
Well done, BN
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Post by classof83 on Sept 14, 2021 10:04:52 GMT -5
Good to see RW still engaged with the basketball program
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Post by Tom on Sept 14, 2021 10:42:21 GMT -5
I wonder what brought Coach Willard to Worcester. Agree it is good to see him remain connected to program
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Sept 14, 2021 10:45:30 GMT -5
I wonder what brought Coach Willard to Worcester. Agree it is good to see him remain connected to program Maybe an ask by Nelson or RP Sr.
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Post by timholycross on Sept 14, 2021 11:37:39 GMT -5
(old joke; see Donahue, Jack) Hopefully not about "The Pressures of Tournament Basketball"
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Post by hchoops on Sept 14, 2021 11:40:44 GMT -5
I wonder what brought Coach Willard to Worcester. Agree it is good to see him remain connected to program Possibly the Hall of Fame inductions last Saturday
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Post by sader1970 on Sept 14, 2021 11:40:48 GMT -5
Well, we know he doesn't have to miss Mass for that time slot.
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Post by Ray on Sept 14, 2021 12:22:38 GMT -5
I wonder what brought Coach Willard to Worcester. Agree it is good to see him remain connected to program Hopefully he left the instructions for the matchup zone in Nelson's desk.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Sept 14, 2021 13:50:40 GMT -5
Mike R, is no longer looking like a mountain man. Wonder if he plans on appearing as the HC version of Bill Walton for the season?
Is that Nolan standing next to Louth? He appears taller than 6’5”. There is one other team member in the picture, behind Ralph and next to Malcolm and Caleb, that I do not recognize. Anyone know who he is?
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Sept 14, 2021 14:11:23 GMT -5
Mike R, is no longer looking like a mountain man. Wonder he plans on appearing as the HC version of Bill Walton for the season? Is that Nolan standing next to Louth? He appears taller than 6’5”. There is one other team member in the picture, behind Ralph and next to Malcolm and Caleb, that I do not recognize. Anyone know who he is? Nolan definitely looks taller than Louth to me. Has Nolan grown (responded well to the elongator?) or is Louth not as tall as we thought--or is it an optical illusion?
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