Holy Cross Basketball: What to Know Before The NCAA Tournament
By Johnny Carey, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) --- It's officially March Madness time, folks, and the Patriot League-champion Holy Cross Crusaders are set to take on the Southern University Jaguars on Wednesday night in the "First Four." Get excited!
Just in case you aren't up to speed on your Holy Cross basketball, here are three things to know before the Crusaders ditch Worcester for the bright lights of Dayton, Ohio.
1. Holy Cross Knows How To Turn It On
Despite losing 12 of its final 15 games to cap a 10-19 regular season, Holy Cross found its legs in the Patriot League Tournament. Unfazed by late-season struggles, the team pulled off an improbable Patriot League Tournament championship, defeating Loyola (Md.), Bucknell, Army and Duke-killer Lehigh along the way. Even if they didn't have it for most of the season, a Cinderella Patriot League Tournament run proves that the Crusaders know how to bring their A-Game when it counts.
2. Look Out For Malachi Alexander.
The 6-foot-7 junior forward is the man to watch in purple. Alexander led the Crusaders in points per game (12.0), rebounds (5.5), assists (2.7), and field-goal percentage (.477). In the Patriot League championship, Alexander went 6-for-7 from downtown en route to 26 points and a Patriot League title. Southern will certainly have its hands full with Alexander, because if the Patriot League Tournament showed us anything, it was that the man can flat-out shoot.
Here's Alexander, discussing the Crusaders' mind-set going into the tournament:
.@HCrossMBB Malachi Alexander says Crusaders are past the excitement of making the big dance, all business now #WBZ pic.twitter.com/wRTzjhywu7
— Joe Giza (@JoeGiza) March 15, 2016
3. They've Done It Before.
Holy Cross won the whole thing in 1947, defeating Oklahoma by the score of 58-47. So, yeah.
Do past results indicate future success? Sometimes.
Whether you love Holy Cross basketball or just want each line of your bracket to only have one team, tune in at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday night.
And while you're at it, fill out the CBS Bracket Challenge for your chance to win a $5,000 AmEx Gift Card.
Johnny Carey is a senior at Boston College. You can find him on Twitter @JohnnyHeights.