2026-27 Holy Cross men’s basketball season preview

Holy Cross men’s basketball heads into the fourth season of the Dave Paulsen era following a 2025-26 campaign that saw 11 wins and five in Patriot League play, including an 82-77 victory against Lafayette on the road in the Patriot League Tournament First Round.

One of the most disciplined teams in the Patriot League in 2025-26, Holy Cross ranked 45th out of 361 ranked NCAA Division I teams in fouls per game (15.6) and 50th in turnovers per game (10.2), both coming in at second in the conference. They also shot well from the free throw line, converting freebies at a 75.6 percent clip, which was second in the league and 59th in the country. 

The Crusaders were picked to finish eighth with 28 points in the 2026-27 Patriot League Preseason Poll, trailing seventh ranked Lafayette (29) by one point, sixth ranked Bucknell (39) and fifth ranked Navy (42). One starter returns from their final game last season as well as seven other letterwinners.

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THE RETURNERS
 

The returners are headlined by junior Aidan Richard, senior guard John St. Germain III, senior forward Declan Ryan, junior forward Chuck Hare, sophomore guard Jude Haigh and senior guard/forward Joe Nugent. 

An emerging leader for the team, Richard is back for his third season with the program following a 2025-26 season where he fought through various injuries to appear in 30 games, making 24 starts. He averaged 5.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. One of the top defenders on the team, Richard tied for second with 0.9 steals per game. 

St. Germain III, also emerging as a vocal locker room presence for the program, will play his second season for Holy Cross. The senior appeared off the bench 31 times in 2025-26, averaging 4.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game across 15.7 minutes per contest. In the exhibition at Vermont on Oct. 17, St. Germain scored 17 points shooting 7-of-10 (70.0 percent) from the field with three boards, two assists and a steal.

Ryan, a senior forward, is the top post option for Holy Cross. In 2025-26, Ryan appeared in 26 games, making four spot starts in the starting five. He doubled his minutes per game from 6.2 in 2024-25 to 13.6 in 2025-26, which led to 4.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, shooting 53.8 percent from the field. At Vermont during the exhibition, Ryan dropped 16 points across 22 minutes of action, going 8-of-9 (88.8 percent) from the hardwood. 

Hare should see meaningful minutes early in the campaign for the Crusaders following a sophomore collegiate debut season that saw him appear in 24 games, making three starts, tallying 7.8 minutes per game. Hare averaged 20.5 minutes per game as the top big off the bench in both exhibition contests.

Haigh has started in both exhibition contests for Holy Cross. He averaged 8.0 points, adding 1.0 steal per game, canning three triples across 30.5 minutes per game.

One of the all-time great shooters in program history, Nugent, a senior, is recovering from an Achilles injury suffered during conference play in 2025-26. He ranks fourth all-time in career three-pointers (189), and sixth in career three-point percentage (41.5 percent). Before the injury, Nugent started and played in 21 games for the Crusaders, averaging 11.8 points per game, knocking down 48 triples, shooting 40.7 percent from three-point range across 29.6 minutes per game. The program is hopeful he will make a return during the 2026-27 Patriot League season.

THE NEWCOMERS
 

Four freshmen and four transfers have joined the squad for 2026-27 and will look to make an immediate impact. Freshman Tristen Wilson highlights the newcomers, a 6-3, 180 pound guard from Baltimore, Md. described by Coach Paulsen as “a dynamic guard who can score at all three levels and defend multiple positions on the floor,” Across both exhibition contests, Wilson averaged 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game and was 5-for-9 (55.6 percent) from the field across 28.5 minutes per game. 

Freshman Jaelon Germany, a 6-3, 184 pound guard, will make an impact in 2026-27. An Irving, Texas native, he was a 2026 McDonald's All-American Game Nominee. Described by Coach Paulsen as “a dynamic guard who has the ability to score at all three levels and an excellent passer with elite vision who will make his teammates better," he averaged 18.7 points, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game in 2025-26 and scored over 1,400 points in his high school career.

Junior guards Kole Hanson (Minnesota Duluth) and Arius Alijosius (Lewis) are NCAA Division II transfers and new to the program. Hanson appeared in 62 games for the Bulldogs, including 33 starts and averaged 11.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game on 41.8 percent (207-for-495) shooting and 37.1 percent (92-for-248) from three-point range. A 2026 NSIC All-Conference First Team selection, he won the 2026 NSIC Tournament Championship and was named to the All-Tournament Team. In 2025-26, he led the team in free throw conversions (138), free throw percentage (85.7) and steals per game (1.2), while ranking second in scoring (14.9), second in three-pointers (61) and third in field goals (147). At Vermont on Oct. 17, Hanson scored a team-high 18 points in 27 minutes off the bench, shooting 4-for-8 (50 percent) from long range. 

Alijosius played in 18 games making 14 starts averaging 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game for Lewis shooting 46.4 percent (114-for-245) from the field and 40.9 percent (56-for-137) from three-point land. He paced Lewis in scoring, three-pointers, three-point percentage and ranked second in field goals.

Junior forward Bradyn Foster (Penn) and sophomore forward Elijah Flowers (Old Dominion) have both battled injuries throughout the preseason but are expected to add front court depth in 2026-27. Coach Paulsen described Foster as “a highly regarded recruit out of high school who is capable of playing the four or the five for us. He is an excellent rebounder and a versatile offensive player." and Flowers as having “the size, athleticism, and shooting ability to make an impact at either of our forward positions." Flowers played 11 minutes off the bench in the exhibition against Central Connecticut State on Oct. 27 and scored five points and snared seven rebounds - four offensive with a pair of blocks and a steal. 

NEW TO THE STAFF
 

Two new members joined the coaching staff for 2026-27, DeVon Price and Brady Antonopoulos. Price, an assistant coach, joins the Crusaders following a two season stint at Brown under head coach Mike Martin as the operations coordinator before his promotion to assistant coach for the 2025-26 campaign. “I got to know DeVon on the road as we were both recruiting and was impressed with his work ethic, professionalism, and knowledge of the game,” Paulsen said. “He comes highly recommended from Mike Martin, one of my closest friends in the profession.”

Antonopoulos, an Assistant Coach/Director of Operations, comes to The Hill following the 2025-26 season as a graduate assistant under Head Coach Mark Few at Gonzaga. During his lone season in Spokane, the Bulldogs were 31-4 and reached the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. “Brady comes highly recommended from many highly respected coaches,” Paulsen exclaimed. “He did a phenomenal job in operations and video roles at Weber State, then gained invaluable experience at Gonzaga this past season.”

THE SCHEDULE
 

Holy Cross will be tested out of the gate in 2026-27 with two straight road contests to open the season at A10 foe Rhode Island (KenPom: 131) on Nov. 3, and BIG EAST opponent and receiving votes Villanova (KenPom: 32) on Nov. 6. 

The Crusaders’ home schedule features seven non-league games, including the home opener on Nov. 11 against Furman (KenPom: 148), with a Friday night, Nov. 20 tilt against Harvard (KenPom: 133). 

Holy Cross concludes non-conference play with a trip to Texas to face receiving votes Texas A&M (KenPom: 19) on Dec. 17 and receiving votes TCU (KenPom: 49) on Dec. 19.

In Patriot League play, the Crusaders will have home-and-home series against each of the nine other teams in the conference. The league schedule will be highlighted by contests against 2026 Patriot League champion Lehigh (KenPom: 261) and a nationally televised contest on CBS Sports Network at Lafayette (KenPom: 339) on Monday, Feb. 1.

DAVE PAULSEN ON PATRIOT LEAGUE VIRTUAL MEDIA DAY

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