Season Preview: Holy Cross Men’s Basketball
Friday, November 08, 2013
The Crusaders will be looking for redemption following a down season in 2012-13, finishing 12-18 with a 4-10 record in the Patriot League. They return 10 members of last year's squad, including three starters.
One of those starters will be senior forward Dave Dudzinski. Dudzinski returns with a team best 15.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game average. The 6-foot 9-inch big man was deadly accurate last season, shooting 48.3 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from three-point range and 81.7 percent from the free throw line. Dudzinski is also a very good defensive presence, averaging close to a block per game.
Dudzinski will get a lot of help from junior point guard Justin Burrell. Burrell has been the starting point guard each of the last two season and will look to add to 2013-13's stellar season, which saw Burrell average 12.1 points and 3.7 assists per game. Burrell also set a Crusaders single-season record by shooting 91.3 percent from the free throw line. Burrell is yet another strong defender in coach Milan Brown's system, providing great on-ball pressure for the Crusaders.
The Crusaders will look to get consistent scoring from the wing as well, sophomore Cullen Hamilton is a very good candidate to fill that role. Hamilton was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie team in 2012-13, averaging 6.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. He showed great promise, hitting 36.1 percent of his three-point shots and will look to spark the Crusaders offense.
The Crusaders face an uphill climb to return to a winning record, as they face an extremely tough non-conference schedule. This schedule includes Harvard, North Carolina and Michigan all before starting Patriot League play.
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