Holy Cross Basketball

Tuesday's meeting between Holy Cross and Boston will be the first college basketball game to feature players wearing masks on the court. 

A Boston University spokesperson told ESPN's Jeff Borzello that players on both teams would be wearing protective masks. 

Borzello added the game is "believed to be the first in men's college basketball this season in which both teams will be wearing masks on the court."

The Terriers and Crusaders are scheduled to play six games against each other, starting with a home-and-home series on Monday and Tuesday. 

Per Jeff Goodman of Stadium, Holy Cross isn't wearing masks on the court for Monday's game on its home court, but Boston "mandates their opponents wear them" when playing at Case Gymnasium. 

Monday's game marks the season opener for both Boston and Holy Cross. The Patriot League announced in November that it would hold a conference-only season for men's and women's basketball due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The 10-team conference has been divided into three divisions, with each team playing opponents in its division. The Patriot League tournament will begin on March 6. 

Neil Fingleton, who played college basketball at North Carolina and Holy Cross, has died as a result of heart failure, the Press Association (via the Guardian) reported Sunday.

Following the conclusion of his basketball career in 2007, which included professional leagues in England and Spain, Fingleton had acting roles in X-Men: First Class and 47 Ronin before playing Mag the Mighty in an episode of Game of Thrones.     

In addition to his acting work, Fingleton, who stood 7'7", owned the distinction of being Great Britain's tallest man, an honor he earned in 2007.

Fingleton had a decorated prep career at Holy Name Central Catholic High School in Worcester, Massachusetts before signing with the Tar Heels in 2000.

He left the team after the 2001-02 season and transferred to Holy Cross. In 33 games for the Crusaders over two years, he averaged 2.7 points and 1.6 rebounds.

Holy Cross is the worst team in this year's NCAA tournament, but it's also, amazingly, 5-0 against the spread this season. The Crusaders will try to prove they belong in the Big Dance when they tangle with the Jaguars of Southern University in a First Four play-in game Wednesday night in Dayton, Ohio.

Point spread: The Jaguars opened as 2.5-point favorites; the total was 128, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

March Madness pick, via Odds Shark computer: 70.9-65.2 Jaguars

Why pick Holy Cross to cover the spread

In their first season running the Princeton-style schemes under former Tigers head coach Bill Carmody, the Crusaders battled to a 7-7 start, before ending the season by losing 12 of their final 15 games. However, seven of their losses came by six points or less, two of those in overtime.

Holy Cross then benefited from a breakout performance from junior forward Malachi Alexander in the Patriot League tournament, leading to four wins in eight days, including upsets of top-seeded Bucknell, Army and Lehigh, to become the most unlikely conference tournament champion this season.

Alexander leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists, and he carries a hot hand into the Dance, after averaging 21 points and eight boards during the Crusaders' recent run.

Why pick Southern to cover the spread

The Jags rated among the favorites to win the SWAC this season, but they stumbled into January, losing five of six games. They then won 10 of their next 11 but ended the regular season on a 1-4 slide to finish at 11-7 in conference play.

Southern had one more run in it, though, winning three games in three days, including an upset of top-seeded Texas Southern and a come-from-behind victory over third-seeded Jackson State, to win the SWAC tournament for the second time in the last four seasons.

The Jags are led by an experienced backcourt trio of seniors Adrian Rodgers and Christopher Hyder, and junior Trelun Banks, who combined to average 39 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists per game. As a team, Southern is shooting almost 45 percent from the floor while holding opponents to less than 42 percent.

Smart betting pick

Holy Cross is the most undeserving team in the tournament; at least Southern has a legitimate claim, with 22 victories. The Jags can also play some good defense, while the Crusaders struggle to throw the ball in the hole. The smart money here sides with Southern.

March Madness betting trends

Southern is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games against teams with losing records.

Southern is 3-0 SU in its last three games.

Holy Cross is 4-0 SU and ATS in its last four games.

Holy Cross is 3-0 SU and ATS in its last three games after winning as an underdog.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, and all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app for iOS or Android.

Brad Brownell (Wright State) to Clemson

Brad Brownell went 84-45 in four seasons at Wright State. Before he was at Wright State, Brownell went 83-40 in four seasons at UNC-Wilmington. He has won three conference championships and made three NCAA Tournament appearances, with his last appearance being in 2007. 

Jeff Bzdelik (Colorado) to Wake Forest

Jeff Bzdelik has officially accepted the challenge at Wake Forest. Wake put a lot of pressure of former coach Dino Gaudio, and fired him despite having some success, but Bzdelik does not seem to be bothered. He is 111-105 in his college career and has struggled at Colorado in the last few seasons. Bzdelik worked at Air Force before Colorado.

Billy Donlon (Wright State assistant) promoted to head coach

When Brownell left for Clemson, Wright State quickly promoted Billy Donlon. This will be his first head coaching job.

Milan Brown (Mount St. Mary's) to Holy Cross

Holy Cross hired Milan Brown on Friday afternoon. Brown signed a five-year contract. Brown did well at Mount St. Mary's, leading the team to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2008. This will be Holy Cross' second coach in two years.

Brian Wardle (Green Bay assistant) promoted to head coach

Green Bay chose to promote Brian Wardle. Wardle has been a part of the program since 2005. 

Dan Leibovitz (Hartford) resigns

Dan Leibovitz is leaving Hartford after four seasons. He will be an assistant at Penn next season.

Most likely, former Hartford assistant coach John Gallagher will replace Leibovitz.

The Assumption College Greyhounds beat the Southern Connecticut State University Owls last night 95-72 at Laska Gym in Worcester.

Exciting? Sure. If you're an Assumption student, fan, or alumnus, it's probably darn right newsworthy.

For me, however, the evening took on an added significance that became much greater than the final score. In the hardwood equivalent of The Field Of Dreams , I was treated to my own personal episode of "If you build it they will come."

Only in this true to life dream, the field that "they" came to wasn't a corn field, and it certainly wasn't in the middle of Iowa. Instead, it was the newly remodeled and luxurious Laska Gymnasium parked smack dab in the middle of the Assumption College campus in Worcester, MA.

And the ghosts of baseball past weren't ghosts at all, but the living legends of Assumption basketball past. Though a bit older and slightly grayer than they were when they donned the Assumption uniform, the likes of Don Lemenager (class of '56), Jimmy Monahan ('65), Ted Paulauskas ('66), and even the legend himself, Hall of Fame coach Andy Laska, are not ghosts at all.

Instead, they are the living icons who hold the history of Assumption basketball so very close to their hearts. They have been entrusted to pass their tales of many victories and occasional defeats on to the next generation of Greyhound hoopsters.

Without this link to the Assumption past, the memories, the stories, the history which is the very fibre of Assumption College basketball becomes lost and quickly fades away after these AC veterans move on.

As a personal thanks for helping them preserve a story of "Assumption's grandest moment on the court," the team was gracious enough to host me at the game. A thank you for a story I had written several months ago about one of their heroic teammates, Danny Gearin.

In my October 18th column, entitled The Man with The Golden Touch, I chronicled how this special hero became an incredible influence on my life as well as my educational and vocational path with his magical golden touch. In 1976, Danny Gearin selected me "randomly" out of a crowd of high school hall dwellers and instantly changed my life forever.

Some twenty years earlier, Gearin's magic touch and court savvy produced the same magical results and forever changed Assumption College basketball lore.

When Gearin passed away unexpectedly at the age of 44 in 1978, not only did I lose a mentor and a close friend, but his Assumption basketball brothers lost an incredible teammate and hero.

As a thank you for honoring their fallen comrade, former Assumption student newspaper editor John DiPietro reached out to me via phone last week and invited me to personally meet coach Andy Laska and other former Assumption players.

I was then tapped on the shoulder by current Assumption team captain, Courtland Bluford, who poked his head out of the locker room prior to taking the court and shook my hand and thanked me for coming. In my four years as an undergrad at Syracuse, I can assure you that none of the players ever thanked the fans for attending. 

To me, it was the ultimate show of respect by a current Greyhound, as he honored the legacy which was created by his predecessors some five decades before. The gesture wasn't staged and is a credit to Bluford, who is part of a generation that is often accused of ignoring history and often thinks of the "me and the now," instead of the "we and the how" approach to the game.

DiPietro then introduced me to Lemenager, who was Coach Laska's first captain in 1951, as well as in 1954 and 1955. He was the backcourt mate of Gearin, and led the team to third and fourth place finishes in the '54 and '55 NAIA Regional tournaments. 

I then met, Paulauskas, who was Laska's final captain in 1966-67 and led his Greyhound squad to a second place finish in the NCAA Regional Tournament. Paulauskas is the current Athletic Director at Assumption, a post he has held for the past seven seasons. 

And then just prior to tip-off of the game, the doors opened in the far corner of the gym and the coaching legend Laska entered the gym that bears his name. The 84-year-old coach greeted me with a firm handshake and a smile and took a seat next to me on the bleachers This wasn't the seat where Andy would ultimately watch the game. That seat is on the opposite end of the aisle, in the very corner of the gym and though not marked is clearly reserved as "Coach Laska's seat."

Upon Laska's induction into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in October, 2002, his bio read as follows:

"The man who could very well be described as Worcester's greatest ambassador of the game, Andy Laska has left a incredible trail of success at the high school, prep school, collegiate and amateur levels."

"His final won loss ledger of 224-96 tells only a part of the story of his legacy to the game in Central Massachusetts."

"He began as one of the outstanding high school players in the city's history averaging 20 points per game (during a time when teams regularly averaged under 40) leading North High to the Western Massachusetts championship and into the New England tournament. He earned all Inter-High (1941, 42, 43) , all-Worcester (1941, 42, 43), all-state (1941) and all New England (1943)."

"After time out for three years of military service in the Pacific, he played collegiately at the College of the Holy Cross. The Crusaders won the 1947 national title and played in the N.I.T. in 1949. He co-captained the 1949 team that set then record 26-game win streak."

"He served as basketball coach (1951-67), golf coach (1969-86), Director of Athletics (1956-86). He also served coach at Worcester Academy (1954-56) . . . winning the New England Prep title in 1954."

"He organized and conducted basketball clinics in Lebanon (1965) and served as business manager of the U.S.A. National Team (1975). He was named the new England Coach-of-the-Year in 1957 and 1964, was elected to the Assumption College Athletic Hall of Fame (1967) and had the Assumption College gymnasium dedicated and renamed in his honor (September 20, 1975)."

Included in his trail of success are the following:

a. 1953-54, the first winning season in Hounds' history since 1933-34;
b. 1954-55, the first N.A.I.A. tournament team in the College's history;
c., 1956-57, team finished 21-1 led by captain Joe O'Brien '57, declined N.A.I.A. bid to play and beat Holy Cross (69-68) in the Pete Houston Benefit Game. Still the ONLY team in Hounds' history to play and beat both Holy Cross and Providence in the same season.
d. 1957-58, team won N.A.I.A. regional tournament and advanced to its first national tournament in Kansas City, MO.
e. the College is admitted to the National Collegiate Athletic Association and celebrates with its first N.C.A.A. tournament berth
f. team get second N.C.A.A. tournament berth, the first of an N.C.A.A. Division II record 17 consecutive.

As athletics director he was involved in the implementation of Title IX on campus including adding scholarship aid for female athletes (1976) . . . the first institution in Central Massachusetts to do so. He was also instrumental in the formation of the Northeast-10 Conference, which has now grown to 15 institutions.

He coached eight all-Americans during his tenure at the College including: Buddy Masterson '60, Fred Barakat '61, Ed Hippert '62, John Jenkins '64, Steve Warner
'64, Jim Monahan '65, John Driscoll '66 and George Ridick '67.

COACHING RECORD AT ASSUMPTION COLLEGE
1951-52 6-10
1952-53 5-12
1953-54 11-8 first winning season at College since 1933-34
1954-55 13-5 N.A.I.A. regional
1955-56 15-7 N.A.I.A. regional
1956-57 21-1 did not accept N.A.I.A. berth to play Holy Cross in Pete Houston Benefit (winning 69-68)
1957-58 16-4 N.A.I.A. regional CHAMPION
1958-59 13-5
1959-60 14-6 N.C.A.A. regional
1960-61 14-5
1961-62 12-5
1962-63 14-5 N.C.A.A. regional
1963-64 19-2 N.C.A.A. regional; ranked No. 2 final A.P. national poll
1964-65 16-6 N.C.A.A. regional
1965-66 18-6 N.C.A.A. regional CHAMPION
1966-67 17-5 N.C.A.A. regional

I was admittedly nervous as I was approached by this coaching legend, who is arguably Assumption's version of UCLA's John Wooden. Once I heard Laska's kind and gracious voice, however, any semblance of nerves disappeared. He, too, thanked me for honoring Gearin and then proceeded to educate me with a course in Assumption Basketball History 101.

We discussed everything from Gearin, who he referred to as a "good ball-handler and the smallest guy on the floor," to the "ice water" that flowed through Gearin's veins.

He shared the most minute fact about the Gearin story, but a fact that is a testament to how cool Gearin was.

"Just before he shot the first free throw," explained Laska. "A piece of paper blew onto the gym floor. Danny bent over and picked it up before he stepped to the line and sank the two free throws."

I had been warned by DiPietro that Coach could tell you every word of every time out pep talk he ever had and this seemed to lend credence to that lore.  

Laska, who still attends every home game, then showed off the newly renovated gym. Originally built and dedicated in 1963, and then rededicated in 1975 when it was named after him, the gym now boasts a new floor, bleachers, beautiful overhead lighting, and comfortably cushioned seating under the baskets.

"I never expected the gym to be named after me," laughed Laska. "And then I lived 35 more years to enjoy it."

Laska moved to his special seat as the game commenced, but was right back over at the end of the half. He proceeded to point out yet another former player in Monahan. "He was a guard," explained Laska. "In the dedication game in '63-64 against Providence he and his backcourt mate shot 18-28. That game was one of the greatest moments of my career."

I asked Laska to share some other great moments before the second half started.

"Oh, there were so many," explained Laska, who likes to play golf in his post-retirement days. "I'd have to say when we beat Providence at the dedication of Alumni Gym in 1956-57 and then when we beat Holy Cross in the Pete Houston benefit game."

Laska went on to explain that the team that went 21-1 in '56-57 is the only Assumption team ever inducted into the Assumption Hall of Fame as a team, and that they actually passed up a trip to Kansas City to play in the NAIA tournament in order to play the famed game against their cross-town rivals, Holy Cross.

The second half began and Coach returned back to his seat. Occasionally during a lull in the action he'd remember another fact or anecdote he wanted to share.

When the final horn blew and another Assumption victory was etched into the record books, I said good bye to my new Assumption friends.

I have to believe that Danny Gearin looked down on us all and smiled, knowing that the memories of "The Game" would live on for another day.

Todd Civin is a freelance writer who writes for Bleacher Report, Sports, Then and Now, and Seamheads. He is a supporter of A Glove of Their Own, the award-winning children’s story that teaches paying it forward through baseball.

In the grand scheme of things, I know nothing. Oh sure, I think I have things all figured out—some days more than others. But, whenever I try to think of the world, the Universe, God's creation, I truly get freaked out.

It is bigger than I am. God is too amazing, too huge, and too omnipotent for a mere human like me to stay one step ahead.

I often think that this amazing play that God is writing is similar to a soap opera. In a Soap, something may happen last July, which helps to explain what happens six months from now.

I'm not sure if the writer's know in advance or figure it out as they go, though. God, I believe, has a little better handle on things than the writers of "As All My Children Turn the World's Hospital."

Well, I'm about to tell you about the story of Danny Gearin. It's a two part story. Part one is how his touch forever changed my world. The second part is about how his touch changed the worlds of many.

In the fall of 1976, I was a wide-eyed freshman at David Prouty High School. I had long brown hair to about my shoulders, which was the rage in the mid 70's in Spencer.

As I walked down the crowded halls of dear old DPHS, I was dwarfed by the throng of kids in the hallway. At about 5'0" tall, I was clearly the Little David in which represents David Prouty to this day.

As I hustled to Mrs. Rivers' English class, a hand reached out from the office of the Athletic Director and touched my scrawny shoulder. I looked up and saw a man with a bald head and a gentle, kind smile. He was wearing a plaid sport jacket and khaki slacks.

He squeezed my shoulder with his big, wrinkled mitt.

"Hey kid. You like sports?" I remember being startled until I saw who it was.

I recognized Mr. Gearin as the school A.D.

"Yes, sir." I said it in a tiny pre-pubescent crackling voice (or so I suspect).

"Can you write?" he continued.

I lied and said yes.

"I need you to be at the football field tomorrow for the Prouty-Millbury game. You're our stringer. I need you to call the Worcester Telegram and Gazette office and tell Gus Gushe who you are."

For the next four years, I didn't miss a high school basketball or football game. Like the post office, I sat through wind and rain and autumn snow and never missed calling in stats, buzzer beaters, and long touchdown runs. I covered cheerleading tournaments (rode on the bus with the cheerleaders, I might add).

I also ended up having my own weekly sports column in the local paper, The New Leader, and twice had cover story pieces.

Once I wrote about Mike Pecha, an independent truck driver and his plight to survive as diesel fuel rose to almost a dollar a gallon...(yes, $1.00 for a gallon of diesel...1978). I also wrote about small town farmer Ken Adams and his plight to survive due to state regulations which controlled the price that he could sell milk for.

Gearin's golden touch sent me to Syracuse University where I majored in newspaper journalism and met the greatest friends that a guy could ever ask for.

In the mid 90's, I published my own magazine for three years, and now, I do what I love and write for the Bleacher Report. I even believe that Danny's touch will be instrumental, as I wait for a call from MLB.com in hopes of landing the greatest job this guy could ever hope for—a gig with the Red Sox.

Yes, Danny Gearin's firm touch upon this 13-year-old boy's shoulder forever changed my life.

When Danny passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack during my senior year of high school, I wrote a good bye piece entitled "Only The Good Die Young". Danny was good.

But, my life wasn't the only life that Danny changed. 

See, 52 years ago today, "Little Danny" Gearin's touch changed the lives of more than just me, when tiny Assumption College of Worcester took on, then perennial power-house, Holy Cross.

The following is excerpted from a story which appears in the Assumption College Intercollegiate Athletic Brochure to this day.

It was Assumption's grandest moment on the court . . .

"Little Danny Gearin, a home-grown product, perpetuated the greatest upset the auditorium has ever known last night when he blithely swished home a free throw after playing time had expired, to shove Assumption College's perky upstarts to a 69-68 victory over Holy Cross." It was March 7, 1957 - 50 years ago!

Worcester Telegram Sports Editor Paul Johnson's memorable first paragraph said it all. Assumption College, a school with barely more than 100 students, knocking off the former N.I.T. and N.C.A.A. champions from across town. It was then, and still is today, the single most important date in Assumption College athletics history.

When the tornado ripped through the old campus on June 9, 1953, the rebuilding process began immediately. It was the idea of then President Rev. Armand Desautels, A.A. to give scholarships for basketball in the hope it would help raise awareness and much-needed funds. By 1957, the College had relocated to a brand new campus and the basketball team finished 21-1 as the premier small college team in New England.

The Greyhounds chose to play in the Pete Houston Appreciation Day doubleheader in lieu of advancing to their third straight regional tournament. The games benefited Houston who suffered a head injury earlier in the season and twice required brain surgery. The funds collected helped defray medical costs.

"Gearin's free throw-and he might well have stifled a yawn before shooting, so calm was he at the line-was the climax of a dramatic evening of basketball in front of more than 3,000 fans."

....... And the drama unfolded over the waning minutes as the Hounds crept back in, down 68-64, with 1:53 left. Gearin's rebound and left-hand hook shot cut the gap to two. With 25 seconds left O'Brien hit his fourth straight jumper over a Goba screen to tie the game and set the stage for Gearin's post-buzzer heroics.

Gearin's heroics may have been foreshadowed by the season opener, when he swished a jumper at the buzzer to give the Hounds a rousing 57-56 overtime win at Providence College. It was one of Assumption's most impressive years, as the Greyhounds would never again beat both Providence and Holy Cross in the same season.

So, I sit and wonder if Danny is overlooking us all today. His protege of sorts is busily typing at the computer and thinking of how Danny's touch changed his life...

And I suppose his teammates are sitting in their living rooms at 15 different parts of the Globe telling their grandkids how Danny Gearin's touch changed their lives too.

Danny...wherever you are...Swish. Swish.

While watching the first two rounds of March Madness this weekend, I got in the mood to think back to all of my favorite Cinderella stories and buzzer beaters. 

One of my favorite aspects of college hoops is the fact that there are over 300 Division I Men's Basketball programs. Moreover, the fan base of each team is not always as geographically finite as the boundary of your average professional sports franchise. 

For instance, I am a Syracuse Orange fan because of family ties, despite growing up during a great stretch for more local favorites (UMass and UConn). 

Don't be afraid to add heart wrenching stories of defeat. Anything goes. Whether you're a George Mason fan or alumnus of Florida.

Whether you have celebrated recent success, or your team is going through a drought, and March forces you to go through your own catalogue of mental highlights from yesteryear... we all have a favorite moment, story, or team, that they recall every year, around this time.

Now's your chance to share your favorite college hoop memories with the rest of us.  This experiment will only be as strong as the contributions.  So, comment early and reply often. 

I'd love to get a dialogue going about some of our favorite moments (or in some cases, least favorite moments).

Now for our Disclaimer:

I know we sometimes get heated when discussing our favorite/most hated teams, but let's try to keep it respectful and offer solid commentary when posting. 

Please refrain from posts that simply state, "Duke sucks" (whether I may personally agree or not) or "UCLA rocks." If they do not add constructively to the conversation, then please leave them out. 

I'm not saying we can't sling a little mud at the programs we "hate", but make sure to add some content to the argument as well. 

Get creative—tell us where you were, how it happened, how you celebrated.  Anything you'd like, but be sure to add to the conversation and give specifics (years are especially helpful if at all possible).