The college basketball season continues onward and Michigan has a final tune-up before a National Championship rematch. Holy Cross comes into town to take on the Wolverines on Saturday at 7:30 PM in Michigan's second Hall of Fame Tip-Off game. The Patriot League side are coming off a 93-81 season opening win against Sacred Heart. Here is an overlook of the team Michigan will face off with.
2017-18 Recap:
Led by ex-Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody, Holy Cross went 12-19 with an 8-10 conference record. The Crusaders were a young side last season without a single senior on the team and return all five starters from their team. Holy Cross struggled to start last season, going 5-14 with a 2-6 Patriot League record to start the season, but steadied themselves to a 6-4 finish with a trip to the tournament semifinals before being downed by Colgate. Returning six of seven players who started at least 45% of the team's games, this is a hungry Holy Cross side predicted fifth in the preseason poll.
Starting Five:
The main man on Holy Cross is 6'8" senior forward Jehyve Floyd. Floyd was the Patriot League's Defensive Player of the Year and a Third Team All-Patriot League selection following last season, and it clearly made a mark on those in the know of the league. He has been selected to the Preseason All-PL team for this season and followed up those expectations with a career-high in assists against Sacred Heart with eleven. He shot an incredible 66.8% from the field last season which led the Patriot League and was good for fourth in the nation. He is off to a similarly efficient start having gone 3-for-4 from the field with nine points in the opener. He also had 2.2 blocks per game, a testament to those defensive skills, and finished the season as the lead scorer with 12.2 points per game. Joe Kennedy, lead assistant, told Blue Ribbon, "Now the challenge is for him to rebound better and to be dominant in every game." He had just five boards against Sacred Heart and will hope for a better showing against Michigan. He is certainly going to be a man to watch in purple as he is vital in making the offense tick for Holy Cross.
Not to be overshadowed by Floyd, though, is sophomore Austin Butler. The 6'5" guard was named to the All-Rookie team for the Patriot League last season and will hope to follow that up with a year to build off of. Butler exploded against Sacred Heart for 26 points on 10-for-13 shooting, including four-for-five from three. The shooting from deep is a good sign for the Crusaders, Butler shot just 32.8% from three last season, and only 29.3% in conference play. Improvement from beyond the arc will be important in helping him reach his ceiling with the team. His play was huge in the offensive explosion that was a 93-point outing to open the season, and his skill set will challenge Jordan Poole in a way that I believe will be fun to see how he reacts.
At point guard is 5'10" sophomore Caleb Green. Green was just one of two players, along with Floyd, to play in every game last season as a starter and seems set to continue that impressive streak. A nine point, three assist per game player last season, his 13 points and five assists against Sacred Heart is another step forward for his progress. Just a sophomore, he is going to provide a bit of extra experience for this youth heavy Crusaders team. He will surely be matched up with Zavier Simpson, whose defensive ability remains smothering. Green will be tested for sure against Simpson at the highest level.
Another sophomore that figures to play a key role for Holy Cross this season is Jacob Grandison. Standing 6'6", Grandison is a flexible winger that is listed as either a guard or forward. His flexibility in position means he can play a bit of the two, three, or four, but I figure he will start the game off at the three and matched up with Charles Matthews. Grandison was really the only starter to struggle in the season opener shooting just two-for-eight and going zero-for-three from three. Last season he finished with nine points per game even with four and a half boards behind only Floyd on the team. He took one more three-point attempt than Butler making him the team leader, but he shot just slightly worse than Butler with a 31.7% average from deep. His play really picked up at the back end of last season in the closing stretches of conference play, but the Holy Cross staff will hope his consistency is stronger throughout the year.
Matt Faw was the fifth start for the Crusaders against Sacred Heart, offering a bit more size. At 6'9", Faw is the fourth sophomore of the five starters really emphasizing the youth that coach Bill Carmody has available for him. Faw appeared in all 31 games but all appearances came from off the bench. He is more of a three-point shooting having gone four-for-eight against Sacred Heart and 21-for-44 on the season last year and with 22 minutes in the opener, he offers a way to stretch the floor just that little bit extra creating a tough match-up for some teams, especially if Jon Teske is forced out to the perimeter if the two are matched up. Ann Arbor Skyline assistant coach, and father of Holy Cross 2019 recruit Ryan Wade, Keith Wade tabbed Faw as a breakout candidate for this sophomore class this season. Listing his skills, Wade said Faw is a 'big time scorer' that also 'can shoot it deep, [is] athletic, and can finish at the rim.' Faw is definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Bench Rundown:
Patrick Benzan may not have started, but he showed up to play in the opener. The 5'11" senior guard's play is far more the model of Zavier Simpson than his teammate Green. Benzan is a "defensive stopper" according to Kennedy who plays tough on-ball defense. Benzan went nine-for-ten shooting in the opener for 19 points with just three points coming beyond the arc. He prefers to live on the inside, especially going just five-for-27 last season from deep, but with five assists he certainly works well as an offensive facilitator for others along with himself. He made 14 starts last season but despite coming off the bench, he's already seeing the minutes of a starter this season.
Kyle Copeland saw ten minutes off the bench in the opener, the only player other than Benzan to get double-digit minutes, and that says a lot about how the staff sees their 6'4" sophomore guard. Copeland is more of a three-point shooter as 19 of his 23 attempts last season from the field were from deep. He went a solid seven-for-19 from long range (36.8%) and hit one in the opener as well. Coming off the bench allows Copeland the opportunity to slide into a rhythm and could result in him getting some open looks if teams don't know what to expect.
Like John Beilein did in his opener, Carmody ran with a limited bench as well. Still, multiple more players should make appearances in Saturday's game for the Crusaders. Clayton Le Sann is a 6'4" junior guard who can check in for spot minutes if necessary. Ditto for 6'8" sophomore Connor Niego, the only forward who sees regular spot minutes off the bench. This in itself means Grandison slides over when needed to into a position more suited for a power forward. Finally, you have Matt Zignorski, a 6'2" senior guard who saw a start in 13 of the 28 games he played in. Despite that, he only played two minutes in the opener alongside freshmen Marlon Hargis, a 6'7" forward, and Blake Verbeek, a 6'10" forward who hails from Grand Rapids.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
Holy Cross offer a different test for the Wolverines and are likely to offer more resistance than Norfolk State did. The ability of this young Michigan team to hold on to the ball will be tested as Holy Cross forced 20 Sacred Heart turnovers. If these turnovers can be avoided, though, Michigan should roll to victory. The Pioneers shot an astounding 67.4% in a loss, plus a combined 38 points from their two starting guards. If they can clamp down on defense while holding on to the ball, this game should not be unreasonably difficult on Michigan, but slacking in those two categories plus an inability to use this as a 'get well' offensive game could make for complications. A fun note is that Holy Cross has commitments next year from Ann Arbor's top two prospects: Ann Arbor Pioneer's Drew Lowder and the aforementioned Ann Arbor Skyline's Ryan Wade, adding a little extra local flavor to the Pioneer League side along Verbeek.
As I've outlined, the Crusaders have many players to run through and several ways they can harm you. Luke Yaklich surely has a plan to stop as many of those ways as possible. That said, Holy Cross will surely find some offense somewhere -- at least more so than Norfolk State did. I think this is a game designed for Jordan Poole and Charles Matthews to create themselves some offense after not doing as much of that in the opener. Keith Wade agrees that Poole and Matthews will be key as he told me, "Poole and Matthews are going to have to make shots against the zone. HC (Head Coach Bill Carmody) runs the zone pretty religiously so if Michigan is hitting from outside it will be a LONG night." The pair struggled from deep against Norfolk State, and NSU showed some zone as well, but with the high motor Floyd manning the middle of the zone and a disciplined young side as a whole, they will need to be better from outside. Overall, I still like Michigan's chances to win, but I think if Poole or Matthews is hitting, they should be alright and this game will serve as a fine tune-up before heading out to Philadelphia.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
2017-18 Recap:
Led by ex-Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody, Holy Cross went 12-19 with an 8-10 conference record. The Crusaders were a young side last season without a single senior on the team and return all five starters from their team. Holy Cross struggled to start last season, going 5-14 with a 2-6 Patriot League record to start the season, but steadied themselves to a 6-4 finish with a trip to the tournament semifinals before being downed by Colgate. Returning six of seven players who started at least 45% of the team's games, this is a hungry Holy Cross side predicted fifth in the preseason poll.
Starting Five:
The main man on Holy Cross is 6'8" senior forward Jehyve Floyd. Floyd was the Patriot League's Defensive Player of the Year and a Third Team All-Patriot League selection following last season, and it clearly made a mark on those in the know of the league. He has been selected to the Preseason All-PL team for this season and followed up those expectations with a career-high in assists against Sacred Heart with eleven. He shot an incredible 66.8% from the field last season which led the Patriot League and was good for fourth in the nation. He is off to a similarly efficient start having gone 3-for-4 from the field with nine points in the opener. He also had 2.2 blocks per game, a testament to those defensive skills, and finished the season as the lead scorer with 12.2 points per game. Joe Kennedy, lead assistant, told Blue Ribbon, "Now the challenge is for him to rebound better and to be dominant in every game." He had just five boards against Sacred Heart and will hope for a better showing against Michigan. He is certainly going to be a man to watch in purple as he is vital in making the offense tick for Holy Cross.
Not to be overshadowed by Floyd, though, is sophomore Austin Butler. The 6'5" guard was named to the All-Rookie team for the Patriot League last season and will hope to follow that up with a year to build off of. Butler exploded against Sacred Heart for 26 points on 10-for-13 shooting, including four-for-five from three. The shooting from deep is a good sign for the Crusaders, Butler shot just 32.8% from three last season, and only 29.3% in conference play. Improvement from beyond the arc will be important in helping him reach his ceiling with the team. His play was huge in the offensive explosion that was a 93-point outing to open the season, and his skill set will challenge Jordan Poole in a way that I believe will be fun to see how he reacts.
At point guard is 5'10" sophomore Caleb Green. Green was just one of two players, along with Floyd, to play in every game last season as a starter and seems set to continue that impressive streak. A nine point, three assist per game player last season, his 13 points and five assists against Sacred Heart is another step forward for his progress. Just a sophomore, he is going to provide a bit of extra experience for this youth heavy Crusaders team. He will surely be matched up with Zavier Simpson, whose defensive ability remains smothering. Green will be tested for sure against Simpson at the highest level.
Another sophomore that figures to play a key role for Holy Cross this season is Jacob Grandison. Standing 6'6", Grandison is a flexible winger that is listed as either a guard or forward. His flexibility in position means he can play a bit of the two, three, or four, but I figure he will start the game off at the three and matched up with Charles Matthews. Grandison was really the only starter to struggle in the season opener shooting just two-for-eight and going zero-for-three from three. Last season he finished with nine points per game even with four and a half boards behind only Floyd on the team. He took one more three-point attempt than Butler making him the team leader, but he shot just slightly worse than Butler with a 31.7% average from deep. His play really picked up at the back end of last season in the closing stretches of conference play, but the Holy Cross staff will hope his consistency is stronger throughout the year.
Matt Faw was the fifth start for the Crusaders against Sacred Heart, offering a bit more size. At 6'9", Faw is the fourth sophomore of the five starters really emphasizing the youth that coach Bill Carmody has available for him. Faw appeared in all 31 games but all appearances came from off the bench. He is more of a three-point shooting having gone four-for-eight against Sacred Heart and 21-for-44 on the season last year and with 22 minutes in the opener, he offers a way to stretch the floor just that little bit extra creating a tough match-up for some teams, especially if Jon Teske is forced out to the perimeter if the two are matched up. Ann Arbor Skyline assistant coach, and father of Holy Cross 2019 recruit Ryan Wade, Keith Wade tabbed Faw as a breakout candidate for this sophomore class this season. Listing his skills, Wade said Faw is a 'big time scorer' that also 'can shoot it deep, [is] athletic, and can finish at the rim.' Faw is definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Bench Rundown:
Patrick Benzan may not have started, but he showed up to play in the opener. The 5'11" senior guard's play is far more the model of Zavier Simpson than his teammate Green. Benzan is a "defensive stopper" according to Kennedy who plays tough on-ball defense. Benzan went nine-for-ten shooting in the opener for 19 points with just three points coming beyond the arc. He prefers to live on the inside, especially going just five-for-27 last season from deep, but with five assists he certainly works well as an offensive facilitator for others along with himself. He made 14 starts last season but despite coming off the bench, he's already seeing the minutes of a starter this season.
Kyle Copeland saw ten minutes off the bench in the opener, the only player other than Benzan to get double-digit minutes, and that says a lot about how the staff sees their 6'4" sophomore guard. Copeland is more of a three-point shooter as 19 of his 23 attempts last season from the field were from deep. He went a solid seven-for-19 from long range (36.8%) and hit one in the opener as well. Coming off the bench allows Copeland the opportunity to slide into a rhythm and could result in him getting some open looks if teams don't know what to expect.
Like John Beilein did in his opener, Carmody ran with a limited bench as well. Still, multiple more players should make appearances in Saturday's game for the Crusaders. Clayton Le Sann is a 6'4" junior guard who can check in for spot minutes if necessary. Ditto for 6'8" sophomore Connor Niego, the only forward who sees regular spot minutes off the bench. This in itself means Grandison slides over when needed to into a position more suited for a power forward. Finally, you have Matt Zignorski, a 6'2" senior guard who saw a start in 13 of the 28 games he played in. Despite that, he only played two minutes in the opener alongside freshmen Marlon Hargis, a 6'7" forward, and Blake Verbeek, a 6'10" forward who hails from Grand Rapids.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
Holy Cross offer a different test for the Wolverines and are likely to offer more resistance than Norfolk State did. The ability of this young Michigan team to hold on to the ball will be tested as Holy Cross forced 20 Sacred Heart turnovers. If these turnovers can be avoided, though, Michigan should roll to victory. The Pioneers shot an astounding 67.4% in a loss, plus a combined 38 points from their two starting guards. If they can clamp down on defense while holding on to the ball, this game should not be unreasonably difficult on Michigan, but slacking in those two categories plus an inability to use this as a 'get well' offensive game could make for complications. A fun note is that Holy Cross has commitments next year from Ann Arbor's top two prospects: Ann Arbor Pioneer's Drew Lowder and the aforementioned Ann Arbor Skyline's Ryan Wade, adding a little extra local flavor to the Pioneer League side along Verbeek.
As I've outlined, the Crusaders have many players to run through and several ways they can harm you. Luke Yaklich surely has a plan to stop as many of those ways as possible. That said, Holy Cross will surely find some offense somewhere -- at least more so than Norfolk State did. I think this is a game designed for Jordan Poole and Charles Matthews to create themselves some offense after not doing as much of that in the opener. Keith Wade agrees that Poole and Matthews will be key as he told me, "Poole and Matthews are going to have to make shots against the zone. HC (Head Coach Bill Carmody) runs the zone pretty religiously so if Michigan is hitting from outside it will be a LONG night." The pair struggled from deep against Norfolk State, and NSU showed some zone as well, but with the high motor Floyd manning the middle of the zone and a disciplined young side as a whole, they will need to be better from outside. Overall, I still like Michigan's chances to win, but I think if Poole or Matthews is hitting, they should be alright and this game will serve as a fine tune-up before heading out to Philadelphia.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
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