Following an underwhelming first season for Holy Cross men’s basketball coach Tyler Braidic — in which the team finished with a 10-18 mark — hopes were high that he could lead the program back to success this year. However, a season that started full of potential ended up being a gritty battle to stay afloat as the team fought continued adversity.
The Saints got off to a storming 4-1 start, with wins over East-West University, Andrews University, IU Columbus and St. Mary-Wood. However, a tough stretch through November and December saw the Saints lose six straight as they entered conference play. They were able to regain form in January, going 4-4, but fell flat and ended the season with a 5-15 conference record, maintaining an almost identical record to 2024-25.
The Saints’ season was tainted by a number of injuries, including multiple stress fractures, rolled ankles and broken feet across the roster. Despite this, Braidic expressed pride in his team’s response to these issues, particularly highlighting the two wins over conference opponent Indiana Northwest this season, which finished second in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
“We withstood a lot of adversity this year,” Braidic said. “We had some crazy injuries, so we were never really able to gain traction or momentum on some things... We had to call up guys who were not in the role they anticipated, but then they had to perform, and I was very pleased with the production value of guys who weren’t getting quite as many minutes earlier in the year.”
In terms of individuals, it was a standout year for junior guard Jayden Sanders, a transfer from Ancilla College, who sat fifth in the conference with 17.7 points per game. His fellow junior guard Joey Garwood earned Second-Team All-Conference honors despite only playing 13 games, with 21.9 points per contest and shooting 44% from beyond the arc. Freshman guard Donovan Waleskowski also had a campaign filled with promise, as he took home the CCAC Freshman of the Year award and posted 15 points per game, which can in part be attributed to his 50 3-pointers (11th in the conference) and 111 free throws (second in the conference).
Discussing the team’s next step, Braidic explained, “Our process just takes a little bit of time, and we’ve had almost six weeks of our postseason conditioning here, and the returners have really changed their mindset on what it takes to be a high-production winning culture.”
Overall, while the record might not reflect where the Saints want to be, there are lots of positives heading into next season. With a healthy squad and some luck, the Saints hope to rise in the CCAC rankings next year.
