NCAA Profile: Holy Cross Crusaders

Team: Holy Cross Crusaders

Conference: Patriot League

Coach: Bill Carmody

Record: 14-19, 5-13 in Patriot League.

KenPom Rank: 268

Good wins: None - except for four straight in the Patriot League Tournament.

Impact Players: Malachi Alexander, a 6'7" inside/ outside threat who averages 12 points and 6 rebounds/ game.

How did they get in?: The most surprising bid of all goes to Bill Carmody's team. Carmody never reached the NCAA Tournament in 13 years as head coach of the Northwestern Wildcats. Yet the coach led a team that lost five straight and nine of their previous 11 to win four straight games in the league tournament, all at the opponent's home court, going through the top two teams along the way in Bucknell and Lehigh.

How far can this team go in the NCAA Tournament?: With a losing record, it's easy to write Holy Cross off. But obviously they have something working; they share the ball, force turnovers, and hold on to the ball well. Maybe anything can happen if you just believe, because there's no explaining what Holy Cross did.

Last time in the NCAA Tournament: 2007 under Ralph Willard (father of current Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard)