The Newcomers:
PF Andrew Keister – 6-9, 230 lbs – Absegami High (Galloway, NJ)
Keister is an athletic big man who can move and shoot well. Some scouting reports credit Keister with three-point range, while others place his range at about 16 feet. Keister harnessed his size and skill on defense his senior year at high school, averaging 2.4 steals and 2.2 blocks per game to go along with his 16 points and 12.4 rebounds.

SF Adam May – 6-8, 195 lbs – Mentor (Mentor, OH)
May is big for a three, but his offensive skill set fits the position perfectly. May is a good long-range shooter, and a reasonably good slasher and finisher. May, a first team All-Ohio pick last year, shot 41% from beyond the arc, and 83% at the free throw line.

PF Eric Meister – 6-8, 225 lbs – State College Area High (Boalsburg, PA)
Meister is about the same size as fellow recruits May and Keister, but plays the biggest of the three. The MVP of the Mountain Athletic Conference last year, Meister was a dominating inside presence in high school, especially on the defensive side. Meister is great on the boards and with his back to the basket.

SG Zach Paterick – 6-2, 180 lbs – Nease (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL)
A wing player, Paterick can shoot from the outside and move the ball on offense. Paterick’s defense is underdeveloped, and it will take some time of working with Ralph Willard’s coaching staff for him to adequately fit into Holy Cross’s defensive scheme.

The Fit:
Willard filled his most pressing short-term need with this recruiting class, bringing in three freshmen 6-7 or taller. Any of the three could be in the mix this year, backing up starters Tim Clifford and Alex Vander Baan.

Keister, the most polished of the big freshmen, is the most likely to see impact minutes this year. Keister may even compete with sophomore Greg McCarthy for the role of first man off the bench for the frontcourt. Keister’s shooting and defense fit well into Holy Cross’s overall gameplan, which should focus on stifling team defense and a backcourt-focused offense.

Down the road, if Meister develops as hoped, then he, Keister and Vander Baan should form the nucleus of the Holy Cross frontcourt for several years. May and Paterick should develop into rotational players, but sophomores Colin Cunningham and Lawrence Dixon are likely to keep the frosh from taking too many minutes for the next several years.

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