The Crusaders are in the Field of 65, so now it’s time to look at what kind of seeding they can expect. There aren’t many opportunities left for helpful upsets in other conference tournaments, but Holy Cross did get some help from Albany. Tonight’s Atlantic 10 and MAC championship games are big ones for Ralph Willard’s team. A natural 12 seed almost certainly is out of the question, but moving up to be a high 13 seed could reap rewards in terms of easier opponents.

Key sequence: Bucknell had all the momentum when Badmus went to the line for two free throws in a game tied at 53, but the senior couldn’t hit either free throw and the Bison never would recapture the lead. Simmons’s free throws were clutch, and Thomas said after the game that his three-pointer was one of the biggest shots of his life. The seven points on three possessions after Bucknell had tied the game proved to be too much for the Bison, who couldn’t rally a second time.

The Crusaders of Holy Cross are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003, after defeating Bucknell 74-66 at the Hart Center in the finals of the Patriot League Tournament. Basketball U. will have a full report of the championship game shortly.

Predictions are a tough business. Instead of trying to give an exact prediction, we are in the business of previews. Here’s a breakdown of the important edges Holy Cross and Bucknell have on each other:

The first time Holy Cross and Bucknell met up this year, the Crusaders won 65-60 on Jan. 12. The second time, in Lewisburg, the Bison pulled out a 48-45 victory. The stars of the combined two games were Keith Simmons, who scored 37 points in the two contests, and Justin Castleberry, who scored 26 points coming off the bench in both games.