'Saders keep on climbing.

• Author: Driver, David
• Position: Sports

Byline: David Driver

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The Holy Cross men's basketball program continues to make strides under coach Milan Brown.

And opposing coaches and sports information personnel in the Patriot League took note of that as the Crusaders were picked to finish third on Thursday at the annual Patriot League media day for men's basketball at the Arts Quest Center at SteelStacks near the campus of league member Lehigh. The Crusaders even got two first-place votes.

"We have been trying to concentrate on making the next step,'' said Brown, whose team was picked seventh in the preseason last year, but wound up third. "We want to make sure we take another step as a program.''

The Crusaders were 20-14 last year -- the first 20-win season for the program since 2006-07. The Crusaders were third in the Patriot League at 12-6 and knocked off Brown in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, the first postseason win for the program since 2005, before falling to Yale in the second round.

"It is nice they have shown us some respect. Maybe they should pick us seventh all of the time,'' Brown added with a grin. "At least we think our program is headed in the right direction.''

The preseason favorite is American, which was picked to place ninth last year but won the 2014 tournament to gain the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles return four starters.

"We have a lot of guys back,'' said American coach Mike Brennan, ready to begin his second season. "It is a terrific league. We are proud to be a part of it.''

Brown is ready to begin his fifth season in Worcester and will build around senior forward Malcolm Miller, who was named to the preseason all-league team Thursday.

"His first dilemma is being able to understand what it is to be the first guy on everybody's white erase board as the one to stop,'' Brown said of Miller. "He will be big for us on the defensive end and the offensive end. He will probably lead us in rebounding.''

Miller was a third-team all-league player last year. "We challenged him this summer,'' said Brown, who asked Miller...