2024 Crosstown Shootout: U of R men’s basketball players ready to play for good cause

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) – The 2024 Crosstown Shootout will be the eighth edition of the event, pitting four local teams together for a weekend event.

The University of Rochester, Nazareth, RIT, and St. John Fisher will square off in games on Thursday and Saturday in men’s and women’s basketball. It’s become a yearly tradition and this year, U of R men’s basketball gets to host it.

“It’s great to have this chance as a senior, having a big role of the team and being able to play with the fans behind you it makes it a lot more fun and a lot more special,” said senior Logan Jagodzinski.

The Yellowjackets are off to a 3-1 start, already having defeated RIT in an earlier non-conference matchup. They’ll face St. John Fisher on Thursday and Nazareth on Saturday. And they’re excited to have the support of the home crowd.

“That’s what we want when we play collegiate sports, is we want to play the best to be the best and I think this event does a great job of that encapsulating the local talent in the Rochester area,” said junior Corvin Oprea.

And like most great sporting events, it will also raise money for the American Cancer Society. In fact, over $80,000 has been raised since the Crosstown Shootout started in 2017.

“My grandmother, she had breast cancer before and I think we have a great event that’s a banquet with all the teams before we play to remind us that cancer has been such a big factor in the world and a lot of us are touched by cancer one way or another,” said senior Ethan McEachern.

“It really just gives you persepctive on what the bigger picture is and you’re blessed to be playing basketball,” said Jagodzinski.

The event starts Thursday at 6 p.m. as RIT takes on Nazareth at Louis Alexander Palestra.