There won't be fans packed wall-to-wall or floor-to-ceiling on Sunday (3 p.m., ESPN) when the Xavier Musketeers visit the Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena for the 88th edition of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout, but the intensity on the floor from baseline-to-baseline and bench-to-bench will remain the same.
It's been repeatedly pointed out how weird this season is, playing in the midst of a pandemic. The preparation's been different. Each game comes with comprehensive COVID-19 testing, and one of the odd circumstances surrounding this year's Shootout is that Xavier enters having already played five times, while UC's played only once.