About Us
Crossover International is a digital publication created by five graduate students at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. We provide coverage of the international basketball scene — an under-served market in the U.S. media landscape — to broaden the knowledge of North American fans and share stories of the sport’s global reach.
Veer Badani
Veer Badani is a staff writer and editor for Crossover International. Originally from Rajkot, India, he received a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in sports studies from Ithaca College in 2018. He received a master’s degree in magazine, newspaper, and online journalism with a sports communications emphasis from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in 2020.
Mitchell Bannon
Mitchell Bannon is a writer and editor for Crossover International. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Mitchell is a graduate of McGill University and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. With a master’s degree in magazine, newspaper, and online journalism, Mitchell hopes to combine his passion for analytics, sports opinion, and reporting as a beat writer and columnist.
Nicholas D'Alessandro
Nicholas D’Alessandro is a writer and creative assistant for Crossover International. He is currently finishing his master’s degree in magazine, newspaper and online journalism at Syracuse University. While at Syracuse, he worked as a multimedia journalist for various sports publications on campus and was a production assistant for ACC Network. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Michigan. He hopes to work in live sports production.
Matt Geraci
Matt Geraci is a writer and creative assistant for Crossover International. He earned his bachelor’s in sport management and business administration from the University of Dayton. Recently, he covered high school sports for The Post Standard while earning a master's in journalism from Syracuse University. He plans to cover the human element of art, sport, and innovative collaboration. He is also passionate about creative writing, music and shredding the gnar.
Tanner Russ
Tanner Russ is a writer for Crossover International. He earned his master’s degree in magazine, newspaper, and online journalism at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He earned his bachelor’s degree in speech communications from Oregon State University and enjoys comedy and live sports, particularly basketball, mixed martial arts, and soccer.
Melissa Chessher and Adam Peruta served as advisors for the Crossover International team.