University of Richmond basketball player Jack McCaffery is stepping away from the court after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The team announced the decision and diagnosis on Sunday, revealing that Jack would be taking an ‘indefinite medical leave.’
Jack is the son of University of Pennsylvania basketball coach Fran McCaffery and the younger brother of Connor McCaffery, the boyfriend of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which according to the Mayo Clinic, acts as the body’s drainage, filtering and defense system.
Jack was evaluated by Richmond’s medical staff last week before traveling to Philadelphia to be admitted at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
He has begun treatment for the disease, according to the school.
The younger brother of Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, is battling cancer
Jack McCaffery, who left Butler for Richmond this summer, has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and will be taking an ‘indefinite medical leave’ from playing basketball
Connor posted multiple images of himself and his younger brother on Instagram while also delivering a message of support: ‘You’ve got us all with you and we love you’
Richmond men’s basketball coach Chris Mooney said in a statement that Jack is an ‘important part of our program’ and called him a ‘tremendous teammate who has earned the respect of everyone around him through his hard work, character and commitment to doing things the right way, both on the court and in the classroom.’
Mooney added: ‘Our entire program will be there for him and his family every step of the way on his path to recovery.’
A statement from Penn Medicine’s Dr Alison Wakoff said the young McCaffery’s care team is ‘confident in Jack’s treatment plan and Penn Medicine’s team of lymphoma experts’ who will look to help him return to school and the court ‘as soon as we can.’
Wakoff added that Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a ‘highly curable form of cancer’ which ‘mainly affects young people in their 20s.’
Jack’s older brother, Connor, posted an Instagram carousel with images of himself and his younger sibling: ‘Nobody stronger than u to fight this you’ve got us all with you and we love you CANCER SUCKS!!!!!!!!’ read the caption.
Before Richmond, Jack played at Butler University in his freshman year before transferring to the Spiders this offseason.
Connor, who worked as an assistant at Butler, is now on the staff for the Indiana Pacers’ G-League team: the Noblesville Boom.
