Hoos Hoopin' - A Virginia Basketball Podcast

The guys welcome Doug Smith, UVA '93, to the podcast for their first former player interview. Doug Smith, a former point guard at UVA who is better known as "Fresh", spends the pod talking with the Khari and Sean about some of his best moments as a player and student at UVA. Fresh recounts stories from his time under both Coach Terry Holland and Coach Jeff Jones, as well as breaking down some of the best games he's played in and his best performances. Fresh relives the dominance of the ACC in the early 90's and runs through countless names of his former teammates and what it was like playing alongside them. Listeners will hear about UVA greats such as John Crotty, Bryant Stith, Junior Burrough, Cory Alexander, Coach J Willy (Jason Williford), and many others! Khari and Sean spend some time getting Fresh's input on the current day and age of college basketball as well as the eras of UVA basketball that have taken place since his time on Grounds. The guys closes out getting the inside scoop on Fresh's relationship with UVA 1st year player Elijah Gertrude and his favorite and toughest wahoo moments.

Khari sits down with Lo Davis to discuss all things in the new world of college athletes being able to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL) and what impact it has on UVA athletics. Lo Davis is the Executive Director at Cav Futures, the Official NIL Collective of the University of Virginia and has spent a lot of his career dedicated to helping UVA athletes whether that's through the Virginia Athletics Foundation (VAF) or his current role with Cav Futures. During this 1 on 1 interview, Khari asks Lo about his path to UVA and Cav Futures, what is Cav Futures and how it's different from other collectives at other universities, and even just talking simply about what NIL is and is not. Lo goes in-depth on how Cav Futures can provide support for current athletes, how prospective athletes may hear or learn about Cav Futures, and even how former UVA athletes who weren't able to benefit from NIL are doing their part through Cav Futures to make sure this generation of athletes can maximize their opportunities and their earning potential.

Khari and Sean join back together for the first time this summer to kick off a new season of the pod by discussing the upcoming season for UVA. Virginia has it's roster fully assembled as well as new faces on the coaching staff. The guys talk about the big roster news of Reece Beekman deciding to come back to UVA for his senior season along with the late additions of Jacob Groves (Oklahoma transfer) and Anthony Robinson (Christ School incoming recruit). Amongst some new and familiar faces on the team, there will also be some familiar faces joining the Wahoos on the sideline. With a stable roster and coaching staff in place, the guys break down how this Virginia team looks compared to previous teams at this point of the off-season. Khari and Sean wrap up discussing recruiting wins in 2024 as well as top targets and looking ahead to 2025. To close out, UVA has released their non-conference schedule and the guys give some thoughts/opinions on the slate and what that might mean for the Hoos this year.

Khari and Sean breakdown the tough loss to end UVA's season as well as reflect on how the year was overall for the Cavaliers. The guys quickly get into the rocky start to the off-season that saw many Wahoos leave whether that was super seniors out of eligibility, early draft declarations, or transfer portal entries. Alongside players leaving, the guys discuss some of the coaching carousel rumors around the team as well as a major departure. To build some optimism for the season, the guys also discuss some major transfers that will be in Wahoo uniforms next season and who the coaching staff may turn to next on the recruiting trail. To close out, Khari and Sean break down where they think the program needs to head next to continue their success.

Khari and Sean catch-up following the UVA quarterfinals victory over UNC, likely ending the Tar Heels chances at an NCAA Tournament bid. Following the win, UVA now plays Clemson while Duke plays Miami on the other side of the bracket. The guys breakdown who is the favorite to win the ACC Tournament and what a strong showing from UVA could mean for the team come selection Sunday. Ben Vander Plas goes down for the season with a broken right hand so what does that mean for UVA's ceiling this year? The guys close out with their reactions to the All-ACC awards and whether these seemed fair or was Virginia snubbed.

Khari and Sean discuss Virginia's latest stretch of games and some recent struggles against the bottom of the ACC. With 4 games remaining in the regular season, the guys breakdown UVA's chances at finishing atop the ACC and what their ACC tournament potential looks like. Virginia has put themselves in a good position for success in March but what does that mean for their seed line on Selection Sunday? Who else from the ACC will see their name in the bracket? The guys close out by breaking down UVA's potential in the tournament alongside the rest of the ACC to see is a Final Four for UVA more likely than 3 ACC teams making it to the Sweet Sixteen.

After a small hiatus, Sean and Khari are back in the lab! The guys take a look at UVA’s recent success over the last 7 games including UVA's 6 game winning streak. UVA has hit the halfway point for ACC play so Sean and Khari review their early season predictions to see how they’ve done so far and where the Wahoos can go next. They wrap up the pod with their all ACC picks based on halfway performances. Next up for Virginia Men's Basketball is a game against Syracuse.

Khari and Sean are joined on the pod by their first guest host Ben Griffin (UVA '17). The guys discuss UVA's recent wins against Albany and Georgia Tech as well as some positive transfer news the Hoos received with a commitment from Georgetown point guard Dante Harris. To close out the episode, the guys do a pick'em challenge to construct the best UVA rosters possible under the Tony Bennett era. With $15 as their budget, they choose between 5 point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards, and centers to determine what's the best lineup money can buy!

Khari and Sean breakdown the Hoos tough losses to Houston and Miami as well as discuss where the team is at this point in the season. The Virginia Cavaliers are currently 8-2 but seem to have lost the edge they found while in Vegas and early on in the year, so the guys dive in to discuss what adjustments and improvements are needed as well as if the team is where it should be so far on the far. To close out, the guys dive into some interesting takes and give their opinions on if they are buying in or selling off. 

Khari and Sean breakdown UVA's early season success. The Virginia Cavaliers are 5-0 and their performances so far have been nothing short of incredible so we discuss their huge wins in Vegas, some takeaways in the first 5 games, Isaac Traudt's redshirt year, and following up on our Twitter poll for most important loss for UVA's success this last decade.