Hoos Hoopin' - A Virginia Basketball Podcast

2024-2025 was not the season anyone expected so the guys open up on a lighter note by discussing the 2025 NCAA tournament with bracketologist Fred Umland. The trio breakdown how Khari and Fred fared against the household bracketologist at ESPN, Fox, and CBS along with what the committee got right and where they left us confused. The group closes out bracket talk by discussing likely cinderella stories and choosing their first reaction final fours.Shifting the conversation over to the Hoos, the guys breakdown the season results and the unfortunate news that Ron Sanchez will not be retained at UVA. They then cover some of the rumored coaches like Ryan Odom and Richard Pitino and who they're preferences would be. To bring the podcast home, we discuss next year's roster including the upcoming decision from Chance Mallory, a Charlottesville native that still has UVA in the picture, and then who should be retained from the current UVA roster and what potential transfer portal additions are they excited about.

It's 2025 and the guys are back with their New Year's resolutions for the Virginia Men's Basketball Team. 2024 was a rough year for the Hoos between a rough NCAA tournament appearance, the retirement of Tony Bennett (a surefire hall of fame coach), and a slow start to this season under Ron Sanchez. Khari and Sean break down what they want to see change for the Hoos in 2025 in hopes of getting back to their glory days. They close out the pod by giving there thoughts on UVA's current west coast trip and what success out west could do for UVAs season.

The guys are back after a month long break (mainly due to Khari being in India) to discuss the latest for the Hoos. UVA is currently 6-4 with a big game against Memphis coming up in JPJ. UVA is in need of a major win but with the ACC having another down year, the guys discuss what the outlook on UVA's season appears to be thus far. The conversation shifts to discuss who's impressed this season as well as who hasn't lived up to off-season expectations. Khari and Sean close out the pod discussing Ron Sanchez's performance as the head coach at this point and have some fun with UVA's newest jerseys.

The guys break down the Hoos victory over Campbell to start the 2024-2025 UVA men's basketball season and the beginning of the Sanchez era at Virginia. Khari and Sean give their thoughts on player performances, how they feel about the team's new offense in action, and what differences they noticed between Ron Sanchez and Tony Bennett.

To open up the pod, the guys discuss recent transfer and recruiting news following the retirement of Tony Bennett. Following the news of recent unfortunate breaks for the Hoos, Sean and Khari get into their season preview by providing an in-depth analysis of all 31 games on the Virginia men's basketball schedule for the 2024-2025 season. Going game by game, the guys discuss each opponent and make a prediction for how UVA will fare against them and details as to why each game might be a win or a loss for the Hoos. To wrap up the episode, Sean and Khari breakdown what UVA at their best may look like, and also what the team might experience if the new roster doesn't gel together the way they may be expected to. Full with predictions for UVA's ACC standing and NCAA tournament expectations, the guys make sure that this episode is a full outlook on a season that's already had a lot of interesting surprises.

The guys breakdown the sudden and shocking retirement of coach Tony Bennett, UVA winningest basketball coach and one of the best coaches in ACC history. The guys cover all that he's meant to the UVA basketball community and where they were when the news broke along with all the emotions that came with it. To close out the Tony Bennett era, Khari and Sean relive some of their favorite CTB memories. Moving forward, they discuss interim head coach Ron Sanchez and what it will take for him to become the permanent head coach at UVA. To close out, the guys debate who else might be in the running for the head coach job at UVA if Ron Sanchez does not secure the position during his tryout this season.

To kick off the start of season 3, Khari and Sean come back after a summer break to discuss UVA's off-season. The guys cover everything from coaching changes, schedule updates, recruitment battles, and roster predictions to get ready for the fast-approaching season opener in November. Important Notes: This episode was recorded prior to the commitments of Chance Mallory (UVA), Keyshaun Tillery (Cincinnati), Jackson Keith (Butler), and London Jemison (Alabama). All were prospects that held offers from UVA.

After a couple months off to recover from a disappointing end the season, the guys are back to finally cover the loss and discuss the beginning of the off-season. Khari and Sean break down the past season and what this UVA team will be remembered for and where things may have gone wrong. As they look forward to the future, they say goodbye to some fan favorites, and hello to some key transfers that hope to make an immediate impact in Charlottesville. To close out the pod, the guys take some way too early predictions as to where this current UVA team will land at the end of next season.

The guys are back to relive what started as a stressful week following an ACC semi-finals exit for UVA, who lost to eventual champions NC State. Khari and Sean are joined by their friend Ben Griffin to talk about the tough loss and their thoughts on NCAA hopes following the defeat. The trio then breaks down the range of emotions on Selection Sunday from the start of the day to hearing "the Virginia Cavaliers" called out on CBS as well as give credit to Khari for being one of the few "bracketologists" to project UVA being in the field of 68. The group wraps up discussing Tuesday night's matchup against Colorado State, what a 2nd round against Tennessee could look like, and also potential reunions against Kadin Shedrick and Isaac Traudt if the Hoos play Texas and Creighton. The end the pod, each of the hosts give their predictions for how Virginia will fair in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

The guys join back with Fred Umland to talk about UVA's recent win on Senior Night against Georgia Tech. With the ACC regular season coming to a close they update their All-ACC predictions as well as check in on their game by game predictions. The trio continue their conversations from the last episode with more debates and scenarios around UVA's NCAA tournament hopes and what needs to go well in the ACC tournament in order to hear “the Virginia Cavaliers” called on CBS during Selection Sunday.

After a tough stretch of losses and huge upcoming games, the guys sit down to discuss UVA's recent string of performances. In addition, they also are joined by Fred Umland, a dedicated fan that has channeled his passion for basketball into becoming a bracketologist. The trio debate scenarios around UVA's NCAA tournament hopes and what needs to go well with the remainder of the season in order to hear “the Virginia Cavaliers” called on CBS during Selection Sunday. To close out the pod, each of the guys go on record stating how they think UVA will fair and also give a brief thought on court storming in college basketball.

Khari and Sean jump back on the pod to discuss UVA's current 5 game win streak. The guys discuss the change in fortune for the Hoos and what's led to the turnaround as well as previewing the 2nd half of the ACC slate. The majority of the podcast shifts to a celebration of 10 years since Khari and Sean received their acceptances into the University of Virginia. In honor of the moment, the guys quiz each other on players from each UVA team starting with the 13-14 Sweet Sixteen squad and ending with last year's regular season ACC championship group. With no repeats allowed, limited stats given, and only able to select players in the rotation, this exercise puts the guys to the test for who is the ultimate fan of the Hoos since becoming one.

Khari and Sean jump back on the pod to discuss UVA's tough stretch over the last few weeks. Instead of doing their usual game analysis, the guys talk about the team in general and how they've gotten to this point. With it being the halfway point of the college basketball regular season, the guys discuss how they feel about the potential for this year's team and if it's time to panic about making the NCAA tournament. To close out the pod, Khari and Sean give their thoughts on what it would take to guarantee a tournament bid and also provide updated predictions for the year. * Technical difficulties occurred to open up the podcast so feel free to skip to the 15 minute mark if you would like to bypass Khari having microphone issues *

The guys come back from a month long hiatus to discuss some of the recent results for the Hoos. After catching up on some big wins and a tough loss as well as a check in on their early season predictions, Khari and Sean get into the details of each player on the team. In the spirit of exam season, the guys assign a letter grade to each player for their performances thus far. To close out the pod, they preview the upcoming matchup against the Memphis Tigers.

Khari and Sean jump on a quick pod to breakdown UVA's first week of the 2023-2024 basketball season. The Hoos are off to a 2-0 start after victories over Tarleton State and the Florida Gators. The guys breakdown each game followed by what's to like so far in the season and what are some concerns that have popped up from these early contests. With the 1st game, fans also received confirmation that Christian Bliss, Anthony Robinson, and Elijah Gertrude would be redshirt candidates for the season. The guys close out the pod looking forward to UVA's upcoming games and the level of difficulty the Hoos might face.

Sean and Khari wrap up their season preview series by providing an in-depth analysis of all 31 games on the Virginia men's basketball schedule for the 2023-2024 season. The guys break up the episode into 2 sections focusing on both the 11 non-conference games and the 20 ACC conference games. Going game by game, the guys discuss each opponent and make a prediction for how UVA will fare against them and details as to why each game might be a win or a loss for the Hoos. To wrap up the episode, Sean and Khari breakdown what UVA at their best may look like, and also what the team might experience if the new roster doesn't gel together the way they may be expected to. Full with predictions for UVA's ACC standing and NCAA tournament expectations, the guys make sure that this episode is a full outlook on what hopes to be an excellent season for Wahoos!

Sean and Khari ring in the start of a new basketball season with the 1st part of their season preview of this year's edition of the Virginia Cavaliers. Fresh off of a busy off-season, the UVA roster has had quite the turnover and with a lot of new faces amongst the Hoos, the guys dedicate a full episode to breaking down this year's roster. With new transfers Jordan Minor, Andrew Rohde, Jake Groves, and Dante Harris alongside high school recruits Anthony Robinson, Elijah Gertrude, Christian Bliss, and Blake Buchanan, UVA hasn't seen this kind of roster makeover in the Tony Bennett Era. The guys break down the new faces alongside the returners and talk through best storylines to look out for, their expectations for the starting lineup, who will be the leaders across various stat categories, and also who may not see the floor this season. In the longest episode of Hoos Hoopin' to date, the guys do a full review and in-depth analysis of this year's team to make sure all fans are in the know for a new slate of wahoo moments!

The guys are back to wrap up the summer with some of the biggest news that's impacted the UVA basketball team since their last episode. Khari and Sean open up the pod celebrating 1000 plays of Hoos Hoopin and quickly get into the biggest ACC news of the summer, 3 new teams joining the conference. Khari and Sean debate the pros and cons of adding Stanford, Cal, and SMU to the conference, who they would have wanted instead or would target next, and what these moves mean for the Wahoos. The guys pivot into a recruiting discussion highlighting a recent commitment from 4-star big man Jacob Cofie and the unfortunate news of prized recruiting target Kon Knueppel, a 5-star 2-guard/wing, electing to attend Duke instead of Virginia. They briefly cover the pain of Kon's decision but get back to a hopeful note that may come with the Class of 2025. To wrap up the pod, the guys give their initial reactions to the full season schedule as both fans and season ticket holders.

The guys welcome in Kevin Cook, better known as HoozGotNext! Kevin gives his story on how he got into the Virginia Cavaliers fandom and eventually became HoozGotNext, a premier UVA recruiting expert. Khari and Sean hear from Kevin about what a typical recruiting timeline looks like for a basketball recruit and what Tony Bennett's special recruiting style looks like in comparison to the rest. The group go on to discuss in depth the current UVA recruiting picture for the classes of 2024 and 2025, especially major targets and upcoming September visitors (David Punch, Jacob Cofie, Matthew Hodge, and Kon Knueppel). Kevin follows up by giving his insights on recruiting overall, how it's changed over the years, and what UVA has done to stay current and relevant. The guys pepper Kevin with rapid fire questions and take HoozGotNext down memory lane and hear some of his best quick reactions. To close out the podcast, as they do with all guests, Khari and Sean check in with HoozGotNext on his favorite and toughest wahoo moments!

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.

Khari and Sean breakdown their favorite moments of being a UVA fan, getting into some of the new pieces on this years roster, and wrap up with how we expect playing time to be distributed along with how the team will perform this season.