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Hoos On Podcast

Hoos On Podcast

by Preston Willett

Basketball Football

Season 1

Deep Dive into Virginia Football Recruiting

Preston takes a summer deep dive into Virginia football recruiting with Jacquie Franciulli from Wahoos247 to discuss UVA's approach, the Cavaliers current class and more. First, Preston and Jacquie look at a recent flurry of commitments for Tony Elliott, who stands out and who could be next for the Cavaliers. Then a look at Virginia's approach to high school recruiting with what type of recruits are UVA after, what size class are they aiming for and how much last season's success has impacted the recruiting trail in and out of the Commonwealth. Later Preston and Jacquie discuss the overall roster building approach for Virginia with the balance between high school and transfer recruits. Jacquie explains how Elliott has tweaked their portal approach since last season. Then they touch on Virginia recently being named the most experienced team in college football and the strategy, while also looking at how that might change in the coming years. Preston and Jacquie also talk about the differing styles of roster building in Charlottesville and in Blacksburg with James Franklin taking over at Virginia Tech. Finally, a few notes on Zion Wilson signing with the Eagles and Justin Speros being promoted to General Manager.

Bye Brazil + Stacking the Virginia Football Depth Chart

In the latest installment of never a dull moment for Virginia athletics, Preston catches up with Greg Madia from The Daily Progress twice to discuss the cancelled trip to Brazil and stacking up the UVA football depth chart. First, Preston and Greg hop on to discuss the UVA-NC State game being moved from Brazil back to Charlottesville, the reasons why this game never materialized, what it means for the schedule (i.e. week 0 and more home games) and why future international trips could still be on the table. The guys also react to the recent addition of JMU to the 2028 football schedule. Then Preston and Greg continue their summer tradition of making sense of the Virginia football depth chart, going position-by-position for the Cavaliers. They also give a stock up, stock down, or same ranking for each position group comparing to the previous season. Note: this portion was recorded prior to the new defensive tackle Zion Wilson was denied a 6th season of eligibility and was signing with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Baseball in the Books: Looking Back and What's Next for Virginia

With the baseball season in the books for UVA, Preston welcomes on play-by-play voice and WINA's Adam Hawes to reflect on Chris Pollard's first season and look ahead to where the Cavaliers go from here. First, Preston and Adam recap the Hattiesburg Regional, giving their takeaways from a short postseason, insights into the games and why college baseball is the real "no fun league". Then the guys reflect on Chris Pollard's first season at Virginia, what expectations for the program should be and the major questions still in need of answers for the next era. Finally, Preston and Adam take stock of who is leaving Charlottesville, who could come in and the building blocks already in place for next year's team.

Hoos to Hattiesburg: Virginia NCAA Regional Preview

Virginia is back in the postseason and heading to the Hattiesburg Regional. Preston invites back ESPN and D1Baseball's Daron Vaught to break down the regional, discuss Virginia's season and why the Cavaliers could be primed for a run this postseason. First, Preston and Daron look over the Hattiesburg Regional, featuring UVA, hosts Southern Miss, Jacksonville State and Little Rock. Daron shares why on paper this regional is not a walk in the park, but also winnable for a team like Virginia. Then Preston and Daron dive into where UVA finds themselves right now entering the postseason. They discuss the upturn at the plate the Cavaliers found in Charlotte, what the pitching could look like in a regional and who are the X-factors for Virginia to make a run. Daron and Preston then give their picks for the regional and some underlying numbers for Chris Pollard and company on making a postseason run. Finally, Daron gives his best guess at how many ACC teams advance past the regionals and why he believes the future is bright in Charlottesville.

The Room Where It Happens: ACC Spring Meetings, Ryan Odom and Lars Tiffany

Fresh off a week at Amelia Island for ACC Spring Meetings, David Teel from The Virginian-Pilot joins Preston to discuss his one-on-one interview with UVA men's basketball coach Ryan Odom, the 24-team College Football Playoff and the end of the Lars Tiffany era in Charlottesville. First, Preston and David touch on the news that Lars Tiffany will not return as men's lacrosse coach and some of the dynamics at play. They also discuss how one of Virginia's most successful athletic years in history has a few surprising results as well. Then David discusses some of the key takeaways from his interview with Ryan Odom, including an ambitious schedule, Odom's thoughts on the current roster, Griff Aldrich's departure and a few more European signings on the way. Later Preston and David dive into the biggest topic of the week in Florida: the 24-team College Football Playoff, which was overwhelmingly supported by the ACC and coaches like Virginia's Tony Elliott. Preston also brings up Virginia's 2026 football schedule and the lack of home Saturday games and why that is. Finally, David throws out a few more takeaways on revenue sharing, the College Sports Commission and more.

UVA Baseball's Slide + ACC Tournament Preview

Virginia baseball closed the season on a down note, but with the ACC Tournament ahead Preston catches up with college baseball reporter Monty Taylor to breakdown what's going on with UVA and preview the postseason. First, Preston and Monty try to diagnose what's gone wrong in Chris Pollard's first season in Charlottesville. The guys discuss a head-scratching season at the plate, defensive errors and better-than-expected, but shallow pitching. Then the conversation shifts to what could UVA realistically fix ahead of the ACC Tournament. Preston and Monty also touch on Virginia's NCAA Tournament chances and what this Cavaliers team could expect in the postseason. Finally, Monty previews the ACC Tournament, Virginia's chances of advancing and his pick to win it in Charlotte.

Ivy League to Virginia: New UVA Edge Rusher Ezekiel Larry Joins

Preston catches up with Yale transfer edge rusher Ezekiel Larry as he prepares to graduate and join up with Virginia next week to discuss his fit with the Cavaliers, the transfer portal, spending time in Charlottesville this spring and more. First, Preston and Ezekiel talk about his commitment to UVA back in January and how he spent this spring preparing for the jump to the ACC while finishing his degree at Yale. Then Ezekiel discusses his impressions of the Virginia program after spending a week with the team during spring practice. Later Preston and Ezekiel break down his game and how he fits into John Rudzinski's defense with a specific eye on the role that Daniel Rickert played last season. Ezekiel also shares about the success Yale found at the FCS level last year and how that has him ready to play winning football at the next level. They also discuss another Ivy League pass rusher in Columbia's Justin Townsend joining the Cavaliers next fall.

Virginia Hoops Puzzle Taking Shape

Virginia made another addition over the weekend as the roster puzzle begins to take shape, so Preston is joined by Michael McGraw from the Preferred Walk-Ons podcast to make sense of the Cavaliers and whether next year's roster can take the next step. First, Preston and Michael react to the latest addition of high school four-star center Favour Ibe and what his role could look like next season at Virginia. Then the guys breakdown how each of the new Cavaliers fits into the rotation with Ibe, Arkansas State transfer Christian Harmon and UC Irvine transfer Jurian Dixon. Later Preston and Michael examine where Virginia's roster currently sits compared to the rest of the ACC and how things have unfolded for Ryan Odom in year two. They also give their assessment if next season's roster could improve on Odom's first season with the Cavaliers. Finally, Preston and Michael react to the potential UConn-UVA non-conference matchup.

A Conversation with the Newest Virginia Transfer: Christian Harmon

Preston catches up with Virginia's newest addition in Arkansas State transfer Christian Harmon, who discusses his recruitment, the fit with Ryan Odom and his basketball journey. First, Christian walks through entering the transfer portal and his first contact with Virginia and how a few video clips had him sold on his fit in the Cavaliers system. Then Preston and Christian discuss the recruitment process for transfers at UVA and how the coaching staff differs from others he's talked to. Later Preston and Christian discuss his path from growing up in Rochester to playing as a high school power forward, taking the last spot on a JUCO roster and eventually making his way to the Division I level. Finally, Christian breaks down his game and tells what Virginia fans can expect from the 6'6 guard.

A Wild Offseason for Virginia Women's Basketball

Preston shifts gears this week to recap and discuss a wild offseason for Virginia women's basketball with Mitchell Northam, USA Today Senior Reporter for Women's Sports. Preston and Mitchell go from the end of the regular season through the Sweet 16 run to Amaka Agugua-Hamilton's firing and the hire of former Richmond coach Aaron Roussell. Later Preston and Mitchell breakdown where the Cavaliers are now as a program and why Roussell was a "home run hire" for AD Carla Williams. Then they look at what retaining Kymora Johnson mean for UVA now and down the road, as well as what her ceiling is for the upcoming season. Finally, Preston and Mitchell look at the early roster for Roussell and if Virginia can make it back to the NCAA Tournament.

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