The I Love CVille Show With Jerry Miller! - What Is Wrong With The UVA Basketball Team?; Virginia Hoops Has 7 Road Games Remaining

Episode Date: January 16, 2024

The Jerry & Jerry Show headlines: What Is Wrong With The UVA Basketball Team? Virginia Hoops Has 7 Road Games Remaining How Will The Wahoos Turnaround Road Woes? VA Tech at UVA, Wednesday, 7 PM, ESPNU Keys To Victory For Virginia Vs Virginia Tech Importance Of Hokie Matchup For NCAA Invite? Is UVA BBall On The March Madness Bubble? Virginia Football Transfer Portal News & Notes Read Viewer & Listener Comments Live On-Air Jerry Ratcliffe & Jerry Miller were live on The Jerry & Jerry Show! The Jerry & Jerry Show airs live Tuesday from 10:15 am – 11:15 pm on The I Love CVille Network. Watch and listen to The Jerry & Jerry Show on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, iTunes, Apple Podcast, YouTube, Spotify, Fountain, Amazon Music, Audible and iLoveCVille.com.

Good Tuesday morning. My name is Jerry Miller, and thank you kindly for joining us on the Jerry and Jerry Show. We're live on all social media platforms right now on a program that stars a Virginia Sports Hall of Famer and Jerry Hootie Ratcliffe, a known commodity across the Atlantic Coast Conference and certainly in Wahoo Nation. This show encourages you, the viewer and listener, to ask questions, to share your perspective, to vent frustrations, or to give us some props and let us know what's on your mind. Put it in the comments section on any social platform you're watching on, and we will aggregate your thoughts and relay it live on air. We're live on all social media,

and we're excited to talk Virginia basketball, to give you an update on the transfer portal when it comes to the Virginia football team, and really just be the water cooler of everything orange and blue. It's a big week for Virginia. Tomorrow night, the Hokies hit the John Paul Jones Arena in a Commonwealth clash. We'll get to that story in a matter of moments. But before we do, we're going to reflect on some of the games from the past,

including the Wake Forest matchup that left a sour taste in some of our mouths. Judah Wickauer, the director. If you can go to the studio camera, my friend, and let's welcome the Virginia Sports Hall of Famer, 40-plus years on the beat, an author of books, an award-winning writer, my friend, and just an all-around well-connected guy. Hootie, it's a chilly Tuesday in Charlottesville,

about a mile from the John Paul Jones Arena, and a dusting of snow, maybe a little bit more, I'll call it two to three inches, blanketing Charlottesville as we woke up this morning. Yeah, the traffic was light coming in this morning. Record time for you. I'm usually fighting traffic like crazy to get here, but no trouble this morning. It was very unpopulated roadways. Wake Forest, a contest that did not go as planned. The Demon Deacons favored. Prior to the contest, depending on the media, the national media platform, Virginia won the first four out of the big dance,

and then they lose pretty handedly to the Demon Deacons. Let's talk Wake Forest, UVA, what you see in that matchup. Well, a lot of things. I thought, for one, I thought Steve Forbes, the Wake Forest coach, who I've been really impressed with. I think he's one of the most underrated coaches in the country. He had a beautiful game plan to take away Virginia's strengths. I think it boiled down to he wanted to cut the head off the

snake. They focused on they put their best defender on Reese Bickman and even though Bickman had and even though Bickman had, I think, 10 points or something like that, he only shot 3 of 12. And their other better defender did an excellent job on McNeely, who was 2 of 10. And when you have your top two scorers going five for 22 in a game, that's really the story of the game. And, I mean, if you take away those two scorers, who's going to beat you? Not the way the rest of these guys are playing right now.

That's been one of the disappointments in my mind on the season is that, of course, they're not playing the kind of defense that Tony had wanted or maybe even expected. But the depth hasn't been as strong as we anticipated, and I thought they were going to be loaded with scorers, and so did the Virginia coaching staff. So did everyone. Some of these guys just haven't produced,

and that's as simple as it is. Give Wake Forest credit. They played really well. They're good. They hardly ever lose at home to begin with. Virginia has been awful on the road. They've lost four road games by a total of 80 points. They seem to four road games by a total of 80 points, and they seem to fall apart in the second half in every game. So I know that the coaching staff is going through and leaving those stones unturned and trying to find ways to improve

or bring out the best in some of these guys, and we've seen them dabble with the lineups and some playing combinations that they haven't really used much before. They're trying to find an answer. But it's going to be a challenge. Renee Pettiford watching in Durham, North Carolina. I'll get to your question, Renee. Hootie, I'll give you a heads up on the question.

She's asking from Durham, North Carolina, what you think of the clickbait articles on Coach Tony Bennett. I'm going to highlight and give some props to a man who's been a mentor to me and Jerry Hootie Ratcliffe. This man never, ever falls victim of clickbait. He looks at the season in totality and he considers someone's career holistically. We both know what she's alluding to with this question. So I will table that for now. Renee, we appreciate you watching in North Carolina. I'm going to follow with this question first. Miner inserted into the starting lineup for some physicality inside roadie to the bench. Um, that was a significant change. Um, a lot of folks are asking why Gertrude is getting such

minimal minutes, folks wondering, um, what's going on with Harris. And if this is, um, an ankle injury that could lead him to sitting out even more of the season, or if he's a spark plug that can be infused immediately, a lot to unpack for you, Jerry Woody Ratcliffe. Well, you know, we keep hearing from Tony that they hope to have Harris back soon. He has it defined soon, and maybe he doesn't know either because it may be up to the doctors or just how Harris feels on that ankle, and certainly you don't want to rush him back too soon because you could maybe hurt it even worse, and then he would miss the entire season. Certainly they miss him because when you have him and Reese Beekman in the game at the same time, you've got two great on-ball defenders,

and that can really disrupt another team's offense. And it prevents the other point guard from essentially running the offense the way he wants, from setting up the offense the way he wants, from getting the ball to who he wants at what spots on the floor. So that's a big hole in the defense right there when they don't have him on the floor. There's no telling. I mean, who knows?

We might see him back tomorrow night. We may not see him for another week or two. Who knows at this point? We just keep hearing soon. So they certainly need him in terms of – and offensively, he doesn't score a lot, but he does get the ball to teammates in the places where they can be more effective. So they really need him back on the floor. At this point, at this point of the season, and I'm not saying long term,

but right now, Harris is probably the second best point guard on the team. I understand Gertrude's is probably the second best point guard on the team. I understand Gertrude's upside is significant as a point guard, but Gertrude is a first year. His jump shot needs work. His ball handling clearly needs a little bit of work as well, and he's a work in progress. I think Gertrude has more upside potentially than anyone on this roster except for maybe Ryan Dunn, but right now we're seeing Gertrude is very much a rookie when he steps foot on the floor. Rhodey, I think the Rhodey experiment is to be determined. I think we all expected perhaps a little bit more from a guy who proved that he could score the basketball last year, but he was scoring at a different level of

play than the Atlantic Coast Conference and big-time basketball like Virginia is playing right now. So Harris, maybe his missing from the lineup should not be underestimated, his perimeter defense, and frankly just having a reliable second ball handler on the floor. Yeah, and Rhodey plays decent defense, and he's a good passer. So they, you know, he does add some things to the team, even though his shot has been erratic at best. And Gertrude, again, he's a freshman. He's coming off a knee injury. Missed most of his senior season in high school.

Originally they were going to redshirt him, and he was performing too well in practice to leave him on the bench. And they were thinking about that even before Harris got hurt. But, you know, he's still probably trying to absorb the pack line to where he can be effective. And he turns the ball over a little bit more than I think Tony would probably like. Definitely. You know, the coaches see these guys in practice every day.

They're not, you know, some people said, well, he's being punitive to keep Gertrude on the bench. I don't think Tony plays that game. I think if a guy can help you, he's going to be on the bench. I don't think Tony plays that game. I think if a guy can help you, he's going to be on the floor because this team needs all the help it can get. Tony's going to play somebody if he thinks they can contribute and make a difference in a game. Viewers and listeners, let us know your thoughts. Ask us questions. Leave comments on any social platform

you're watching upon and I'll relay it live on air. We'll head to Twitter. Edward Jenkins, welcome to the program. We appreciate your support. I see North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, much of Virginia, Pennsylvania, and some Kentucky in the mix right now. Raymond Thomas, welcome to the show. Let's go to Renee. Renee Pettyford.

I've seen the clickbait headlines. I've seen the clickbait headlines on Coach. I've seen the clickbait headlines on individuals like Gertrude potentially transferring out of the program as well. I'll offer 15 seconds of commentary, and then I'll turn it over to the man who knows it better than anyone in Hootie Ratcliffe. Tony Bennett should have his name on the court at the John Paul Jones Arena. Even in a down year, Tony Bennett has this program competing. And I understand there's been some double-digit row losses that have left us all perplexed. And I understand folks have questions about the PAC line and if it works in this new transfer portal era.

I get that. I understand that the PAC line often needs guys to stay in the program three to four years to truly understand the nuances of the defense. I get that. I understand that the pack line often needs guys to stay in the program three to four years to truly understand the nuances of the defense. I get that. And I understand that college basketball is maybe not a three to four year type of tenure for athletes on the roster. I'm going to say this. I have total confidence in Bennett. And I think Bennett has got a lot of youth on the roster that if he can keep on the roster, will have this team competing for championships yet again. Maybe not this year, but maybe as early as next year. Hootie, your thoughts on any of this? Yeah, well, you know, he told us in Charlotte the beauty of this team

is that they'll be together for two or three years, which is in tensions. You never know these days with the transfer portal the way it is. And I've heard the rumors, too, that guys like Gertrude could transfer if they're not getting playing time. You never know. You never know with a kid. I don't think he's going anywhere, but you never really know. This team is just inexperienced when it comes to running Virginia's system.

And it's taken longer to develop these guys than I think anyone anticipated. And other teams are taking advantage of it. Winning in the ACC is hard. It really is. There are no nights off. Anybody can beat anybody if you're not playing well. And Tony's told us that for years, that their margin of error is always slimmer than usual. When they blow somebody out, it should be celebrated because the style of play they have allows a lot of teams to

hang around and it gives them opportunities. I'm not making excuses for Tony Bennett, but I think we've all been spoiled a little bit by the incredible success they've had here even though some of the postseason results haven't been what anybody would want except for a couple of runs. But, you know, everybody's going to have a mediocre year from time to time. Nobody's exempt from that.

Carolina's had bad years. Didn't make the tournament last year. Duke has had some not-so-great years. Look what happened to Louisville. They were one of the preeminent programs in the country, and they can't hardly win a basketball game right now. And Florida State. I mean, what a run they had, and they've struggled.

So you can't really just roll the ball out and expect to dominate in the ACC. It's harder than that. They're working hard to try to find some answers, and he admitted the other day that it might be later this season it might not be until next season and i don't think he anticipated that going in but it's the reality that maybe some of these guys aren't quite as talented as we thought they were that came in from the portal and and maybe it's just going to take them time to get acclimated to this system and this style of play. It's interesting, the situation they're in,

but, you know, and teams figure you out. And we were talking off air a while ago that there's so much copycatting going around. It's the same way in ACC basketball. You've got some brilliant coaches in this league and they're going to pick apart your game film

and find weaknesses and exploit it. If you don't have an answer for it, then you're in trouble. And I think there's some of that going on right now in terms of how to defend Virginia and take them out of their game. Kenny Gilbert watching the program, one of Rutgersville's finest.

Thank you for watching. James Watson, hello. Lorne and Keswick, hello. Johnny Ornelas, hello. Holly Foster and Henrico, hello. Thank you for watching the program. Viewers. Lauren and Keswick, hello. Johnny Ornelas, hello. Holly Foster and Henrico, hello. Thank you for watching the program. Viewers and listeners, let us know your thoughts. We're going to get to Twitter and the old ball coach who follows you, Donald, on Twitter.

He says, and I'll throw this to you, Jerry is the sky falling if they lose to Virginia Tech tomorrow night. That's John Paul Jones Arena, 7 o'clock tip, ESPNU. I'll throw this to you, the copycat league that we were talking about off air. And he's exactly right. It's all sports. Take the Philadelphia Eagles, for example. They just got bounced from the NFL playoffs to a Tampa Bay Buccaneer team. The Eagles start 10 and 1 on the season. And they finish, what, losers of six of their last seven, including last night's butt-whooping against a Buccaneer team.

If you look at the roster, the talent is overwhelmingly, compare rosters, overwhelmingly favors the Eagles. But as Hootie highlighted, it's a copycat league, and with the ubiquitous nature of technology and analytics, once someone finds a flaw, they exploit it, exploit it, and exploit it some more. I'm going to ask you this question. What is being exploited with Virginia basketball so far? Well, the most obvious thing is that people are trying to run McNeely off the line or suffocate him to where he can't get open shots because they know if he gets open looks on a regular basis,

he's going to kill you. He's that good a shooter. I mean, he was leading the nation before they went on all those extensive breaks they had. They haven't played that many games since early, mid-December when they beat Syracuse, just walloped Syracuse and Texas A&M back-to-back, and he was on fire shooting nearly 60%. In the ACC, teams are not going to let you shoot on that high a percentage. They're going to do everything they can to take you out of your game,

and you've got to have somebody else to hit some threes and take the pressure off of him. Otherwise, they're just going to stay on him all night long. They're also trying to limit Bigman, just saying, okay, if we shut you two guys down, take your other guys and beat us. So far, that's not happening. I mean, there's nobody else that's lighting it up. They need to get more

punch out of Dunn and Groves and Rohde when he's on the floor. And it just hasn't happened. And if people continue that trend, it's going to be rough. It's really going to be rough. And Virginia Tech can light it up. They've got two big-time scorers in Couture and Padula that are putting up big numbers. Couture didn't play the last game. I think he had a concussion. He got kicked in the head a couple of games ago. I think I can't remember who they were playing. I was watching the game. But those two guys, if you're not playing incredible defense,

they're going to light you up. And it's going to be a challenge to defend home court tomorrow night against the Hokies. Jerry Hoodie Rackliff, the Virginia Sports Hall of Famer, namesake website, jerryrackliff.com. We'll go to Twitter. Donald Marcella, is the sky falling if they lose to the Hokies tomorrow night? Well, it certainly is going to put the pressure on because they can't afford to lose home games.

They have a so-so home schedule. They're playing the Hokies in NC State who walloped them down there. They're playing Notre Dame who walloped them up there. Then Miami comes to town. Pitt, Wake again, Carolina, and Georgia Tech. Not a lot of gimme's in there, so a lot of it starts tomorrow night with the Hokies. They could make a statement if they can survive that game against Virginia Tech,

and I imagine the Hokies are favored. I haven't looked at the line yet, but it's going to be a tough out to beat the Hokies on your home floor because, again, they're playing pretty well right now. But I think it's a winnable game if Virginia can play its normal basketball. Virginia Tech on the season, 10-6 overall. 10-6 overall, 2-3 in conference play, the Hokies. UVA 11-5 overall, 2-3 in conference play, the Hokies. UVA 11-5 overall. Two and three in conference play.

Commonwealth clash. ESPNU tomorrow, 7 o'clock tip. John Paul Jones Arena. The questions are coming in fast and furious right now. This is a good one from Thomas. Fellas, coming into the season, Ryan Dunn was a consensus lottery pick, and we were talking he would not return for a third year to Charlottesville and UVA. After what I'm seeing right now, I can't see him being a lottery pick anymore, but you guys are the pros. What are your thoughts on Dunn? Well, he's not having a great season in terms of scoring.

The rest of his game is pretty complete. He plays great defense. He has been a good, solid rebounder. He doesn't turn it over. He's blocking shots. I think he's a lot like Beekman was last year when he was thinking about going into the draft and that he needs to bump his offense up a few notches. But a lot of times NBA teams will draft you off potential. They feel that they can work with you to make you better

at whatever your weakness may be. And so you don't know. You don't know what NBA teams are thinking. And some of them may be looking for the future instead of immediate help at this spot. It's hard to tell. I haven't talked to any NBA scouts lately, so I don't know if the view of him has changed. I know he's struggling offensively, although he did have a game the other day

where he was 7 of 8 from the field. But it had been with the consistency that you would expect from a guy that's a lottery pick. Roderick Mullen's watching the program right now. He says, I'd rather take my lumps now and then get hot before the ACC tournament. This team has potential. They beat Texas A&M, the Aggies up, and Kentucky. One thing I have been really concerned about is free throw shooting, and I have been for

two seasons now. Games are won and lost at the foul line, free throw line, and Virginia is not very good at the stripe. Roderick Mullins, we appreciate your comment. I mean, let's look at this. He's right. I mean, Don is shooting below 60% from the stripe. I mean, I can't believe I'm saying this.

I think they're around, last time I looked, they were around 350 in the country. 65% for the free throw line as a team. It's the worst free throw shooting team Tony's had, I believe. Rhodey is shooting 30% from the line. Rhodey is shooting 33% from the field, 27% from downtown. Your best free throw shooter is obviously Isaac McNeely. Jacob Groves is pretty darn good too beekman makes about 75 of his free throws done less than 60 bond is at 64

gertrude flirting with 70 buchanan's a one out of two kind of guy. I mean, you've got some concern at the stripe here. Yeah, and in a normal ACC season, a lot of these games come down to either two or three plays in a game or, you know, are decided by five points or less. And you can't afford to give away points at the free throw line, and that's something that they've been able to rely on in the past, but this year is definitely a weakness. And I don't think Tony anticipated that either because we brought that up early in the season after a game where they were just awful from the free throw line,

and he said that they had been good at the free throw line in the scrimmage games against UConn and Maryland. And so he was kind of taken aback that they were missing free throws at such a high rate. And it's only gotten worse since then. And I don't know what the answer to that is. And we've got to highlight this. This is extremely important to highlight. When they make their free throws they can get back down floor and set up the defense.

You miss some free throws, you don't set up on the defensive end and that leads to transition buckets. That's a good point. They've given up more points in transition this year than almost any year I can remember. It's not like they don't practice free throws. I know they practice not just shooting free throws but under different situations. And I don't know. I don't know what the answer is to that. You know, everybody becomes a Dr. Phil when a team is struggling

and it's like when guys are in a batting slump and everybody has an opinion on how to get out of it. Everything from bringing in shot doctors to talking to Dr. Rotella,

not a bad idea. He may work with the team for all I know. I know he works with Kentucky's basketball team some. Famed sports psychologist and darn near scratch golfer. You want to talk to Dr. Bob Rotella, you'll find him at the Glenmore Clubhouse. That's right. Having a pop and maybe playing two rounds of golf. That's right.

Probably with a pro. That's right. Maybe a pop and maybe playing two rounds of golf. That's right. Probably with a pro. That's right. Maybe Roy McIlroy. But, yeah, they've got some issues at the free throw line, and that's something that they have to clean up. It's one of the things that is holding this team back. And I don't know how correctable it is. You should be able to be a decent free-throw shooter, I would think.

I'm mystified by that. John Grady Lambert, thank you for sharing the show. We appreciate you. Viewers and listeners, let us know your comments and questions. We'll relay them live on the show. And they're coming in fast. They're coming in quick. This is a good one, and this is part of that clickbait commentary that's out there.

Does Ratcliffe have concerns that any of these guys are going to transfer? Antonio Appleby, welcome to the program, and thank you for watching the show. Former Wahoo. That's right. He's watching the show and giving you some props right now. How you doing, brother? You know, it's hard to tell what's on a kid's mind if he's not getting the playing time he thinks he deserves.

I mean, we've seen some guys leave here in the past. Jabri Abdul-Rahur, starting for Georgia the other night, scoring well. He felt like he could play better in an offense that flows more than Virginia's does. Casey Morsell couldn't hit a lick down here. He's made a decent career in Raleigh. Yeah, he's been good for the Wolfpack. Yeah. We see, you know, and this goes back, I mean, for Tony, even that class, back when I was in the newspaper business, we did a blowout week of articles on the six shooters. It was his second.

I remember that. I think it was his second recruiting class, his first full recruiting class. And he had guys from all over the country, really good class. And I think three of them were gone by the Christmas vacation or shortly after and transferred out. The only two that stuck around were Akil Mitchell, who I spent the day with at his home down in Charlotte. ACC Defensive Player of the Year, if memory serves correct. Yeah, and Joe Harris, who we know what he's gone on to become. So it's the nature of the business. I mean, some guys feel like that they can

fit in somewhere else better and maybe disgruntled, not getting the playing time that they feel like they deserve. You don't know who's in these kids' ears. There's street agents, there's people back home, not necessarily family, sometimes family, sometimes just friends or former coaches or whoever. So it's really unpredictable. I don't see anybody leaving at this point. You don't hear anything about that. Sometimes you hear some stuff through the grapevine. I haven't heard any of that lately.

I mean, let's pick it apart here. Let's take the backcourt. If you have the backcourt, Beekman's leaving. Yeah, he's definitely gone. Beekman's gone. That's going to open up a lot of minutes in the backcourt at the point guard position. If you're Gertrude, you have huge opportunity here for three years to lead a basketball team as its floor general. Absolutely.

You look at the two-guard spot. McNeely's not leaving. The team is built around him offensively. If anything, McNeely's got to work on taking the ball to the rack off the dribble drive, maybe some post-up or some mid-range game to complement what he does from bonus fear. You think about maybe a Leon Bond transfer in. Maybe that's a guy that goes because he's a guy who's athletic, who may want a more free-flowing offense. But I think Bond is a guy that's committed to this team as well.

I also, if there's any positivity that's come out of this season's struggles, I don't see Dunn, at least at this point, as a guaranteed lottery pick anymore, which could lead to Dunn coming back for a third year in Charlottesville. Could be. And, you know, sometimes you need another year of marinating in college level to be all you can be. I think coming back this year is probably going to help Bigman in the draft, next draft.

You think so? I think it will help him, yeah. I don't think we've seen his best ball yet. And again, if people keep attacking him the way they have, it may limit him unless he gets help. Sometimes I look around and I think I see guys standing around expecting Reese to do it all, and he needs help. Big time.

That's why you and I have made the comment, and you and I caught a little bit of heat for this, that maybe Isaac McNeely was the most important player on the team offensively. We didn't say the best player on the team. We said most importantly because when he's making the jump shot, it opens up the floor for everybody else. We did catch some heat for that. We did, but it's true.

If he's on and making shots it's a different team it's a completely different basketball team and they're become automatically hard to beat but you know again if people are going to try to take that away he's got to have help some of these other guys have to step up their game offensively and that's what we thought originally coming in this season I think the coaching staff did too and another guy that's going to help them next year after every home game after we do interviews and stuff and I'm leaving the arena walk out on the floor Christian Bliss is out there with three or four managers getting up shots

after the game, all by himself, no other players out there, no coaches. And he's getting a couple hundred shots in after a game. And you've got to admire it. And I sat there and watched him for ten minutes the other night. He can play. He only missed a couple shots, and they were all three-pointers. He's going to be a good addition to next year's team

too. I haven't heard anything like sometimes you do about transferring, but it still doesn't mean it won't happen because it's still a long season. They've still got 15 games to play in the regular season.

One of our favorite attorneys watching in Richmond, Virginia, Jennifer, thank you for watching in the Commonwealth's capital. And she has this question for Hootie Ratcliffe. Are they taking it so slow with Harris that it may set up the opportunity for a medical redshirt? I haven't heard that mentioned. I think they're anticipating him coming back. I would think if he's not ready to play and it doesn't heal. Because he's missed a lot of the season.

He's missed a lot of the season. He's missed nine or ten games already. So if they want to go that direction, I would think they could get a medical redshirt out of it. Ten games, you're exactly right. He's played in six out of 16. But I think they're anticipating him coming back. And before we go on to, well, I didn't completely answer

the Durham question from earlier from Miss Pettiford but I think one of the clickbaits she was talking about is Tony Bennett leaving and I've seen some stuff out there about that I was it was the clickbait that I read, and I think it's exactly that clickbait, was retiring because his style of play no longer aligns with transfer portal college basketball. And I thought it was blasphemous. Well, I wouldn't totally discount the story because we've seen what the NIL and the portal has done. It's wrecking college sports. We saw it drive Jay Wright out of Villanova. We saw it drive Mike Krzyzewski out at Duke. We saw it drive Nick Saban out at Alabama. We saw it drive Jim Boeheim out early probably a couple other guys too off the top of my head

but they're making they're making it awfully hard to be as intense and hard working as these guys are they're making it so hard because not so much NIL, because I think people can work around that for the most part, although it's presenting some challenges.

Like we were talking with Wally last week, there are some kids now when you walk in their home to meet their parents for a home visit, they don't want to hear about your facilities and playing time and all that stuff. They want to know how much you're going to pay them. And it's sad that it's gotten that way. And it's not with all kids or all programs, but it's increasing all the time. And it's a sad commentary on college sports. But it's really getting under the skin of some of these coaches because you try to develop talent and all of a sudden they're gone because they get a better offer somewhere else or whatever. So Tony Bennett's not going to coach forever, just like his dad didn't coach forever.

He's still a young man, though. He's still, yeah. But I can see this. Jim Boeheim even commented on this a couple weeks ago that Tony's not real crazy about the NIL and the transfer portal. And we saw what it did to his program

last season. I mean, last April, he only had four players on the roster. And one of those spots, I think, was reserved for Beekman to come back. I don't anticipate that kind of thing happening every year, but you never know in this day and age what's out there for a kid gets offered.

I mean, we saw what happened to Florida State. One of their boosters offered a Georgia lineman $15,000 a month to come and play for Florida State. Now they're on probation. They got caught. A lot of people aren't getting caught. But, you know, I think it wears on Tony, and I think he's the kind of guy that if they can't get this under control,

I think at some point, and I don't think it'll be this year, and I don't think it'll be in the next two or three years, although I could be wrong. I could see him just saying, I've had enough. This is not the game that it used to be. So I wouldn't totally discount the fact that he could just say I've had enough of it. He's 54 years old, Tony Bennett. Yeah. Tony Bennett, everyone knows this, one of the most fierce competitors in anything he does.

Yes. Golf, table tennis, coaching basketball. Tennis, you name it. Anything he does, the guy wants to win more than anyone. This season, not going as expected. From a competitor psychological analysis standpoint, I would imagine that could potentially fuel his fire. I don't see the Bennett system translating to the NBA. I don't either. Although he could get an NBA job if he wanted. Oh, in a heartbeat. Easily. In a heartbeat. He's been

offered NBA jobs. But it's a different type of player and it's a different type of game in the NBA. It is right now. Yeah, it is right now. Exactly. It is right now. They're trying to change college basketball to the NBA. They're trying to make college basketball the NBA. That's exactly what's happening right now. Or college basketball is trying to make itself the NBA. Right. And maybe college basketball is doing that. From what you mentioned off-air in our pre-production meeting,

do you still have that statistical information about the most watched games out there? Yeah. I mean, listen to this, guys, from Hootie. Sportico did some research, and they used the Nielsen ratings and rated the top 100 most watched television shows in the United States last year, 2023. And 93 of those 100 were NFL games. not the Super Bowl, just NFL games. Of the other seven most watched, and none of them were very high,

there were three college football games. The Final Four championship, college championship basketball game was number 101. So there was not a college basketball game in the top 100. There was not an NBA game in the top 100. So that just goes to show the World Series was not in the top 100. So it goes to show what rules right now. And I was startled by that. I was very startled. 93 out of 100, top 100.

What do you attribute that to? That's a sociology experiment waiting to happen. The sports fan. I don't know. I think part of it, I would like to see a more extensive study on that in years past to see how much gambling, sports gambling has had an impact on that, and fantasy leagues. I think there's a lot more female fans watching the NFL now than there used to be. And I don't know if that's why or not.

But it's a phenomenon that needs more study, I think. But that's the only thing I can think of. I mean, I love the NFL. I like college football better, or at least I used to. I'm not so sure if it keeps going trending the way it is that I'm going to enjoy college football more than the NFL, but it's fun to watch. Most people have their team. And if it's a good game, and usually you can find one without too much difficulty, if you have the right TV system. I watch my 49ers every week, no matter where they play.

So I religiously watch that game. But I think more Americans are just drawn to pro football. D. Anderson watching on Twitter. This team needs guys who can get downhill and actually finish with strength and moxie at the rim. I concur with that a thousand percent. Spencer watching the program in Atlanta, he says, the reason folks are watching the NFL over these other leagues is because of star power. You look at college basketball today, and where's the star power? It's all gone to the NBA. It does not stay in the college ranks anymore.

Where's the guy that's been a college basketball player for three to four years that you've grown with, the J.J. Reddicks of the world. They don't exist anymore in college basketball. That's a really good point, and I would totally agree with that. It used to be when I covered the golden era, I thought of college basketball in the 80s and in the 90s, particularly in the ACC. Not a lot of guys were turning pro. Some would turn pro, but particularly in the 80s,

a lot of guys would stick around. And everybody had a solid roster. Everybody had a solid team. And you got to know the stars. And there were plenty of stars. Just about every team had stars. It's not that way anymore now with the transfer portal you don't even know who's on the roster a lot of times when they come to your arena or when you turn on your tv to watch virginia versus georgia tech or miami or somebody you don't know who plays for those teams unless you're just a really avid fan.

And so I think that's a very valid point. And the way college football is going too with not only the portal but guys sitting out of bowl games and that sort of thing, that's another problem college football has. games, and that sort of thing. That's another problem college football has. The bowl seasons turn into an afterthought. Outside of the college football playoff, and a couple of marquee bowl game matchups.

And even the marquee bowl game matchups don't have the same je ne sais quoi as they once did. Well, look at the Orange Bowl. Exactly. I mean, look at the Orange Bowl. That was a joke. That was a joke. That was a joke. And I turned it off. Yeah.

Oh, I did too. It was unwatchable. It was unwatchable. And, you know, even some of the lower tier bowls, guys off of mediocre football teams decided to set out the bowl game. And that hurt their team's chances of winning and didn't make some of those games competitive.

So maybe the answer to that is if they have an NIL contract, they don't get paid if they don't play in the bowl. I don't know. But something's got to be done to address it because it's turning the bowl system into just a big joke. Keys to victory against Virginia Tech. Viewers and listeners, we'll get to your comments. Put them in the feed.

We'll relay them live on air on the Jerry and Jerry Show. Eleven states on the program right now. You've got Virginia Tech, John Paul Jones Arena, Wednesday, ESPNU, 7 o'clock tip. I would straight up say this might be a must-win victory for Virginia. Paul Jones Arena, Wednesday, ESPNU, 7 o'clock tip. I would straight up say this might be a must-win victory for Virginia. Yeah, it pretty much is. I mean, you can't afford to lose many home games because you still have some pretty tough road games to deal with as well, where they've obviously shown that they're not a good road team,

which is kind of unusual for Tony Bennett. He usually has really good road teams. But this is a statement game, I think, against the Hokies. You know, you've got to draw a line in the sand somewhere, and we're better than on your home floor against your state rival. And it's a big game for both teams. Big game for both teams. Yeah.

I mean, they're both fairly even on paper in terms of records and performance. And so if they can win this game, they could get a little momentum going into Georgia Tech down in Atlanta on Saturday where it's a winnable road game. And I think the key to beating the Hokies is you've got to find a way to keep those two shooters from going off because they can kill you, especially if they're both making shots. And you've got to answer that somehow. If they are making shots, you've got to find a way to answer it. And right now, Virginia doesn't have an offensive answer to that.

This is a fantastic question. We'll highlight some of the viewers and listeners watching the show. 20win12 on Twitter, welcome to the broadcast. He follows you. This is a great one that's come in on Facebook. What's, at this point of the season the best starting lineup for this Virginia basketball team? Wow. And it's minor in the starting lineup. I'll add that question myself. Well, I think he has to be right now because, and again, some of that depends

on who they're playing, whether it's a team with some big physical guys inside like Forrest had with a seven-footer, Efton Reed, and the other guy that was 6'10 or so. I think he's the guy that can give you some physicality. He might – he seemed like he's moving with a little more fluidity, I thought, in the last two games that I saw him. Scored some points, grabbed a few rebounds, and didn't get pushed out of position, which is huge, because as much as I like Blake Buchanan and think he's going to be really good, I've watched him a lot in recent games. He doesn't have the physicality. He's just not strong enough right now.

He's getting pushed off the block and pushed around. And so is Buchanan. Oh, yeah, that's who I'm talking about. Yes, and excuse me, so does Groves. Oh, yeah, yeah. And Groves is a little more physical, even though he's not as big. So I think they have to have Miner in there right now if it's a team that has any kind of a frontcourt presence.

If not, then you might be able to get by with Buchanan and Groves splitting some time in there. But I would think, assuming Harris is not back, I would say Bigman, McNeely, Dunn. Wow. That's the spot right there. You're four. You figure Miner at the center at the five spot.

He had nine points and five boards. He had a block and a steal, and he played some pretty good basketball against a very talented big man with Wake Forest. You got McNeely and Beekman entrenched in the backcourt. I like the upside of Dunn at the three, which allows him to slash to the rack. It makes him more athletic or utilizes that athleticism more

as opposed to playing inside. The four spot is completely up in the air, though. Yeah, you're limited to some degree. I mean, if you want to go with experience, you have to go with Groves. If you don't care about that, then you can go with Bond or Buchanan in there and see if it might be interesting to play Buchanan and Miner at the same time and see what that produces. I know they've done it a little bit, not a lot. But I think that's it right now.

This basketball team, guys, has got talent on the roster. We just have not seen it congeal. Your keys to victory against Virginia Tech? Again, it's shutting down those shooters or not letting them go off because it would be okay if McNeely was getting his shots because somebody else is shooting and taking the pressure off of him. But if Tech blankets him, I mean, who else is going to make up that gap? I don't know unless they can – Dunn can attack, like you said, slash inside and score,

and they can get some baskets by driving to the basket. But they don't have a ton of guys on this team that can create their own shot. And that's one reason, another reason they need Harris is he can help them get in spots where they can shoot it. This is an excellent question right now. And we appreciate Christopher watching the program. Christopher, where are you watching? It looks like on our heat map somewhere in Southwestern Virginia. He says the team looks like it has talent on the roster, but it is not producing. Does this team remind Hootie of any of Tony Bennett's past teams where they have, where it's pretty from afar, but afar from pretty?

Good turn of phrase there. Wow, I'm trying to go through my mind here. Probably a couple of his early teams that didn't have a ton of talent on them and didn't make any postseason play. Most of his teams since then have had fairly talented guys. Some of them were young and inexperienced, but they were still doing pretty well. Maybe that one NIT team they had several years ago, and I can't remember exactly what year that was. But this team's kind of different than any other team that I can think of for Virginia because they do have some upside to so many of these players.

They're just inexperienced in the system. Some of them haven't conformed to the pack line yet. And some of them just, I think some of these guys, we haven't seen their best basketball yet. And I think that's what the hope is, is that some of these guys will get more comfortable and come on and raise their performances down the stretch of the season. This question is a very good one. Tony Bennett's team continues to play in a game plan or a scheme that may not be today's college basketball.

I don't buy it, but that's what folks are saying on the message boards. What is Hootie's take on that? I know we've touched on that a little bit, but perhaps you pontificate a bit more on that, Hootie. I don't buy that either. I don't buy that. I think Tony's system is fine. That's what college basketball is all about. You've got a lot of different people that play a lot of different ways.

It's not the NBA. Thank God, because I think the NBA is, personally, I think the NBA is boring, even though I watch it sometimes. But I'd rather watch college coaches in their different styles, like the Jim Boeheim 2-3 zone and the race horse pace that some teams play and the slower pace that others play. I like that kind of variety because it makes...

And you've got to also think, too, when Craig Littlepage and John Oliver hired Tony Bennett, they were looking for a guy with a different system. 100%. They know they can't out-recruit Carolina and Duke. Or out-athlete them. And play that style of basketball night in and night out. It just doesn't work.

Look at what happened before Tony Bennett got here. They tried to run the basketball. Coach Gillen tried that. Coach Leto tried that. Yeah, it just didn't work. Jeff Jones had a nice run with some really talented athletes, but eventually the talent ran out, and you just can't recruit against those kind of teams for the top

athletes you're not you're not going to win many of those recruiting battles so they went to something else they went to something that people have to you talk to any basketball coach that has to play Virginia and they dread it because they don't have time to prepare for it. It takes extra preparation time. Sometimes they get lucky on how they – Virginia's just not playing well that particular night and not on their game. And, again, these guys do not have the pack line down the way. And, you know, I can see the point where people are saying, yeah, well, with the transfer portal,

you're not going to be able to keep guys in the system and bring them up from high school and learn the PAC line the way it used to be. Well, I don't know that that's totally true at this point. I think last year was an anomaly. I don't think that kind of totally true at this point. I think last year was an anomaly. I don't think that kind of thing is going to happen every year. But I don't buy that Virginia can't win playing the pack line and being the slowest-paced offense in the country in the future.

It's not going well this year. But, again, you're not going to win 20, 25 games every year. It's just not going to happen. Like I said, look at Carolina last year. They had some incredible athletes on their team, and they didn't even make the NCAA tournament. So I don't buy that this system is shot. People are finding ways to play against

it and all that, but part of that goes back to the talent level too. So I just don't buy that the pack line and the slow-paced offense is dead. I don't buy that. Viewers and listeners, let us know your thoughts that are coming in. I'm trying to get to as many comments as possible here on the Jerry and Jerry Show. This question's come in, or this comment's come in. I completely agree with what Ratcliffe just said right there. The system is what makes the program.

And if Virginia thinks it's going to be in an up-tempo game with the blue bloods of college basketball, if Virginia fans think this, they are mistaken. There's not a chance in hell that an up-tempo system is going to work in Virginia with the academic requirements. You need guys that can learn a program, fit a program, and mature within a program. There it is. I completely agree. Yeah. Well said. Yeah. Because, I mean, take a look at the athletic recruiting issues with Virginia football from a depth standpoint. I mean, that would follow basketball if we try to play a Nolan Richardson style of 40 Minutes of Hell, or if we try to play a Nolan Richardson style of 40 Minutes of Hell, or if we try to play a John Calipari style of Kentucky open-flowing, free-flowing basketball.

I understand why the fans are saying this, because it's now a statistical production version of college basketball, where players want to get points, they want to get rebounds, they want to get highlights, they want to make some money, and they want to go to the league. And maybe in this system with the slow tempo of play, you're not going to get the points, the rebounds, or the highlights that you would at other programs. But you can still get to the league. But you can still get to the league. I was setting you up for that one. You can still get to the league, Hoot. No question. I mean, look around. All over. They're all over the place. And a lot of guys in G League who are waiting their turn.

It may come, it may not. But they're making money playing professional basketball. They're not done with that yet. They've got some guys on this roster now who can play in the NBA. And some perhaps in the future. I think this basketball team. Gertrude and Bliss have incredible upside. No question.

I mean, I think Beekman's an NBA player. Is he a starter? Maybe not. But I think he's an NBA player. I think Dunn, we all realize, is an NBA player. I think Bond and Gertrude are going to play professionally somewhere. No question about that. Bliss, whether folks realize this or not,

may be your point guard of the future. I tell you what, I like a lot about him. One of the things I like best about him was I said, do you have a message for Virginia fans? This is when I had him on a podcast when he committed. He said, yeah, tell them I'm a winner, and they're going to like me. And I think he was pretty accurate with that. This question, did they make a mistake burning Gertrude's red shirt?

And I'll follow up with that question. I'll follow up with this question. I think it's too early to make that call. If Gertrude stayed redshirted, then no one sees what he could do, and there's no question that he probably would not transfer. Yeah. Well, I mean, if he's redshirted, he could be discontented and transferred as well. Touche. But I don't think so because, again, there's 17 games left in the regular season.

And he's going to get opportunities. And his best thing is just to keep grinding in practice because I'm telling you right now, if you're not – the playing time goes to guys who practice well and play defense in Tony's system, and that's it. That's the way to get noticed. That's the way to get on the floor. And, I mean, how many times have we seen guys like people kept saying, why didn't Jay Huff give him more playing time?

We all saw what he could do when he got out on the floor and was playing well. We also saw sometimes when he didn't play so well. But it was because he wasn't getting it done in practice. I was told the same thing about Shedrick, and he didn't like that, and he left. But that's the way it is in Tony's system. It may not be that way in everybody's system, but that's Tony's way. You practice well, you play defense, and you will get playing time. And Gertrude, his athleticism is off the charts.

I don't think that he's done. I think we're going to see more of him as the season goes on. James Watson, we'll get to your comment. James, I love when you leave comments. You constantly, constantly make us think when you leave comments, James Watson. Hootie and Jerry, what do you guys see as the top three selling points for a young person to commit to UVA football and basketball? And he's talking the four-star recruits are better. three selling points for a young person to commit to UVA football and basketball, and he's talking the four-star recruits are better. Is the degree a top three selling point for today's college athlete? They don't get a lot of four-star recruits in football.

Basketball, all those guys are four-star recruits. I think it's a little different for football than basketball. I think Tony Elliott has playing time to attract players. The NIL is being enhanced. I know that for a fact. I've talked to people. Basketball is already there to where they need to be. They're not going to go to a certain point, I don't think, but they're there to where they can keep the players they need. I don't think they'll lose basketball players on the team already because of NIL. They might not be able to get some players like Knipple and some of those guys that went to Duke or wherever

and apparently got some pretty big checks. Playing for Tony Bennett I think is probably a great experience just because of who he is and what he's about. I think we all are aware of that. You're getting a great education for sure if you want to take advantage of that. I mean, they did a poll of all the Division I coaches two years ago and said if you could send your son to play for any coach in America, who would you send him to? And the majority of them said Tony Bennett.

So I think there's a lot of benefits coming to Virginia for that. You're also playing in the ACC, which is a great league. And if you want to be developed as a player, there's opportunities after school. I think one of the things that they hammer to recruits in both sports, in all sports, is it's not a four-year decision it's a 40-year decision and rightfully they should do that because i think back over my career and i've kept in touch with a lot of these football and basketball players and some other athletes too and you're not going to play in the NFL or NBA forever or Major League Baseball or some of these other sports. You better have something to fall back on.

And a lot of these guys do. They're very successful in various forms of life. And I think that a lot of that comes from UVA I know Tiki Barber and some of the guys I've talked to who know a lot of NFL management people say we like to get Virginia guys because they're smart they're they're a different breed and I think that I think that helps and so I think that helps. And so I think there's a lot of benefits to recruits coming here. You know, you're not going to say come here and you're going to make the playoffs every year in basketball, I mean football, or you're not going to make the final Elite Eight every year in basketball, but you'll have opportunities to have some pretty good experiences.

Postseason, for the most part, maybe not in football. They're working on it. I don't know that we'll ever see Virginia in a 12-team playoff. It's very demanding because they're up against a lot of schools that invest a ton of money in football. And I mean a ton of money. I don't know that we're going to see that,

especially if we end up going to two tiers of football like they say that's been proposed. I don't know what the future is, but it won't be easy. But I think those are some of the benefits, selling points, that coaches probably hammer home to recruits when they're paying them visits. Jerry Hoody-Rackliff, the Virginia Sports Hall of Famer. The game Wednesday night, tomorrow night, 7 o'clock, John Paul Jones Arena, Virginia Tech, UVA, ESPNU. You can make a very strong argument that it's a must-win game for both programs, two and three in conference play, both the Hokies and UVA.

Virginia, I would not even say is on the bubble. Right now, outside looking in with a lot to be determined. And still, from a positive standpoint, a lot of season left to play. Hootie, we've got about four and change left here. News and notes from the Transfer Portal Virginia football. Yeah, and I think their net ranking is 61 right now, and that's not going to get it done. So they have work to do.

Transfer Portal, they ended up doing well. While their high school recruiting class wasn't ranked that high in the 70s and 80s, their transfer portal recruiting class was in the 30s and 40s. And they did pretty well. They didn't lose the kind of players that they have in the past that has left holes in the team. And they've added some talent. They've added talent in the spots where they needed it. And I think there's some players on this roster through the portal

that are going to be fun to watch. And it's going to make them a lot more solid too. And because of the NIL getting better, they have protected a lot of those players and kept them here. And a lot of the defensive line and some of the front seven are coming back. They had a year of eligibility. They could have gone elsewhere or transferred. They stuck. So I would think Tony Elliott and his staff have to be really encouraged

about what happened going forward. And before we go, I'm going to salute Danielle Collins and Emma Navarro for winning their first-round matches in the Australian Open yesterday. The tennis team, I watch the Virginia men's tennis team practice almost daily, and they are going to contend for another national championship. Yes, they are. We have an abundance of riches when it comes to the non-revenue sports in Charlottesville, an abundance of riches. And the swimming team as well. The women are unbelievable. Unbelievable.

They've got a dynasty going. Yeah. There's professional athletes all over the athletic department. And I think the men are coming on. I've heard whispers that this might be the best recruiting class in the history of college swimming coming in for the men. That's unbelievable. Including a local kid who's being compared to some really big-name swimmers. Jerry Ratcliffe, the star of our program, the Virginia Sports Hall of Famer,

40 years on the Virginia beat. His website is jerryratcliffe.com. I'll say it again, jerryratcliffe.com. I'm on the website every day as a diehard Wahoo fan. Jerry Ratcliffe, Scott Ratcliffe, and that team constantly are producing fresh content to appeal to orange and blue fans. You'll see him on Press Row tomorrow

night, John Paul Jones Arena. If you see him, say hi to him. It's a must-win ball game. ESPNU, if you're not at the John Paul Jones Arena to watch, we'll follow it very closely. And well wishes to Coach Jeff Jones at Old Dominion who's going through some health issues

and is going to take a medical leave of absence for the rest of the season. We wish him well and a speedy recovery. Jeff Jones, a legend. Best of luck with your health and your recovery. My friend, thank you. It was easy peasy. Always easy. Sunday breezy.

Jerry Ratcliffe. Judah Wittkower, the man behind the camera, keeping us online. The MVP. And looking a sharp. Mr. Consistency, as Jerry Ratcliffe has dubbed him. I 1,000% agree with that moniker. The I Love Seville Show guys up in one hour on this network with a lot to cover. For Hootie, for Judah, I'm Jerry, and this is the Jerry and Jerry Show. So long,

everybody. Take care. Thank you.