Preferred Walk-Ons

Planning the Ultimate ACC Road Trip (2026 Edition)

After the ACC underachieved in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, we decided to look ahead to the upcoming basketball and football seasons. We discuss some of our disappointments with the ACC's scheduling model for basketball, and map out the best possible road trip for football weekends in the fall.
Topics for discussion include:
A chaotic and upset-filled Regional weekend in the NCAA Baseball Tournament
The uneven scheduling model for ACC basketball
The cancellation of UVA & NC State's trip to Brazil
A preview of the ACC football schedule by planning the ultimate road trip
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

Survive and Expand

In this basketball-centric episode, we discuss the NCAA's decision to expand March Madness to 76 teams. We also take a look at the ACC players to watch ahead of the NBA Draft. 
Topics for discussion include:
UVA lacrosse's disappointing loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
The pros and cons of expanding March Madness
The ACC players most likely to be selected during the NBA Draft
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

ACC Transfer Portal Winners

After a chaotic three weeks of widespread transfer portal movement, we are starting to have a clearer picture of what ACC basketball will look like in the fall. Some teams, like UVA and Duke, have leaned into roster retention, while others like Louisville are prioritizing acquiring big name assets from other teams. In this episode, we analyze the ACC's most interesting teams in the early roster-building period. We also discuss the conference's lackluster performance during the NFL Draft.
 
Topics for discussion include:
The ACC's (and Virginia's) poor showing at the NFL Draft (0:00-12:33)
Mel Kiper's strange eating habits (12:33-15:40)
UVA basketball retaining all its scholarship athletes (15:40-24:03)
Other ACC winners of the transfer portal season (24:03-42:13)
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

Triangle of Sadness

It's been a tumultuous and disappointing week in the ACC hotbed of the Research Triangle. Duke blew its chance at a Final Four, North Carolina moved on from head coach Hubert Davis, and Will Wade unceremoniously left NC State after only a season. We discuss a drama-filled week in the Tar Heel state and give our predictions for the Final Four.
Topics for discussion include:
Duke's collapse against UConn in the Elite Eight
Predictions for the Final Four
The dramatic end of the Will Wade tenure at NC State
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

A Bittersweet 16

It was a chalky but exciting opening weekend in the men's NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, only one ACC team remains in the field. We debate what the conference's poor performance means for the prestige of the league and preview an exciting slate of Sweet 16 games.
 
Topics for discussion include:
Our podcast's performance in a tournament of UVA Twitter personalities
The experience of watching NCAA Tournament games in Tampa Bay
The ACC's poor performance in the tournament's opening weekend
The breaking news of Hubert Davis' departure from UNC
How a chalky start to March Madness sets up an exciting Sweet 16 
The success of the ACC and Virginia in the women's NCAA Tournament
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

Our Method to the Madness

Tournament time is finally here! Following a thrilling conference championship game, the ACC has 8 teams in the field. We analyze Duke's narrow win over Virginia and preview the NCAA Tournament, one quadrant at a time.
 
Topics for discussion include:
Power conference teams left out of the postseason and the prominence of Bruce Pearl
Duke's close victory over Virginia in the ACC Championship game
The ACC's representation in March Madness and questionable choices by the Selection Committee
Upsets, Final Four selections, and other predictions for the NCAA Tournament
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

An ACC Tournament Preview

Tomorrow kicks off the ACC Tournament which will have major implications for the NCAA Tournament field. We debate whether anyone can beat Duke, and which bubble teams most need statement victories to punch a ticket to March Madness. 
 
Topics for discussion include:
Chaos occurring in mid-major conference tournaments
Boston College and Georgia Tech firing their coaches
The biggest questions heading into the ACC Tournament this week
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

The Last Week of Regular Season Basketball

It's the last week of the regular season and everyone in the ACC is chasing Duke basketball. We discuss Virginia's loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium and analyze where things stand in college basketball's most chaotic conference.
Topics for discussion include:
Takeaways from Duke's dominant victory over Virginia in a battle for ACC supremacy
NC State's recent struggles
The confusing pecking order of ACC teams fighting for NCAA Tournament bids
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

A March Madness Preview with Jim Root

With one month away until Selection Sunday, it's time to start sorting the contenders from the pretenders. In this week's episode, we talked with college basketball insider Jim Root about the most interesting and confounding programs in the ACC and beyond.
 
Topics for discussion include:
The improved reputation and depth of the ACC
The success of UVA in Ryan Odom's first season and the tournament ceiling for the top of the conference
Teams that deserve more attention and the Darryn Peterson situation at Kansas
Whether Duke and UNC are realistic contenders
ACC and national coaches on the hot seat
NCAA Tournament dark horses and possible disappointments
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!
 
You can read more from Jim Root on Basket Under Review or in The Athletic. You can also listen to his basketball analysis on the Three Man Weave and STATS by Will & Jim podcasts.

The Future of College Sports with Matt Brown

It has never been more challenging to follow college athletics. To help us better understand the many financial and political issues at the center of the college sports landscape, we brought on Matt Brown of Extra Points. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discussed the evolution of Matt's career in sports media, financial struggles in higher education that impact athletic departments, ways to reform the current system, and the future of college sports video games.
 
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!
 
You can read more from Matt Brown on his Extra Points newsletter at https://www.extrapointsmb.com/.