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Virginia to Host Four-Star Point Guard Trent Perry for Official Visit
Virginia has yet to take make its first big recruiting splash of the offseason, but that could change soon as the Cavaliers are set to host a major high school recruiting target this weekend. Class of 2024 four-star point guard and former USC commit Trent Perry will reportedly be taking a visit to Virginia this upcoming weekend.
A little over a week ago, we wrote about how Trent Perry could be a potential solution to Virginia’s point guard void with Reece Beekman departing for the NBA Draft and no reliable succession plan in place. At the time, UVA was only mentioned as one of the many schools who had reached out to Perry since he decommitted from USC after head coach Andy Enfield left to take the job at SMU. Other schools mentioned as having been in contact with Perry are Alabama, UCLA, Oregon, Stanford, Villanova, Gonzaga, Oklahoma, Tennessee, TCU, and others, so the competition is stiff to say the least.
But so far, Trent Perry has only scheduled an official visit with one program: Virginia.
Virginia was initially a top candidate for Perry’s recruitment the first time around and Perry even said this about Tony Bennett in an interview with On3 last summer:
“It’s Tony Bennett. He’s a legendary coach, honestly. He won a national championship and he played in the league. Coach Bennett knows how to develop guards, guys like Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy. He’s also had West Coast guys like London Perrantes and Kihei Clark. I have a great relationship with the staff and it’s pretty comfortable knowing that they want West Coast kids and they’ve been pretty successful there.”
Perry was originally going to visit Virginia, but changed plans after Christian Bliss committed and he ultimately pledged to USC last October. Now, Perry is back on the market after a coaching change at USC and he’s giving the Cavaliers the first swing at landing his commitment.
This is a massive opportunity for Tony Bennett and company, as Perry is one of the most talented recruits available in this recruiting cycle. A consensus four-star recruit and top 50 overall prospect in the class of 2024 across each of the major recruiting services, ESPN has Perry ranked as the No. 26 overall recruit in the country.
In his senior season at Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles, the 6’4″ point guard averaged 18.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists en route to being named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of California. Perry played in the McDonald’s All American Game, won the three-point shooting contest, and participated in the Nike Hoop Summit last week.
Virginia’s case to Perry will be simple. There is an avenue for him to earn lots of early playing time at UVA due to the uncertainty at the team’s point guard position. Reece Beekman is gone, ending a stretch of a decade-plus where the Cavaliers always knew who their next starting point guard was going to be. The only two point guards currently on the roster are Dante Harris, who struggled in a backup PG role last season after transferring from Georgetown, and Christian Bliss, a talented player with a high ceiling, but who spent most of his redshirt season in a walking boot and will likely not be ready to take over the starting job in his first season of college basketball.
Tony Bennett can also point to the examples of London Perrantes and Kihei Clark, two California native point guards who were regular starters right from their freshmen seasons and who went on to have successful All-ACC careers in their time at Virginia.
Expect Bennett and the Cavaliers to do all they can to get a commitment from Perry this weekend.
More Virginia Men’s Basketball News and Content
Virginia Guard Reece Beekman Declares for 2024 NBA Draft
What’s Next for Virginia After Ryan Dunn’s Departure for the NBA Draft?
Virginia to Host UIC Transfer Wing Toby Okani for Official Visit
Could Trent Perry be the Solution to Virginia’s Point Guard Problem?
Saint Mary’s Transfer Forward Joshua Jefferson Schedules Visit to Virginia
Virginia Basketball Transfer Portal Contact Live Tracker
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
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MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Five people were charged after Virginia Beach Police conducted a two-day human trafficking and vice operation on July 3, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department.
The department’s Special Investigations Bureau conducted the operation, which was aimed at identifiying human trafficking victims, reducing the demand for commercial sex and targeting individuals seeking to exploit or recruit children for prostitution.
Detectives used many investigative techniques to proactively identify individuals involved in criminal activity related to prostitution, human trafficking and offenses against children. The operation was conducted in Virginia Beach, involving personnel from all of the bureau’s squads.
As a result of the operation, five people were identified and charged with offenses ranging from solicitation of prostitution to sex trafficking and crimes involving minors. Two vehicles and U.S. currency were seized during the operation. Other people were connected to victim services through Samaritan House.
The operation led to the following people being charged:
- Shane Carter, 28, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
- Robert Harris, 64, of Virginia Beach, was charged with solicitation of prostitution and assault and battery.
- Larry Pittman, 53, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking and use of electronic devices to facilitaate certain offenses involving minors.
- Kenric Frazier, 46, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking, use of electronic devices to facilitate certain offenses involving minors and solicitation of child pornography.
- Cameron Lewis, 24, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
Investigators also developed leads about people who are suspected of trafficking and exploiting others for commercial sex. Those are now active and ongoing investigations. There may be more charges and arrests pending further investigation and consultation with the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
If you’re a human trafficking victim or know someone who is, you can report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
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