Welcome back to the Open Jim mailbag, where we begin with a Haiku inspired by a three-games-in-six-days stretch for the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team.
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Why do the Badgers men struggle getting recruits who are shooters / scorers? The team gets hard nosed players but seem to struggle finding guys who can score and having a roster full of Big 10 caliber scorers. The scoring depth always seems to be an issue.
— A Brewer Forever (@finleyr27) January 16, 2023
Now that Coach Fickell has his entire coaching staff in place, what are your initial thoughts on them? Strengths? Weaknesses? (I realize you may not yet know a lot of detail about many of them since they are new to the team.)
— Chris Davis (@cdavis20000) January 23, 2023
As things stand, we have an improbable 7 QBs to be on the team heading into next season. How many do you think there will be? Maybe four? Hard to believe that much talent will be willing to be 3rd or 4th string. That's why Burrow, also a 4*, left OSU after Spring ball
— GT Schutz (@GTSchutz) January 23, 2023
I've looked at Badger Men's Basketball schedule and think it is very possible to go 10-3 in remaining scheduled games. Is that a good enough to get a top 4 seed in the Big 10 tournament?
— JMW123 (@jmw1235) January 23, 2023
Has there been a consistent pattern in Badger basketball the last several years? Early optimism and move up in the polls. Followed by a swoon, drop out of polls. Then regathering for the B10 stretch run. Finally, finished by an earlier than expected exit from the tournament.
— Kevin Lentz (@ktbjlentz) January 24, 2023
Who are the biggest in state targets for basketball over the next 3 seasons.
— Tisch (@hauser42) January 23, 2023
How does UW WR room compare to what Tanner M had at SMU?
— William Heuer (@SilverBadger66) January 16, 2023
With friends discussing the old Mendota Gridiron Club, the Barry Alvarez era at UW, and the famous "Most search committees use me." quote, was wondering, was Kelly Sheffield Barry's best hire?
— Craig (@ThatGrouchyGuy) January 23, 2023
Watching the comparisons emerge between Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers has made me think about your opinion: are TT and Gutey to blame for “not giving Rodgers enough weapons” to go any further in the playoffs- whether it be divisional or Championship games? Thanks.
— Carl S. (@CarlDigs303) January 24, 2023
Hey Jim - who do you have in the Super Bowl? I think @Eagles v @Bengals. I would never bet against Mahomes, but a high ankle sprain and a tough Bengal’s defense is looking hard to beat. PS - Eagles win a close one, defense is just a little bit better.
— Sean Stephenson (@sgstephenson) January 23, 2023
Will the Bengals win the Super Bowl?
— Dan Schumacher, MD, PhD (@DrDanSchumacher) January 23, 2023
BadgerExtra columnist Jim Polzin's 5 favorite stories of 2022
Jim Polzin's favorite columns of 2022 range from one that made Iowa fans angry to one on Terrell Fletcher and Brent Moss that might bring tears to your eyes.
Alternate jerseys have become more and more popular in sports, but they can be a nightmare for fans who are color blind.
The hate mail (well, hate tweets) poured in from Iowa fans after this column was published. UW didn't want it written, either.
‘Everyone should get therapy’: Badgers coach Marisa Moseley isn’t afraid to talk about mental health
Marisa Moseley was in a dark place early in her coaching career, a story that we both felt was important for people to hear.
I went to Jim Leonhard's hometown in 2002 to learn more about a rising star in the UW program. Twenty years later, I went back.
Brent Moss and Terrell Fletcher formed a dynamic 1-2 punch in the 1990s, but there was a wedge between them off the field. A phone call years …
