This week's Open Jim podcast includes my thoughts on Tony Granato getting fired as the University of Wisconsin men's hockey coach and what might be next for the program, plus these two featured mailbag questions:
Are system coaches like Gard going to be casualties of the new player procurement practices sanctioned by the NCAA?
— BigBadBrewerDaddy (@TDL41) March 6, 2023
What are the Badger football recruiters focused on for the 2024 class ? Any particular positions ? Certain 4/5 star players we should keep an eye on ?
— Giuseppe Solare' (@polkatornado) March 6, 2023
People are also reading…
Lots of whining about this Badger team, but aren’t they 1 of the youngest since Bo arrived? Seems last year & this they are quite young. I don’t remember Bo’s teams having only a single Sr starter. Most had multiple Sr starters. Does my memory fail me?
— Chris Davis (@cdavis20000) March 6, 2023
To what extent does this team resemble the 2008-09 team that barely made the NCAA tournament?
— Craig Smith (@smithcp1) March 6, 2023
How many Big10 tourney games must the Badgers win to get in?
— Tailchaser5000 (@tailchaser5000) March 6, 2023
If Harrison doesn't make that shot over Gasser in 2014 does Bucky win two days later to get a championship?
— Taylor (@taylorwmj) March 6, 2023
Badgers start closing games better their chances in BIG/NCAA seem really good, any rumblings on Wahl returning next year?
— JoeB44JTFs (@JoeBrow07224025) March 6, 2023
Think Wahl is coming back for year 5? Could generate some excitement for a bounce back year if Gard can land a transfer or two and one or two of the incoming freshman can contribute some minutes.
— Ben Jones (@UpNorthBadgers) March 6, 2023
I #Wahl comes back and the team adds 3 new recruits, who will not be a part of the team next year that is this year. There will be a numbers crunch. #WisconsinBB
— Teri Shannon (@77rocket) March 6, 2023
Has a team playing in th
— Kevin Gratz (@kevin_gratz) March 6, 2023
Has a team who played in a Wednesday Big Ten tournament game ever been picked to be in the NCAA tournament?
Why do you think Coach Gard has what might be a smallish but extremely nasty group of distractors? His conference won/lost record is 93-61. 93-61! That's winning 60% of conference games. Conference games! In the Big 10.
— Kevin Hillstrom (@minethatdata) March 6, 2023
Dick Bennett was 39-45, FWIW.
Have Badger fans grown more unreasonable over the years? Im a longtime fan and understand frustration.But it seems like the FireGard folk has grown or become more vocal. Maybe victims of our own success. I don’t like it and feel the student athletes don’t deserve the abuse I see
— Rick Tange (@rktange) March 6, 2023
After new Badger asst. Coach Paul Haynes left MN to join Luke Fickel's staff, he said it was about who he is working with and for. Was he talking more about Fickel or PJ Fleck? Fleck is a total buffoon though I have no way of knowing what he's like to work for.
— Vampire Cabbie (@fmschep) March 6, 2023
Do you like the women’s hockey team chances of advancing to the frozen four? I believe the badgers got placed in a favorable bracket if they play to their potential
— Mark Meddings (@MeddingsMark1) March 6, 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 …
Contact Jim Polzin at jpolzin@madison.com.
Prediction for the women's hockey team in the tournament?
— Chris Cesar (@Cesar_Chris) March 6, 2023
