Initial Reaction With Jr Radcliffe And Jp Cadorin

JP and JR return for a one-day-only engagement on the cusp of the 2018 boys basketball tournament, with some thoughts about the forthcoming postseason. But the real fun is holding their own Selection Sunday, seeding out the top 32 teams regardless of division to set up their own bracket. Let's dance!

JP and JR bid farewell to their listeners with one last episode of Initial Reaction, then discuss the early impressions from the 2017 high-school football season. Thanks to everyone who tuned in!

JP and JR chat about the official start of the 2017 high-school football season and storylines to watch, from the individual star power of Franklin quarterback Max Alba and Catholic Memorial linebacker CJ Goetz to the dominance of Homestead, the fascinating race in the Woodland West, the impact of new Oconomowoc coach Greg Malling and the time being right for Brookfield Central. Then, the guys talk about the #Brewers trade deadline and disagree somewhat on the outlook for the remainder of 2017.

JP and JR take a look at the dilemma facing high-school baseball coaches as they try to work around pitch-count restrictions in the playoffs, with one notable case study arising from the 2017 postseason (22:25). The state tournament arrives Friday, July 21. JR also provides a list of nine names he could see as potential fits with the Milwaukee Brewers as trade season kicks into full gear (5:00).

Andrew Gruman joins JR to "draft" the best moments from the first half of the 2017 Milwaukee Brewers season, a delightful stretch that sees the team sitting at 50-41 at the All-Star Break. The guys talk about big defensive plays, big individual performances and the surprises that put them on top of the National League Central. The guys then examine the WIAA summer baseball postseason (39:30), including a story from 2008 that illustrates how an entire season outlook can shift in one random game, how the new pitch counts (and weather) will impact this year's series (42:45) and which teams are particularly intriguing (48:30). #Brewers #WIAA

In this special edition of the podcast, John Casper from the Winona Daily News and La Crosse Tribune stops by to chat about a monster series of revelations from the WIAA, including the introduction of a shot clock in basketball, the splitting of boys hockey into two divisions and the introduction of seeding into the state tourneys at basketball and wrestling. Also, the WIAA also floats a basketball plan that would change the way teams are assigned into postseason divisions -- could this be the solution to the public/private debate?

Evan Kruczynski, who was taken by the St. Louis #Cardinals in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball Draft and originally hails from Franklin High School, stops by to talk about his journey and new professional contract (22:45). JP and JR also discuss a big week for the #Bucks (3:15) that includes a new general manager, the return of big man Greg Monroe and Thursday's NBA Draft. JP also looks back at his experiences covering the US Open at Erin Hills (13:20) -- was it truly as successful as it sounds? #USOpen #USOpenGolf #ErinHills

Jordan Niebrugge, formerly of Homestead High School, chats with JR in anticipation of his first U.S. Open, which will be his first and take place on his home-state soil in the Town of Erin (3:30). Niebrugge talks about his current tour in Canada, the ladder to get a PGA Tour card, his impressions of Erin Hills and more. JR also welcomes in Catholic Memorial athletics director Greg Gamalski (17:00), whose retirement takes effect July 1. Gamalski has built one of the biggest athletics empires in the state, including a girls soccer program looking for a sixth straight state title this weekend. Gamalski talks about the changing nature of the business, the WIAA-WISAA merger and the state of high-school athletics.

JR and JP discuss the five things JR got totally wrong about the Milwaukee Brewers (22:30), which remain in first place in the National League Central (at least, as of this recording). JR also talks about his time at the state track and field meet (1:30) and discusses the top story lines, plus the WIAA has crowned champs in tennis and golf (11:00), with softball, baseball and more tennis right ahead. JP also breaks down his impressions of Erin Hills with the U.S. Open golf tournament right around the corner (14:00). #Brewers #USOpenGolf

In the hours before the inaugural Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Awards, Andrew Gruman and JR discuss the highlights from the 2016-17 athletics season thus far, noting the top moments and athletes who've had a special run. That includes a busy state-championship weekend in football (1:30), an impressive feat in girls swimming (5:30), a distance runner for the ages (8:05), crazy moments at the boys basketball tournament (9:15), conference realignment and what to look forward to (13:25), some elite powerhouses continuing their tradition (19:30), and a roll call of seniors who are saying goodbye (22:15).

Former Arrowhead coach Greg Malling, who led the program to four straight appearances in the state title game before coaching in Minnesota during the 2016 season, is returning to the state to take the open head coaching position at Oconomowoc. He stopped by (9:00) to talk about the new opportunity and his days at AHS, including how the program was able to achieve such great heights, the school's reputation of heavy parent involvement and the power of the Classic 8. JP and JR also discuss the talent-overloaded sectionals in three spring sports in the Milwaukee area and if alternative ideas to their construction should be considered (21:50).

Wisconsin Rapids football coach Tony Biolo swings by (15:00) to chat about one of his former pupils, former Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Year Vince Biegel, who became a fourth-round selection by the Green Bay Packers in last weekend's NFL Draft. JP and JR discuss the best ways to evaluate drafts without foolish grading systems and the Packers decision to bypass selecting Pewaukee alumnus TJ Watt. JP discusses Sand Valley Golf Course in the Wisconsin Dells (26:30), the newest gem in the Wisconsin golf landscape, and the guys close trying to decide how to feel about the 2017 Milwaukee Brewers (32:45). #Packers #Badgers #Golf #Brewers

Rob Reischel of Packers Plus swings by to talk about the Packers and the NFL Draft, including where the criticism of general manager Ted Thompson is warranted and unwarranted (4:15), how the surprisingly active offseason lends clues to what the team might do in the draft (9:15), the odds Green Bay's first round pick is defense (13:15), the odds Pewaukee's T.J. Watt becomes the pick (16:45), if Ted would take a chance on a player with off-field baggage like Joe Mixon (22:15), when the team will have to pursue Aaron Rodgers' replacement in earnest (25:00) and if this could be Thompson's final draft (29:15). Then, Cleveland Browns linebacker Joe Schobert, a Waukesha West graduate, swings by (36:00) to talk about the draft from a current player's perspective and to look back at his first year in the NFL. #Packers #NFLDraft #Browns

JP and JR are psyched for the Milwaukee Bucks playoff battle at home Thursday, with the series against the Toronto Raptors tied at 1-1. Is the Game 2 loss a good sign for the Bucks given the closeness of the battle or a missed opportunity? Then, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel golf writer and columnist Gary D'Amato swings by (15:50) to talk about the forthcoming U.S. Open at Erin Hills in the Town of Erin. Then, West Allis native Mehryn Kraker pays a visit (49:20) to talk about getting drafted into the WNBA last week by the Washington Mystics. Finaly, the guys close talking a bit about the #Badgers spring football game. #Bucks #WashingtonMystics #USOpenGolf #USGA #ErinHills

Dousman native Brianna Decker swings by (19:30) to talk about the U.S. Women's Hockey Team's battle with USA Hockey for equal treatment, followed by a gold-medal performance at the World Championships in Michigan. JP and JR also discuss the #Bucks with the postseason right ahead (5:30) and what the team will look to do to go from a top-six Eastern Conference team to a top-three team. Finally, what are the major takeaways after one week of #Brewers baseball (33:15)? #usahockey

Steve Showalter coached both his sons when he won three state championships at Germantown High School, but he was a heavily invested fan living and dying with every moment like the rest of us when his son, Zak, made one of the biggest shots in #Badgers history in the Sweet 16. Steve talks about that moment, his son as a Badger, his coaching days at Germantown and also his new team, Menomonee Falls, and its thrilling close to the season. Plus, Steve talks about the circumstances that led him from Catholic Memorial -- where he first accepted a job for 2017-18 -- to Falls. And with Opening Day upon us, Andrew Gruman joins the podcast to talk #Brewers. Is there anything to look forward to in 2017, beyond the future wave of talent? Can this rotation possibly help the club succeed? Who does JR think is about to have an All-Star season? How will changes to Miller Park impact the fan-going experience?

Nicole Haase, a Milwaukeean who covers women's hockey extensively at USCHO.com and elsewhere, stops by to talk about the circumstances surrounding the U.S. Women's Hockey Team and its labor standoff with USA Hockey (28:30). The team, which includes Lake Country natives Brianna Decker and Alex Rigsby, successfully reached an agreement with USA Hockey on March 28, avoiding a boycott of the IIHF World Championships in Michigan, beginning this week. Also, JP reports back from Madison Square Garden after the Wisconsin Badgers crushing defeat at the hands of Florida in the NCAA Tournament (3:00), and in the March Madness spirit, he re-seeds the WIAA boys basketball postseason (32 teams) as if it contained just one division, and the guys choose their One State Champion To Rule Them All (9:25).

Benjamin Worgull of The Badger Nation stops by (16:30) to talk about the Sweet 16-bound Wisconsin Badgers team, specifically the next wave of talent. Future Badger Kobe King won a state title with LaCrosse Central over the weekend, and undeclared Stevens Point junior Joey Hauser also had a flashy performance. JP and JR talk about their impressions from the state tourney (5:30), including Cedarburg, Brookfield Central and Arrowhead, and JP reports back from Greenville, South Carolina, where he saw Marquette fall in the opening round of the Big Dance (37:30).

Now Newspapers scribe Steven L. Tietz stops by to talk about the best programs in state boys basketball history, from the recent (Stevens Point, Dominican, Germantown) to the storied (Marquette, Milwaukee Lincoln) in a conversation that comes on the doorstep of the WIAA state tournament in Madison (24:20). Before that, JP and JR recap the weekend in Green Bay at the girls state tournament (1:55), discuss the controversial seed given to the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA Tournament (10:55) and look ahead to this year's boys hoops tourney at the Kohl Center (19:40). Also: Marquette is in the Dance!

Paul Oren, who covers the Horizon League, stops by to talk about the insanity of the league tournament, where UW-Milwaukee (seeded 10th) is still alive and each of the top three teams fell short of the semifinals. What's in the near future for UW-Milwaukee and UW-Green Bay? JP and JR also discuss the WIAA postseason, including highlights from the boys basketball, girls basketball, hockey, wrestling and gymnastics tournaments. JP also reports back on his impressions from Senior Day for the Wisconsin basketball team.