Happy Hour with John Gaskins

The monster basketball showdowns SDSU's men and women have with North Dakota State this week — we need more of this! How good are the Jacks and Bison? Why is David Richman one of our favorite Dakotas coaches? Speaking of favorites, why is O'Gorman boys basketball coach Derek Robey — who announced Friday that after 40 seasons and six state titles that this season will be his last — is "one of the most underrated coaches in South Dakota history," not just for high school hoops, but all sports at all levels? But we start with, "holy (bleep), Nebraska is 17-0 and ranked in the Top 10!" Zim has a buzzkill "what if" for Husker fan John.

Should the Vikings once again go after Aaron Rodgers? Why will (likely) not nearly as many USD fans become as engaged in Hawkeye football with L.J. Phillips playing in Iowa as SDSU fans who hopped on the train with Mark Gronowski? Griffin Wilde is getting a much more experienced and famous offensive coordinator at Northwestern — former Oregon, 49ers, and Eagles head coach Chip Kelly — than his former SDSU OC Zach Lujan. Former SDSU and Washington State offensive coordinator Danny Freund lands not with former SDSU head coach Jimmy Rogers at Iowa State, but back at North Dakota, where he was the OC before coming to Brookings in 2024 and Pullman in '25.  

The brilliance of Cignetti and Indiana's turnaround. Hoosiers vs Miamia for the title. Would Tucker Kraft's presence have reversed the Packers' loss to the Chicago Bears? Is Dallas Goedert and the Eagles offense being screwed by lousy play-calling? Which four teams will win the NFL divisional playoff games?

Reaction to L.J. Phillips committing to Iowa, Larenzo Fenner to Cincinnati. A word on Hudson Parliament's perfect fit at Iowa. Some top players at Montana State and Illinois State are coming back. Who are these college football player agents and how do they operate? How much time is spent by head coaches like Kalen DeBoer dealing with them? What kind of decisions did Illinois State make late in their crushing title game loss to Montana State?

We are living in a college sports Bizarro World.   Indiana is the No. 1 football team in America, while Nebraska sports the No. 8 men's basketball team.    Let that sink in.   In a "Nobody's Listening Anyway" episode that included plenty of the usual Jackrabbits, Coyotes, FCS, transfer port and Summit League basketball banter, Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer and the Happy Hour host took some time to digest this "what planet are we on" concept — Hoosiers football and Huskers basketball on heaters.   Zim explains why he is enjoying Curt Cignetti and Indiana's rise, and not just because it is a once-in-a-lifetime rags-to-riches football story. Plus, Zim is engages the host — not just a Husker football zealot but a long-suffering "Nebrasketball" nut — about the excitement of Fred Hoiberg's squad potentially taking Big Red basketball to where it has never been.   Other topics covered:   * Why not nearly as many USD fans will become nearly as engaged in Hawkeye football with L.J. Phillips playing in Iowa as SDSU fans who hopped on the train with Mark Gronowski    * Griffin Wilde getting a much more experienced and famous offensive coordinator at Northwestern — former Oregon, 49ers, and Eagles head coach Chip Kelly — than his former SDSU OC Zach Lujan    * Former SDSU and Washington State offensive coordinator Danny Freund landing not with former SDSU head coach Jimmy Rogers at Iowa State, but back at North Dakota, where he was the OC before coming to Brookings in 2024 and Pullman in '25   * The monster basketball showdowns SDSU's men and women have with North Dakota State this week   * Why O'Gorman boys basketball coach Derek Robey — who announced Friday that after 40 seasons and six state titles that this season will be his last — is "one of the most underrated coaches in South Dakota history," not just for high school hoops, but all sports at all levels.