Happy Hour with John Gaskins

It came in a big wave on Monday and Tuesday — reports and announcements of Summit League players entering the transfer portal.
 
Five North Dakota State players are bouncing, including three of the Bison's top five scorers, with All-Summit first teamer Trevian Carson also expected to jump.
 
At least three from North Dakota will be gone, including Greyson Uelman, an All-Summit League second team member. 
 
Same for two talented guards from South Dakota, Uzziah Buntyn and Isaac Bruns.
 
Naturally, fans of the teams are bummed not just by the departures of good players, but by the painful truth of mid-major basketball. 
 
"Can't blame the players, but NIL and the portal have killed low and mid-major basketball," said a tweet from the Jackrabbit Illustrated account. "I guess I'm lucky that I got to watch Nate Wolters and Mike Daum for four years. Even cheering against (NDSU's) Ben Woodside, (IFPW's) John Konchar), and (Oakland's) Keith Benson was fun. This is no fun."
 
No fun at all? Mid-major hoops ruined?
 
Not so fast, says the Happy Hour host, who dives into the reasons why the sport at this level is still fun and fans will still support it.
 
Bruce Chubick, Nebraska basketball (1990-94)
The Huskers are the darlings — or at least one of the darlings — of the NCAA Sweet 16 field.
 
The obvious reason for that status is that before Thursday, Nebraska was the only Power Four conference team to not win an NCAA game, ever, until the Big Red wiped out Troy in the first round. 

But the thrilling second round win over Vanderbilt — with a half-court Vandy shot to win popping in and out of the cylinder at the buzzer — has elevated the Huskers' national status even more.
 
So, too, has the overwhelming Husker fan presence in Oklahoma City, where a sea or red took over the arena and multiple bars ran out of beer because of the literal once-in-a-lifetime Big Red party going on.
 
One of those fans was Bruce Chubick, who played a prominent role on Nebraska teams that reached the Big Dance four years in a row under Danny Nee (1991-94) but painfully lost each first round game.
 
Those teams are still folk lore for a fan base mostly tortured by either lousy or mediocre basketball, fans who until this season have been treated to heartbreak whenver Nebraska actually appears on a March Madness bracket. As in, 0 for 8 until Thursday.
 
So, what did it mean to "Nebrasketball" immortal like Chubick — a long-time high school hoops coach in Omaha — to see Fred Hoiberg's crew pull it off not once, but twice?
 
And how did the Huskers do it? Why was this team the one?
 
Now, Nebraska draws rival Iowa in the Sweet 16. Some Huskers fans are dejected by the pairing, not wanting to withstand another loss to a school that owns the Big Red in football.
 
Chubick, who grew up a Hawkeye fan in Iowa, likes the matchup. Hear why.
 
And stay for the epic stories about the fabeled, foul-mouthed and festive Danny Nee, the coach who delivered hope but never an NCAA win to Nebraska when Chubick played.

The Huskers are the darlings — or at least one of the darlings — of the NCAA Sweet 16 field.
 
The obvious reason for that status is that before Thursday, Nebraska was the only Power Four conference team to not win an NCAA game, ever, until the Big Red wiped out Troy in the first round. 

But the thrilling second round win over Vanderbilt — with a half-court Vandy shot to win popping in and out of the cylinder at the buzzer — has elevated the Huskers' national status even more.
 
So, too, has the overwhelming Husker fan presence in Oklahoma City, where a sea or red took over the arena and multiple bars ran out of beer because of the literal once-in-a-lifetime Big Red party going on.
 
One of those fans was Bruce Chubick, who played a prominent role on Nebraska teams that reached the Big Dance four years in a row under Danny Nee (1991-94) but painfully lost each first round game.
 
Those teams are still folk lore for a fan base mostly tortured by either lousy or mediocre basketball, fans who until this season have been treated to heartbreak whenver Nebraska actually appears on a March Madness bracket. As in, 0 for 8 until Thursday.
 
So, what did it mean to "Nebrasketball" immortal like Chubick — a long-time high school hoops coach in Omaha — to see Fred Hoiberg's crew pull it off not once, but twice?
 
And how did the Huskers do it? Why was this team the one?
 
Now, Nebraska draws rival Iowa in the Sweet 16. Some Huskers fans are dejected by the pairing, not wanting to withstand another loss to a school that owns the Big Red in football.
 
Chubick, who grew up a Hawkeye fan in Iowa, likes the matchup. Hear why.
 
And stay for the epic stories about the fabeled, foul-mouthed and festive Danny Nee, the coach who delivered hope but never an NCAA win to Nebraska when Chubick played.

It came in a big wave on Monday and Tuesday — reports and announcements of Summit League players entering the transfer portal.
 
Five North Dakota State players are bouncing, including three of the Bison's top five scorers, with All-Summit first teamer Trevian Carson also expected to jump.
 
At least three from North Dakota will be gone, including Greyson Uelman, an All-Summit League second team member. 
 
Same for two talented guards from South Dakota, Uzziah Buntyn and Isaac Bruns.
 
Naturally, fans of the teams are bummed not just by the departures of good players, but by the painful truth of mid-major basketball. 
 
"Can't blame the players, but NIL and the portal have killed low and mid-major basketball," said a tweet from the Jackrabbit Illustrated account. "I guess I'm lucky that I got to watch Nate Wolters and Mike Daum for four years. Even cheering against (NDSU's) Ben Woodside, (IFPW's) John Konchar), and (Oakland's) Keith Benson was fun. This is no fun."
 
No fun at all? Mid-major hoops ruined?
 
Not so fast, says the Happy Hour host, who dives into the reasons why the sport at this level is still fun and fans will still support it.

What didn't happen in local and regional sports over the weekend? Other than no football games being played, nothing. 
 
Monday's Happy Hour covers it all:
 
* SDSU's 14th trip to the NCAA Women's Tournament in 18 years
 
* Augustana hockey coach Garrett Raboin stays in Sioux Falls despite reported offer from Minnesota to replace mentor Bob Motzko
 
* Huron upsets undefeated Lincoln for first boys state title in 22 years
 
* West Central wins first boys championship in 25 years, with a West River legend leading the way in his first season
 
* Nebraska and Iowa — both off breathtaking wins — will meet in the men's Sweet 16
 
* Under former USD coach Dawn Plitzuweit, Minnesota reaches Sweet 16 in thrilling finish
 
* USD women win WNIT game
 
* USD men lose two of its best players to the transfer portal
 
Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer joins to provide insight into Raboin's shocking (to some) decision to turn down what many would consider a dream job.
 
SDSU women's coach Aaron Johnston joins to describe why his Jackrabbits couldn't become the sixth team in his program's history to win an NCAA Tournament game, the legacy Brooklyn Meyer will leave behind, what SDSU does to prevent its best players from jumping in the portal, and what to expect of next year's team.
 
SDSU men's basketball signee Blake Ellwein joins to explain how his Huron team shocked most of the state by taking down top-ranked and 23-0 Sioux Falls Lincoln to capture that city's first state basketball crown since 2004. 

Ellwein also describes what it has been like to live in a basketball family where both parents were prep stars and state champions, his older sister plays at Dakota Wesleyan, and his younger brother Myles burned the nets at the state tourney.
 
Plus, why did Ellwein choose SDSU, then stick with that choice after former head coach Eric Henderson left for Drake and tried to convince Ellwein to also come to Des Moines?

Trent Singer on the shocking news of Augie hockey coach Garrett Raboin turning down Minnesota job, plus state hoops thoughts