Happy Hour with John Gaskins

In her fourth year as the analyst for several of the Summit tourney women's games — including the semifinals and final — the former Kansas State guard breaks down the recent hot play of the Jackrabbits and if SDSU, as a No. 2 seed, is still the favorite in the event it has dominated for so long. This, despite NDSU running through a 15-1 slate to take the regular season crown.
Who will emerge in a deeper men's field? Who is s the Player of the Year on the men's and women's sides? What about Coach of the Year?

Down by 17 late in the first half, the Coyotes ignited a comeback charge that led to a 75-70 regular season finale win to sweep the Jackrabbits.
How? Why? And now what do we make of both teams' chances to advance once or twice in the Summit League Tournament? 
Zach Borg and Trent Singer break it down.

It was a Jackrabbit jackhammering in Brookings on Saturday night as SDSU avenged its loss at USD a month ago with a resounding 82-49 blowout. 
Sioux Falls Live's John Gaskins and Matt Zimmer break down the game and where both teams stand heading into the Summit League Tournament.

John Elway led "The Drive." 
 
Dwight Clark made "The Catch."
 
And in South Dakota State's rich history at the Summit League Tournament in Sioux Falls, Michael Orris hit "The Shot."
 
It is one of those iconic moments in sports (around here) that, if you mention Orris's name, the first thing that would come to mind for about 99.9% of people who know Jackrabbits or SLT history is "The Shot."
 
John Elway led "The Drive." 
 
Dwight Clark made "The Catch."
 
And in South Dakota State's rich history at the Summit League Tournament in Sioux Falls, Michael Orris hit "The Shot."
 
It is one of those iconic moments in sports (around here) that, if you mention Orris's name, the first thing that would come to mind for about 99.9% of people who know Jackrabbits or SLT history is "The Shot."

 
For those who don't remember or don't want to zoom to the 4:04 mark on this clip — Orris hit an 18-foot jumper with 1.5 seconds left to beat arch rival and No. 1 seed South Dakota in the semfinal of the 2017 tourney in front of an electric, record SLT crowd of 11,235 in the PREMIER Center.
 
That shot vaulted SDSU — the No. 4 seed and 15-16 coming into the event — into the championship game, where the Jacks beat Omaha 79-77 for the fifth out of seven SLT titles and NCAA Tournament bids.
 
More devout SDSU fans remember Orris as a tough-as-a-two-dollar-steak graduate transfer senior point guard, who in his only season at the school was part of T.J. Otzelberger's first team and helped will the Jacks to a roaring, late-season surge after starting 1-6 in league play.
 
So, how did Orris — who started his career at Kansas State, transferred to Northern Illinois, was ready to quit college hoops despite a year of eligibility remaining — end up in Brookings? And how did the Jacks turn a disastrous season into a memorable February and March run for the ages?
 
Fortunately, Orris is back in Sioux Falls to tell the story in person. He is in his first season as an assistant coach for Cody Schilling's Augustana squad. The Vikings have won 10 of their last 12 games and are the No. 2 seed heading into this weekend's NSIC Tournament in the Pentagon. 
 
How did Schilling lure Orris back to South Dakota? Well, that's another cool story.
 
Orris has a lot of them. He's the same gregarious, engaging dude from Chicago that he was as a Jackrabbit, and there is sooooooo much more to him and his basketball journey than "The Shot." 
 
There's the "Chicago" in him that helped shape his career and has helped him recruit that area. There's the fiery player in him that he believes resonates with his players. There's his refusal to eat a thing before dinner because his Puerto Rican wife will always have a king's spread waiting for him after work, or a long road trip.
 
To know Orris is to enjoy him. So, enjoy.
 
Thirsty Thursday Summit Hoops & local sports talk with Trent Singer
 
Before that, the Happy Hour host and Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer get together for their weekly "Thirsty Thursday" local sports chat at Orion Pub.
 
The two recap the South Dakota State women's statement-making road win at SLT No. 1 seed North Dakota State, becoming the first league team to beat the Bison this season.
 
Then, there was the South Dakota men's blazing, almost-out-of-nowhere 89-72 win over Omaha on Wednesday to reclaim the Coyotes as a potential contender in next week's SLT.
 
This leads to a preview of the two "State vs U" games between the Jackrabbits and Coyotes on Saturday — the women likely playing for the No. 2 seed in Brookings, while the men duke it out for the best possible seed in Vermillion.
 
Oh, and there was University of Sioux Falls men — the highest-scoring team in the NSIC and perhaps the best offense in the country (according to their head coach) — putting on another fireworks display in a 94-76 NSIC tourney win over Wayne State that propelled the Cougars into Saturday's 4:30 p.m. quarterfinal against No. 1 seed St. Cloud State in the Pentagon.
 
What kind of a factor will the eight-seed Cougars and No. 2 Augie be in the event? 
 
Well, this is why Trent and the host get together every week at the Orion — to hash out those sorts of things on the microphone and over a beer.

The Happy Hour host and Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer get together for their weekly "Thirsty Thursday" local sports chat at Orion Pub.
 
The two recap the South Dakota State women's statement-making road win at SLT No. 1 seed North Dakota State, becoming the first league team to beat the Bison this season.
 
Then, there was the South Dakota men's blazing, almost-out-of-nowhere 89-72 win over Omaha on Wednesday to reclaim the Coyotes as a potential contender in next week's SLT.
 
This leads to a preview of the two "State vs U" games between the Jackrabbits and Coyotes on Saturday — the women likely playing for the No. 2 seed in Brookings, while the men duke it out for the best possible seed in Vermillion.
 
Oh, and there was University of Sioux Falls men — the highest-scoring team in the NSIC and perhaps the best offense in the country (according to their head coach) — putting on another fireworks display in a 94-76 NSIC tourney win over Wayne State that propelled the Cougars into Saturday's 4:30 p.m. quarterfinal against No. 1 seed St. Cloud State in the Pentagon.
 
What kind of a factor will the eight-seed Cougars and No. 2 Augie be in the event? 
 
Well, this is why Trent and the host get together every week at the Orion — to hash out those sorts of things on the microphone and over a beer.