Happy Hour with John Gaskins

Bring it on. We've been here before. And we came out more than just fine.
 
That's the tone and truth of the University of South Dakota football program — via its face, voice, and head coach Travis Johansen — following the high-profile transfer portal departures of FCS rushing champion L.J. Phillips (Iowa) and All-MVFC wideout Larenzo Fenner (Cincinnati).
 
In a 35-minute conversation Happy Hour conversation, Johansen, entering his second season at the helm, provided his thoughts on those departures, the players USD picked up via the portal, the potential "immediate impact" players among the Coyotes' class of '26 high school signees, and the approach that goes into building a roster year after crazy year in this Wild West era of college football.
 
USD is the only FCS team to reach the quarterfinals each of the last three seasons. It has that to sell, plus a recent and growing history of sending players to the NFL — a selling point for both incoming prep and portal recruits and players on the roster who flirt with a possible NIL move up to the FBS.
 
So, how do they do it? Why are they so confident — after losing an All-American lineman who became an All-Big 12 lineman and an All-MVFC linebacker who became an ACC team's leading tackler — they can re-stock the cupboard for another run at an FCS championship?
 
Who did they bring in from the portal to compete to be the quarterback to replace Aidan Bouman? When they look for a USD "fit," what is that?
 
Before Johansen, the Happy Hour host and Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer sink their teeth into midseason Summit League hoops on another "Thirsty Thursday" from Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls — particularly the South Dakota State men's loss at Omaha on Wednesday to drop the Jackrabbits to below .500 in conference play. Is it time to sleep on the Jackrabbits until they wake us up?
 
What kind of a chance do the USD women have on Saturday in their bid to snap a three-year losing streak to SDSU? Are the Coyotes men equipped to be the first Summit team to take down league leader North Dakota State?
 
Then, there is the only Div. I college team in South Dakota that is ranked among the nation's Top 20 in its sport: Augustana hockey. Singer gives the latest on the Vikings, plus some thoughts on the top high school basketball backcourt studs in the area.
 
The three most important questions in this barstool banter — Is The Sandlot a baseball movie? Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Is a hot dog a sandwich?

John and Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer sink their teeth into midseason Summit League hoops on another "Thirsty Thursday" from Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls — particularly the South Dakota State men's loss at Omaha on Wednesday to drop the Jackrabbits to below .500 in conference play. Is it time to sleep on the Jackrabbits until they wake us up?
 
What kind of a chance do the USD women have on Saturday in their bid to snap a three-year losing streak to SDSU? Are the Coyotes men equipped to be the first Summit team to take down league leader North Dakota State?
 
Then, there is the only Div. I college team in South Dakota that is ranked among the nation's Top 20 in its sport: Augustana hockey. Singer gives the latest on the Vikings, plus some thoughts on the top high school basketball backcourt studs in the area.
 
The three most important questions in this barstool banter — Is The Sandlot a baseball movie? Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Is a hot dog a sandwich?

Travis Johansen on portal gains and losses, USD's momentum, HS class of '26, philosophies & process of talent scouting

Why not one more win for the winningest quarterback in the history of college football?
 
It was "One Shrine-ing Moment" for former South Dakota State and Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski on Tuesday. Playing in the Cowboys' indoor training camp stadium in Frisco, Texas — the same town Gronowski led the Jackrabbits to the school's only national championships in football — Gronowski earned the all-star game's Offensive MVP honor.
 
Playing for just over a quarter, the 2023 FCS Walter Payton Award winner led two scoring drives, threw a couple nifty downfield darts, eluded multiple backfield defenders on an 18-yard first down scramble on 3rd-and-7, and threw down a vicious block for his running back on a touchdown.
 
So, considering this was an event created to show off college players' talents against other NFL Draft prospects, what did this do for Gronowski's draft stock? What are his chances of even being drafted? How much did his year at Iowa — unremarkable stats, several "winning" moments, 10 touchdowns, seven interceptions for a 10-4 team — help or hurt his stock? 
 
Happy Hour's host pours through reviews of NFL analysts and looks back to remarks on Gronowski's strengths and weaknesses made by Happy Hour guests like former Hawkeye and NFL quarterback Chuck Long, plus Sanford Sports Academy football director and Gronowski family friend Kurtiss Riggs.
 
Then, it's time to talk basketball. The Happy Hour host, a die-hard Nebraska basketball fan, explains why he considers the fifth-ranked Cornhuskers and even more-for-real national championship contender — you read those words correctly — after suffering their first loss of the season at No. 3 Michigan last night, 75-72.
 
Cody Schilling
Augustana's all-time leading scorer when he graduated from the school in 2012, Schilling has his alma mater rolling in his second year as head coach. After growing pains of a 12-18 rookie campaign, the former Tom Billiter player and assistant coach has led the Vikings to a 12-7 record and 10-4 mark in the Northern Sun, good for third-best out of 16 teams. 
 
Augie has won four consecutive games, all on the road, and returns to the Elmen Center for home contests against Bemidji State on Friday night and Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday afternoon.
 
In a 40-minute interview on the floor where he poured in hundreds of points, Schilling explains how his second squad is surging behind likely All-NSIC first team guard Tameron Ferguson, who is at or near the top of several offensive categories, including third in scoring (21.5 points). In-state recruits like Mitchell's Caden Hinker and Marcus Talley are also in the mix.
 
All this while Schilling's wife is eight months pregnant, with a due date right around the regular season finale against arch-rival Sioux Falls and the NSIC Tournament in February.
 
Nate Kaeding
Kaeding, a former Div. I assistant coach at North Dakota and Chris Johnson's former associate head coach at USF, tutors some of the best high school boys talent in the region as a club coach and the basketball coordinator at Sanford Sports Academy. For this, Kaeding is a local TV prep game analyst for both Midwest Sports Plus and SDPB.
 
Through half of the regular season, who are some of the best boys basketball players in Class AA, according to Kaeding? It starts at No. 1 Lincoln (10-0) and the Patriots' terrific trio of Augustana commits Sam DeGroot and Sam Ericsson, plus SDSU football commit Brody Schaefer. Meanwhile, two Patriots from last season's 22-2 squad are now key cogs at No. 2 Roosevelt (10-1) — DeAndre Painter and Justin Bilal.
 
And no conversation about South Dakota high school roundball is complete without the versatile 6'10 SDSU commit Blake Elwein of Huron. Kaeding breaks down all of their games, plus several others, and reacts to the recent "soon to retire" announcement from O'Gorman coaching legend Derek Robey.

Augustana's all-time leading scorer when he graduated from the school in 2012, Schilling has his alma mater rolling in his second year as head coach. After growing pains of a 12-18 rookie campaign, the former Tom Billiter player and assistant coach has led the Vikings to a 12-7 record and 10-4 mark in the Northern Sun, good for third-best out of 16 teams. 
 
Augie has won four consecutive games, all on the road, and returns to the Elmen Center for home contests against Bemidji State on Friday night and Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday afternoon.
 
In a 40-minute interview on the floor where he poured in hundreds of points, Schilling explains how his second squad is surging behind likely All-NSIC first team guard Tameron Ferguson, who is at or near the top of several offensive categories, including third in scoring (21.5 points). In-state recruits like Mitchell's Caden Hinker and Marcus Talley are also in the mix.
 
All this while Schilling's wife is eight months pregnant, with a due date right around the regular season finale against arch-rival Sioux Falls and the NSIC Tournament in February.