June 23, 2025

FULL SHOW: SDSU's big decision / Twins & Canaries going oppo directions / Chris Johnson (USF coach) on NBA Finals, Wolves' to-do to reach them

1 hour 12 minutes

Judging by a strong engagement from Thursday's 90-minute Happy Hour interview with South Dakota State athletic director Justin Sell, there is high interest from both Jackrabbit fans and all FCS and mid-major enthusiasts in SDSU's decision to "opt in" or not opt in to the House Settlement that allows colleges to pay student athlets directly.

What were the key things Sell said that may be hints to where the Jacks are leaning?

Almost as importantly, after elite FCS rivals South Dakota and Montana State have announced they are "opting in," what would be the consequence of not opting in, which was SDSU's lean until Thursday, when Sell told us they were reconsidering?

Hear what plugged-in veteran coach and prep academy director Kurtiss Riggs would recommend simply from a recruiting standpoint, and John's view of SDSU's risk of becoming "the FCS Clemson" should they not opt in.

Plus, the Minnesota Twins and Sioux Falls Canaries both kept singing the same tune over the weekend. The Brewers swept the Twins in Minneapolis for the first time in almost 30 years, while the Canaries swept Fargo-Moorhead to boost their record to the third best in the American Association of Professional Baseball.

But while the Birds are top 3 in record and the undisputed top hitting and scoring team in the league, they are second-to-last in attendance. Why? John wants to you tell him. Email him at [email protected] or send a direct tweet to @johnkgaskins.

Meanwhile, the 2024-25 NBA season has finally come to an end with the Oklahoma City Thunder's first-ever title. What is the absolute first thing the Minnesota Timberwolves need to narrow the gap between themselves and both OKC and Indianapolis now that we've seen what it took for the Thunder to win?

(Of course, the excruiciating achilles injury to Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton helped OKC take the deciding Game 7, but would they have still won?)

One player the Wolves won't add to the mix is future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, who is headed to Houston after Minnesota was left off his list of a preferred trading partner with Phoenix. Did the Wolves miss out on what could have been the key piece to push them over the top? Will the Rockets now become a bigger obstacle to Minnesota's title hopes now that KD is there?

These are all intriguing questions that our Happy Hour with John Gaskins hoops analyst Chris Johnson has zesty answers. Plus, some insight into the brain of Wolves GM Tim Connelly and the unique background of OKC star Chet Holmgren who, like Johnson, is a Twin Cities native.

This leads to a discussion on the current state of an outgoing heated youth sports topic — specialization vs multi-sport athletes. Prep and college coaches say they want their players to participate in at least one other sport, yet every sport at the youth level is available to play almost year-round, with more opportunities to catch coaches' eyes if you specialize. So, how do coaches like Johnson navigate that?

And, how much do coaches spend time at and evaluate sanctioned high school games and performance vs AAU events?

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