The brackets are set for the Summit League men's and women's basketball tournaments! John Gaskins has his first pre-tourney opinions and predictions — a predictable women's event (SDSU looks as invincible as ever) while the only prediction for the men is unpredictability.

But John does have one men's prediction — a USD men's win over North Dakota State. All of a sudden, the Coyotes look like gangbusters after a Senior Day surge against UND, while the No. 3 seed Jackrabbits have their tails between their legs after a 16-point loss at No. 7 seed Denver on Saturday. How much could any of this carry over against UND on Friday night?

Also, thoughts on the USD women's trend and first-round draw, plus Pierre native and NDSU lineman Gray Zabel's weekend at the NFL Combine.

Today's guest is South Dakota men's guard Chase Forte. 

There's an old adage that says "defense travels." South Dakota's leading scorer is also one of the Summit League's best defenders — potentially the Defensive Player of the Year — in his only season in Vermillion, leading the hounding full-court press the Coyotes hope will wear down opponents in Sioux Falls at the league tourney this week.

Vermillion is the latest stop on the Raleigh, NC, native's college basketball journey that started in junior college near the beaches of Panama City, Florida, and continued at Northwestern State in Louisiana. Forte takes us through all that, plus the Yotes' trip to Italy over the summer that forged the chemistry of a team capable of beating any team in the Summit League.

Where does his defensive prowess come from? And, what about working for a behaviorial health agency one summer in Las Vegas, Nevada, shaped the down-to-earth Forte's attitude on life?