Scoggins: St. Thomas basketball coach Johnny Tauer gets key assist in form of Nick Janowski

Johnny Tauer needed a diversion at graduate school, something to clear his mind in those long days as a Ph.D. student in social psychology at Wisconsin.

Tauer had just finished his decorated basketball career at St. Thomas. He felt a little out of sorts after moving to Madison for postgraduate studies.

He found peace in a rec gym on campus.

Tauer played pickup basketball every day for two hours. Same time, same place, same guys on the court. He became friends with a small group of them.

He especially liked playing with a point guard whom everyone called “Mookie,” a nickname that stuck because his tenacious defense reminded them of former NBA point guard Mookie Blaylock.

The rec center Mookie gave Tauer the nickname “Butter” because he was such a smooth outside shooter.

Butter and Mookie emailed each other every morning to confirm their availability for games that afternoon.

Nearly three decades later, Mookie, whose real name is Brian Janowski, set up his former running mate with another assist.

Janowski’s son Nick is the second-leading scorer on the St. Thomas men’s basketball team coached by Tauer.

“It’s amazing how life comes full circle,” Brian Janowski said by phone.

A little cosmic connection is paying dividends for all parties.

Janowski, a freshman guard, has found a new home and starting role after transferring from Nebraska following a redshirt season. Tauer landed a natural scorer who makes the Tommies’ free-flowing offense even more versatile and dynamic.

The Tommies have scored at least 80 points in eight consecutive games, all victories, and that stretch includes reaching 90-plus points four games in a row.

The Tommies also rank sixth in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.9).

“We’re starting to play really well,” Tauer said.

Good timing. The Tommies tackle the North Dakota two-step this week: At North Dakota on Thursday night, at North Dakota State on Saturday.

St. Thomas sits between those two programs atop the Summit League standings, with the Bison (14-5, 4-0) and Tommies (14-4, 3-0) still undefeated in conference play.

“He fits our system so well,” Tauer said.

Tauer didn’t recruit Janowski out of high school despite his ties. Janowski played at powerhouse Pewaukee (Wis.) High, where he won three state championships, scored a school-record 2,297 points and was ranked as a top 25 shooting guard nationally in his class by all four major recruiting services.

Tauer and Brian Janowski saw each other occasionally over the years, but Tauer’s program wasn’t positioned yet to compete with Division I schools in recruiting elite talent. This is the Tommies’ first season in the new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, and they’re eligible to participate in the Division I NCAA tournament for the first time.

Janowski signed with Nebraska but didn’t play as a redshirt last season. Dozens of schools contacted him after he entered his name in the transfer portal. He chose a program he has known about since he was a kid.

“This is exactly where I’m supposed to be,” he said.

“I was all over the place,” he said. “They helped rein me in. The offense is a little bit confusing until you get it. But once you do, it’s just making reads and being a basketball player.”

Tauer’s scouting report on Janowski: “Boundless energy. He doesn’t have an off switch. He’s really a versatile scorer.”

He has a totally different skill set than his dad, who was more of a traditional point guard. Brian Janowski turned down an offer to play for Dick Bennett at Wisconsin-Green Bay in favor of accepting a full-ride academic scholarship from Wisconsin.

Janowski earned his degree, spent two years working in Chicago, then moved back to Madison. He jumped into pickup games and found a sharpshooting friend.

The rec center known as “the Shell” was open to students and community members. One court always showcased the top talent in Madison. Badgers football and basketball players played there during their offseasons. Tauer and Janowski’s crew held their own.

“He was one of my favorite players of everybody I’ve ever played with,” Janowski said of his wingman.