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The UNO men's basketball team (1-2) finishes its swing of five games in 10 days with a pair of contests at future Summit League foes South Dakota and North Dakota State. Tipoff against the Coyotes on Sunday, Nov. 20 is set for 2 p.m. at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D., while the game at NDSU on Tuesday, Nov. 22 starts at 8 p.m. in Fargo, N.D. Links to both games' live stats, live video and live audio will be available on OMavs.com, while Sunday's contest at USD will also be televised on Midco Sports Network.

Nebraska Omaha is in its first year as a reclassifying Division I school in 2011-12. The Mavericks are led by Head Coach Derrin Hansen, who is in his seventh year at the helm of the UNO program with a career record of 111-70. Senior guard Mitch Albers returns after earning all-conference honors a year ago, when he averaged 17.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Albers also ranked 31st nationally in Division II free throw percentage (.876).

UNO returns six letterwinners from the 2010-11 squad in Albers, senior John Ring, junior Alex Welhouse and sophomores John Karhoff, Caleb Steffensmeier and Matt Hagerbaumer. Albers, Welhouse and Karhoff were all part of the Mavs' starting lineup last season, and Steffensmeier has moved into a starting role this year.

Last Time Out
The Mavericks last took the court on Wednesday, Nov. 16, suffering a 77-74 loss at UMKC in the final seconds. Senior guard Mitch Albers led the way with 26 points -- his second straight game of at least 20 points -- while adding five assists, two steals, and a career-high-tying two blocks.

The Papillion, Neb., native's point total also moved him up to eighth on the UNO career scoring leaders list, allowing him to pass Thor Palamore, who had 1,309 points from 1987 to 1991. Albers now has 1,329 in just over three seasons.

Sophomore center John Karhoff had a career-high 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting from the field, and freshman guard CJ Carter added 11 points of his own. Junior forward Alex Welhouse pulled down a career-best 10 rebounds.

Scouting the South Dakota Coyotes
South Dakota enters Sunday's game with an overall record of 0-2, having dropped its first two games -- 48-65 at Nebraska (Nov. 11) and 61-70 at Eastern Washington (Nov. 15). Charlie Westbrook leads the Coyotes in scoring with 13.0 points per game, as well as 1.5 steals per contest.

The USD-UNO all-time series is tied at 38-38-1, as the two teams are both former members of the North Central Conference. The Mavericks took the last game with a 75-60 win in Omaha on Feb. 9, 2008.

Scouting the North Dakota State Bison
North Dakota State enters Tuesday night's game with an overall record of 4-0, having won its first four games -- 73-65 at San Francisco, 78-58 against Louisiana-Lafayette and 70-58 against Northern Arizona in the USF Hilltop Challenge, followed by a 65-61 victory over Green Bay on Wednesday. The Bison have four players averaging double-figure scoring, led by Mike Felt's 14.5 points per game off the bench. Taylor Braun (14.0), Lawrence Alexander (12.3) and Marshall Bjorklund (10.8) also top the NDSU scoring effort.

NDSU leads the all-time series with UNO, 34-26, having last taken a 73-63 win on Jan. 16, 2004 in Fargo.

New Kids on the Block
Five Maverick newcomers earned have earned playing time in UNO's first three games: freshmen CJ Carter and Mitchell Farr and juniors Bill Freeman, Tyler Egli and Jacques Coleman. Carter, who is in UNO's starting five, played 34 minutes in his debut, while Freeman had a significant 22 minutes off the bench at IPFW.

Mavericks Reclassify to Division I
Nebraska Omaha announced in March 2011 its plan to reclassify from NCAA Division II to Division I, beginning with the 2011-12 school year. UNO, which was previously a member of the MIAA, accepted an invitation to join The Summit League and will compete as a full-fledged member with a regular-season conference schedule in 2012-13.

So Long to the Sapp
The 2011-12 season marks the UNO men's basketball team's final year playing in venerable Sapp Fieldhouse, home of UNO basketball since 1949. In 2012-13, when the Mavericks begin playing a full Summit League conference schedule, they will also move their home games to the new Ralston Sports and Event Center on 72nd and Q Streets. The venue is currently under construction and is expected to open in the fall of 2012 with a capacity of 4,000 seats.

Carter Catches Fire in Career Debut
Freshman guard CJ Carter had a stellar debut in his first collegiate game against IPFW last week, leading UNO with 18 points. The Omaha Benson product shot 7-for-12 from the field and was 3-for-4 from 3-point range, while also chipping in a team-best two steals over 34 minutes of work. Carter was the first true freshman to start since former point guard Andrew Bridger did so in 2006-07.

At UMKC on Wednesday night, Carter chipped in his second double-figure scoring effort with 11 points, as well as three rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals.

Freeman Finding His Way
Junior guard Bill Freeman stepped right into the Mavericks' lineup at IPFW last week, playing 22 minutes off the bench. In that time, Freeman went 5-for-8 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers and was 2-for-2 at the free throw line. The transfer from Ellsworth Community College racked up 14 points for the day and also pulled down five rebounds, which was second-most on the team, while also chipping in two assists and a steal.

Over the first three games, Freeman has averaged 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

Albers Set to Lead Nebraska Omaha in 2011-12
One of six returning letterwinners, senior guard Mitch Albers is UNO's undisputed leader on the court entering 2011-12. The returning All-MIAA selection finished his junior year by averaging 17.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, while also leading the league in free throw percentage (.876) and ranking 31st nationally in the same category.

Albers became the 32nd member of UNO's 1,000 Point Club on Jan. 12 last season, as he dropped 29 points on Southwest Baptist. The Papillion-LaVista graduate wrapped up his junior campaign with 1,258 career points, which ranked 10th in UNO history.

After his career-high-tying 30-point performance against Concordia and a 26-point effort at UMKC, Albers is 22 points away from tying Calvin Forrest for seventh place. Forrest had 1,351 points from 1970 to 1974.

Despite never leading in the Mavs in scoring during his first three seasons, Albers still has the possibility of breaking the school scoring record. He needs 487 points -- an average of 18.7 points per game for the remainder of the season -- to pass Dean Thompson's career mark. Thompson, one of the most decorated Mavericks in program history, had 1,816 points from 1980 to 1984.

UNO Career Scoring Leaders
1. Dean Thompson, Jr. (1980-84) -- 1,816
2. Dennis Forrest (1973-77) -- 1,660
3. Michael Jenkins (2005-09) -- 1,556
4. Phil Cartwright (1988-92) -- 1,457
5. Mike Simons (1986-2000) -- 1,387
6. Seth Nelson (1999-2003) -- 1,363
7. Calvin Forest (1970-74) -- 1,351
8. Mitch Albers (2007-present) -- 1,329
9. Thor Palamore (1987-91) -- 1,309
10. Stan Schaetzle (1953-57) -- 1,278

Albers Continues Climb on Field Goals, 3-Point Lists
In addition to the watch for Mitch Albers' climb up the UNO all-time career scoring list, attention should be paid to the senior's place on the career field goals and career 3-pointers records. He ranks eighth for all-time 3-pointers with 145, needing 16 to tie former Maverick Michael Jenkins (161). Albers is also seventh all-time with 473 field goals made, just 18 behind No. 6 Jim Gregory, who had 491.

UNO Career 3-Point Leaders
1. Zac Robinson (2002-07) -- 248
2. Mike Simons (1996-2000) -- 230
3. Dan Morrow (1999-2003) -- 186
4. Seth Nelson (1999-2003) -- 181
5. Jeff Martin (2008-11) -- 164
    Andrew Bridger (2006-10) -- 164
7. Michael Jenkins (2005-09) -- 161
8. Mitch Albers (2007-present) -- 145
9. Troy Kloewer (1993-97) -- 131
10. Denny Johnston (2004-08) -- 125

UNO Career Field Goal Leaders
1. Dean Thompson (1980-84) -- 740
2. Dennis Forrest (1973-77) – 661
3. Phil Cartwright (1988-92) – 627
4. Calvin Forrest (1970-74) – 547
5. Thor Palamore (1987-91) – 510
6. Jim Gregory (1977-81) – 491
7. Mitch Albers (2007-present) – 473
8. Sam Singleton (1962-66) – 468
9. Glen Moberg (1975-79) – 450
    Tom Thompson (1984-88) – 450

Mixed Schedule Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
UNO's 2011-12 schedule includes 16 Division I games, three Division II opponents and nine NAIA pairings, and the team will play in 14 different states and all four time zones across the country. The Division I portion of the slate matches UNO with opponents from seven different conferences: The Summit League, Big Ten, Horizon League, Mid-Eastern Athletic (MEAC), Mid-American (MAC), Mountain West and the Western Athletic (WAC).

The Mavericks will face an early set of challenges, opening with five games over 10 days. Four of those five contests are on the road at IPFW (Nov. 12), UMKC (Nov. 16), South Dakota (Nov. 20) and North Dakota State (Nov. 22), all of which will be Summit League peers in 2012-13.

Welhouse Well-Prepared for Junior Year
After starting the last 12 games of 2010-11, junior forward Alex Welhouse has been back at it in UNO's starting five at IPFW and against Concordia. Over three games, he has been the Mavs' leading rebounder, averaging 8.7 boards per game, as well as 9.7 points per

Welhouse moved into the starting five midway through last season, earning the nod after averaging 10.0 points per game off the bench.

The Kaukauna, Wis., native became a starter last year after averaging 10.0 points per game off the bench. He finished with nine double-figure scoring performances in his final 16 games, including back-to-back contests with 15 points at Pittsburg State and against Washburn. Welhouse hit 34 3-pointers in the span and finished his sophomore campaign with a .430 3-point shooting percentage that was second in the MIAA. His 8.6 points per game also ranked fourth on the team.

Karhoff Back as Mavs' Big Man in the Middle
Sophomore John Karhoff was the Mavericks' starting center for nearly the entire 2010-11 season as a redshirt freshman, and he has opened his second-year campaign in the same role. The Creighton Prep product averaged 6.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest in 2010-11, as well as 0.6 blocked shots. Karhoff also had seven double-figure scoring performances, and he tallied his first of two career double-doubles with 10 points and 12 rebounds against Fort Hays State.

On Wednesday at UMKC, Karhoff accounted for a career-high 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting from the field and a 4-for-5 effort at the free throw line. His only missed shot came at the buzzer on the Mavs' last-second effort for a win.

Hansen Enters Seventh Year at UNO
Head Coach Derrin Hansen enters in his seventh season at the helm of the UNO men's basketball program in 2011-12, having taken the job after serving as an assistant coach for seven years with former Maverick head coaches Kevin McKenna and Kevin Lehman. Hansen boasts a career record of 111-70 over the first six-plus years of his head coaching career and hit the century mark on Jan. 12, 2011. He has the second-most victories of any coach in program history, behind only Bob Hanson, who amassed a record of 382-313 from 1969 to 1994.

Hansen has coached or assisted teams that have earned five trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament, while also garnering two regular-season league titles and three tournament crowns. In 2007-08, his squad recorded a school-record 25 wins in its final season of North Central Conference play, and the Mavs won their final NCC Tournament to advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time since 2004-05. In 2009-10, UNO earned an NCAA Tournament berth by capturing the MIAA Tournament crown in just its second year as a member of the league.

As a player at Nebraska Wesleyan, Hansen's 1988 squad advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals, and while serving as a student coach, the 1990 Plainsmen advanced to the final 16.

Next Up for the Mavs
UNO returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 26, hosting Chadron State. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at Sapp Fieldhouse.