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The UNO men's basketball team (7-14) returns home for the first time in five weeks, hosting future Summit League rival Western Illinois on Tuesday, Jan. 24. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Sapp Fieldhouse, with links to live stats and live video available on OMavs.com. The game is UNO's final home match-up with a Summit League competitor this season.

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 117-81. 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 Saturday, Jan. 21, falling 78-56 at Washburn in Topeka, Kan. Senior guard Mitch Albers paced UNO with 15 points in his 31st consecutive double-figure scoring effort dating back to the 2010-11 season, and sophomore center John Karhoff chipped in 14 points of his own. Junior forward Alex Welhouse also pulled down six rebounds, and senior center John Ring tallied five boards.

Scouting the Western Illinois Leathernecks
Western Illinois enters Tuesday's game with an overall record of 10-8 and a 5-5 mark in Summit League play, having last earned a 47-45 win at South Dakota on Jan. 21. Obi Emegano posted a game-leading 21 points, while Ceola Clark had 11. Terell Parks led the way on the glass, pulling down 13 rebounds, in addition to five assists and four blocks.

WIU has three players who average double-figure scoring -- Emegano (13.9 points per game), Clark (13.1 ppg) and Parks (12.4 ppg). Parks is also Western Illinois' leading rebounder with 9.1 boards per game, and Clark has a team-best 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per contest.

The all-time series between UNO and Western Illinois is tied at 3-3, with the Mavericks taking the most recent game with an 89-71 victory in 1977.

Mavs Rank Among Nation's Best in Assists
Through games of Jan. 22, UNO is 10th in the nation in total assists as a team, having compiled 350 helpers over 21 games. The Mavs are 16th nationally among Division I schools with 16.7 assists per game, and their assist-to-turnover ratio sits at 1.20.

Albers Moves Into Top Three for Career Scoring
One of six returning letterwinners, senior guard Mitch Albers is UNO's undisputed leader on the court in 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 an 11-point effort against Washburn on Nov. 29, Albers moved into the top five in school history for career scoring. With his 15 points in Saturday's rematch at WU, he sits at third all-time with 1,642 points. Albers is now just 18 points away from tying for second place with Dennis Forrest, who had 1,660 from 1973 to 1977.

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 174 points -- an average of 21.8 points per game for the remaining eight contests this 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.

In addition, through games of Jan. 22, Albers ranks 39th nationally in scoring with 18.3 points per game.

UNO Career Scoring Leaders
1. Dean Thompson, Jr. (1980-84) -- 1,816
2. Dennis Forrest (1973-77) -- 1,660
3. Mitch Albers (2007-present) -- 1,642
4. Michael Jenkins (2005-09) -- 1,556
5. Phil Cartwright (1988-92) -- 1,457
6. Mike Simons (1986-2000) -- 1,387
7. Seth Nelson (1999-2003) -- 1,363
8. Calvin Forest (1970-74) -- 1,351
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 fifth for all-time 3-pointers with 177, ahead of former teammates Jeff Martin and Andrew Bridger (164). Albers is also fifth all-time with 579 field goals made.

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. Mitch Albers (2007-present) -- 177
6. Jeff Martin (2008-11) -- 164
    Andrew Bridger (2006-10) – 164
8. Michael Jenkins (2005-09) -- 161
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. Mitch Albers (2007-present) – 579
5. Calvin Forrest (1970-74) – 547
6. Thor Palamore (1987-91) – 510
7. Jim Gregory (1977-81) – 491
8. Sam Singleton (1962-66) – 468
9. Glen Moberg (1975-79) – 450
    Tom Thompson (1984-88) – 450

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.

Steff-ing Up
Through games of Jan. 22, sophomore guard Caleb Steffensmeier leads the nation with a 3.94 assist-to-turnover ratio among Division I players. For the year, he has just 18 turnovers and 71 assists.

Steffensmeier had a starring role in Nebraska Omaha's second win of the year on Nov. 26, helping defeat Chadron State in dramatic fashion on Nov. 26. With the score tied 78-78, his game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer sealed the 81-78 win. At 5.8 seconds to go, the ball was inbounded to Steffensmeier, who made the buzzer-beater from approximately 28 feet out, finishing with a career-high-tying 12 points, as well as a seven assists, two rebounds and a steal.

Against IPFW on Dec. 10, Steffensmeier posted another career mark, totaling 11 assists to mark his first double-figure effort in the category. In addition, he had a career-best seven rebounds against Saint Mary.

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.

Starter Carter
Freshman guard CJ Carter, who has started every game this season, is the first true freshman to start since former point guard Andrew Bridger did so in 2006-07. Carter had a stellar debut in his first collegiate game against IPFW, 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 has averaged 10.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game, and he has 13 double-figure scoring efforts. Against Coppin State on Dec. 30, Carter posted a career-high 21 points and went 5-for-6 from 3-point range.

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 faced an early set of challenges, opening with five games over 10 days. Four of those five contests were 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.

New Kids on the Block
Five of the Mavericks' six newcomers earned have earned playing time in UNO's first half of the year: 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.

Earlier this month, Egli was firing on all cylinders from 3-point range, posting a trio of threes at both Colorado State and Johnson & Wales. He totaled a career-high 11 points against JWU. Coleman also came on strong against Briar Cliff, chipping in six points and a career-high seven rebounds over the Chargers.

Freeman has averaged 9.4 minutes, 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds off the bench. Carter, as a starter, plays an average of 27.9 minutes per game, accounting for 10.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest.

Freshman forward Simon Krych is expected to redshirt in 2011-12.

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 this season. Over 21 games, he has been the Mavs' leading rebounder, averaging 6.8 boards per game, as well as 9.6 points per contest. Welhouse pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds at Northern Illinois on Dec. 3, and he is second on the team with 31 threes made. On Dec. 10, he added a career-best 24 points in a rematch with future Summit League foe IPFW.

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. At Northern Illinois on Dec. 3, Karhoff accounted for a career-high 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field, and it marked six straight double-figure scoring efforts. In the last month, Karhoff has been one of the Mavs' top scorers with eight consecutive double-figure performances, including back-to-back 20-point games against Johnson & Wales and Briar Cliff.

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.

Mavs Ink Tyus to National Letter of Intent
Guard Marcus Tyus signed a National Letter of Intent to join the UNO men's basketball program in 2012-13, Head Coach Derrin Hansen announced in November. A native of Ramsey, Minn., Tyus is a 6-1, 175-pound point guard from Anoka High School.

A first-team All-Northwest Suburban Conference player last year, Tyus averaged 21.2 points per game. He also averaged 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Tyus played AAU ball for the 43 Hoops program coached by former Minnesota Timberwolves player Chris Carr.

Tyus has opened his senior season with a bang, averaging 25.2 points per game. Over three early contests, he scored 35, 36 and 28 points, and he was selected as KARE Athlete of the Week for the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

Bullock Joins Scranton Wilkes-Barre Steamers
Former UNO guard Tyler Bullock (2009-11) has embarked on his professional basketball career, joining the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Steamers of the Premier Basketball League for 2012. Based out of Scranton, Penn., the team opened its season earlier this month, and Bullock has averaged 8.2 points per game over five appearances.

On Jan. 9, Bullock hit three 3-pointers and scored 12 of his 17 points in the final six minutes for a 120-106 win over the Lake Michigan Admirals. He added 10 points in a 107-97 victory over the Dayton Air Strikers on Jan. 14.

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 117-82 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 is back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 1, hosting in-state opponent Peru State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Sapp Fieldhouse.