Complete Release
Live Stats
Live Video
UNO Men's Basketball Twitter

The UNO men's basketball team (10-15) returns to action this weekend, hosting Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday, Feb. 12 at Sapp Fieldhouse at 2 p.m. The game marks Senior Day for seniors Mitch Albers and John Ring, who will play their final two home games at the fieldhouse this week, first with CSUB, followed by a final contest against Nebraska-Kearney on Wednesday, Feb. 15. Links to live stats and live video will be available on OMavs.com with Robert Ford on the call.

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 120-83.

Brief Notes
•Sunday is Senior Day at Sapp Fieldhouse, and seniors Mitch Albers and John Ring will be honored with a special presentation before the game.
•Albers moved up to No. 2 in school history for career scoring last week, passing former Maverick Dennis Forrest. Albers is now 90 points away from tying Dean Thompson (1,816) for the UNO career scoring record.
•Nebraska Omaha played three games in five days last week and enter Sunday with a three-game win streak, its first line of three consecutive wins this season. UNO has had a full week of practice since its last game against Doane on Sunday, Feb. 5.
•UNO finished the game against Peru State on Feb. 2 with 95 field goals attempted for the night, which is the highest single-game total of any Division I team in the nation this season.

Last Time Out
The Mavericks last took the court on Sunday, Feb. 5, defeating Doane 79-68 at Sapp Fieldhouse and closing a stretch of three games in five days. Senior guard Mitch Albers paced UNO with 22 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the field. Junior forward Alex Welhouse (12) and sophomore center John Karhoff (11) joined Albers in double-figure scoring, with Welhouse adding a team-leading nine rebounds. Freshman guard CJ Carter also chipped in nine points, eight boards, four assists and a pair of steals for the day.

Scouting the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners
Cal State Bakersfield enters Sunday's game with an overall record of 12-13, having most recently lost 73-67 at UT Pan American on Feb. 8. Stephon Carter paced CSUB with 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting, and Zach Lamb added 16 points of his own. Rashad Savage also grabbed 15 boards for the day.

Carter leads the Roadrunners in scoring with 11.7 points per game, while Issiah Grayson also averages double figures with 10.8 points per contest. Savage is CSUB's top rebounder at 6.2 boards per game.

Like UNO, Cal State Bakersfield recently reclassified to NCAA Division I and completed its four-year transition in 2010. The Roadrunners compete as an independent institution.

Sunday marks the first meeting in program history between Nebraska Omaha and Cal State Bakersfield. The squads will face each other again in two weeks, when UNO travels to Bakersfield, Calif., on Feb. 25.

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.

Mavs Rank Among Nation's Best in Assists
Through games of Feb. 9, UNO is 10th in the nation with 16.8 assists per game and 11th nationally among Division I schools with 420 total assists as a team. The Mavericks' assist-to-turnover ratio sits at 1.2

Albers Moves Up to No. 2 for Career Scoring
Senior guard Mitch Albers became the 32nd member of UNO's 1,000 Point Club on Jan. 12, 2011, 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 this season, Albers moved into the top five in school history for career scoring. With his 22 points against Doane last Sunday, he sits at second all-time with 1,726 points.

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 90 points -- an average of 22.5 points per game for the remaining four 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 Feb. 9, Albers ranks 27th nationally in scoring with 18.7 points per game.

UNO Career Scoring Leaders
1. Dean Thompson, Jr. (1980-84) -- 1,816
2. Mitch Albers (2007-present) -- 1,726
3. Dennis Forrest (1973-77) -- 1,660
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

Mitch's Marks
In addition his drive for the Nebraska Omaha career scoring record, Mitch Albers ranks among the best in school history in multiple categories. He is fourth in field goals made (612) and fourth in 3-pointers made (182). In recent weeks, Albers has also entered the school's top 20 for assists (15th – 220) and steals (16th – 100).

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 180, one behind Seth Nelson (181). Albers is also fourth all-time with 602 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. Mitch Albers (2007-present) -- 182
5. Seth Nelson (1999-2003) – 181
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) – 612
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 Feb. 9, sophomore guard Caleb Steffensmeier leads the nation with a 3.71 assist-to-turnover ratio among Division I players. For the year, he has just 24 turnovers and 89 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 12 points, as well as a seven assists, two rebounds and a steal.

Against IPFW on Dec. 10, Steffensmeier posted a career mark with 11 assists to mark his first double-figure effort in the category. In addition, he had a career-best seven rebounds against Saint Mary on Dec. 15, and in last week's game at Avila, he chipped in a career-high 15 points for the night.

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 since averaged 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game, and he has 15 double-figure scoring efforts. Against Coppin State on Dec. 30, Carter posted a career-high 21 points and went 5-for-6 from behind the arc. Last Sunday's game against Doane also marked a career effort on the glass, as he finished with eight rebounds.

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 have earned playing time for UNO this season: 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 to open the year.

Last month, Egli was firing on all cylinders from 3-point range, posting a trio of threes on back-to-back nights Colorado State and Johnson & Wales. He totaled a career-high 11 points against JWU.

Coleman came on strong against Peru State last week, chipping in a career-high marks of 15 points and six steals, as well as six rebounds.

Freeman has averaged 9.7 minutes, 4.4 points and 2.0 rebounds off the bench and recently put up a career-best 17 points against Peru State. Carter, as a starter, plays an average of 28.1 minutes per game, accounting for 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 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. He has been the Mavs' leading rebounder, averaging 6.8 boards per game, as well as 10.1 points per contest, which is third on the squad. Welhouse pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds at Northern Illinois on Dec. 3, and he leads the team with 38 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 43 percent 3-point shooting effort 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 played 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 was one of the Mavs' top scorers with eight consecutive double-figure performances from Dec. 19 to Jan. 21, including back-to-back 20-point games against Johnson & Wales and Briar Cliff.

Last week against Peru State, Karhoff pulled down eight rebounds -- all on the offensive end -- for his season high.

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 had a solid senior season so far, averaging 25.6 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 9.0 points per game over six 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.

Scranton Wilkes-Barre most recently earned a 129-123 overtime win in a rematch with Lake Michigan, and Bullock chipped in 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting.

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 120-83 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. 15, hosting Nebraska-Kearney for the Mavs' final home game of 2011-12. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Sapp Fieldhouse, and the game will include special Alumni Night festivities  to salute UNO men's basketball's final contest at Sapp Fieldhouse before moving to the new Ralston Sports and Events Center next season.