This Week
The Omaha men's basketball team continues its three-game road stretch this week, visiting Missouri on Wednesday, Dec. 9. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo., and the game will be televised on SEC Network with play-by-play from Mitch Holthus and color commentary from Jon Sundvold. Gary Sharp will also have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2, and fans can stream the audio on their smartphones by downloading NRG Media's app “1620 The Zone.” Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.

Quick Hits
•Omaha hit the century mark for the third time this season with its 100-97 win at Montana State on Sunday. Over the 11-year Derrin Hansen era, the Mavericks are a perfect 16-0 when scoring 100 points or more in a game.
•UNO returns nine letterwinners from its 2014-15 team, including three starters in senior guards Marcus Tyus and Devin Patterson and sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman. Tyus, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last February, will redshirt this season.
•Thurman leads the team in scoring (16.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.1 rpg) and has shot 57 percent from the field.
•Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is the nation's leader in both steals and steals per game.
•Ten different Mavericks have had at least one double-figure scoring performance this season.
•UNO's top scorers off the bench is senior guard/forward Randy Reed II, who averages 6.3 points per game.
•According to kenpom.com, UNO is second nationally in adjusted tempo, which estimates of the possessions per 40 minutes a team would have against a team that wants to play at an average Division I tempo. Omaha's adjusted tempo is listed at 78.3 behind The Citadel (81.1).
•Omaha was picked seventh in the Summit League's preseason poll.

Scouting the Missouri Tigers
Missouri brings a record of 4-3 (0-0 SEC) into Wednesday's matchup with Omaha. The Tigers have won back-to-back games, 88-78 over Arkansas State on Dec. 1 and 78-71 to Northern Illinois on Dec. 4. Kevin Puryear led MU against NIU, finishing with 17 points for the night. Head coach Kim Anderson is in his second season at Missouri with a record of 13-26 and a 14-year career mark of 286-122.

Wednesday marks the second meeting between Omaha and Missouri. The Tigers won the only other game in the all-time series, 105-83, on Nov. 29, 1983.

Last Time Out: Mavericks Win 100-97 On Patterson's Buzzer Beater
Senior guard Devin Patterson had a career day and drained the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, giving Omaha a 100-97 win over Montana State Sunday afternoon at Worthington Arena. Patterson put together his career performance with 38 points on 15-of-22 shooting with three 3-pointers and a 5-of-6 effort at the free throw line. The Portsmouth, Va., native added three rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman narrowly missed a double-double, totaling 20 points and nine rebounds. The Omaha Central product shot 6-of-9 from the field and 8-of-8 at the line.

Freshman guard Zach Jackson also finished in double figures with a season-high 14 points, shooting 4-of-7 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the foul line while adding seven rebounds, four steals and an assist. Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins rounded it out with 12 points, just missing a double-double of his own with nine assists, seven boards and five steals.

As a team, UNO shot 52 percent (37-of-71) from the floor, 27 percent (4-of-15) from long range and 88 percent (22-of-25) at the line. Montana State, helped by 15 team 3-pointers, shot 52 percent (34-of-66) from the field and 67 percent (14-of-21) at the line. The Mavs held a 36-35 advantage on the glass and finished with 13 steals to MSU's five.

Patterson Tabbed Summit League Co-Player of the Week
Senior guard Devin Patterson was named Summit League Co-Player of the Week for his performances Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, the conference office announced Monday.

The award is the second career player-of-the-week honor for Patterson and his first this season. The Portsmouth, Va., native averaged 27.0 points per game while shooting .571 (20-of-35) from the field and .462 (6-of-13) from long range for the week. Patterson nailed the game-winning three at the buzzer Sunday to give Omaha a 100-97 win over Montana State, part of his career-best 38 points on 68 percent (15-of-22) shooting.

Two for 20
Senior guard Devin Patterson and sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman both had scoring performances of 20 points or more at Montana State last Sunday, with Patterson tallying a career-high 38 and Thurman notching 20. The last time Omaha had two 20-point scorers in the same game was Nov. 22, 2014 in the Mavericks' upset of Marquette, when Patterson had 26 points and CJ Carter had 25.

Man of Steal
Eight games into the season, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in both total steals (34) and steals per game (4.3). Driven by his efforts on defense, Omaha as a team is eighth in the country for total steals (81) and 10th for steals per game (10.1).

Hollins has long been regarded for his defensive prowess and is no stranger to pacing the nation in steals, as he led the all players in the NJCAA with 4.1 swipes per game while playing at Central CC in 2013-14.

#euromavs: A Maverick Adventure to Italy
Omaha embarked on its first overseas training trip August 12-22 of this year with a tour of Italy, spending 11 days in three cities with four games against foreign competition. The Mavericks won all four contests, defeating All Star Varese 85-43, Stellazzurra 75-39, Isernia 107-31 and Luiss University 81-41. Sophomore forward Daniel Meyer (11.5 points per game), senior forward Jake White (10.0 ppg) and senior guard/forward Randy Reed II (10.0 ppg) all averaged double-figure scoring for the trip.

The team stayed in Milan, Florence and Rome, and sightseeing activities included a private boat tour at Lake Como, visits to the Duomo, the Accademia Museum, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Maria Novella, the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain and tours of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Vatican.

League Leaders
Omaha leads the Summit League in eight statistical categories: points per game (88.5), field goals made per game (31.3), field goals attempted per game (67.6), free throws made per game (19.9), free throws attempted per game (26.5), total rebounds per game (41.4), offensive boards per game (12.8) and steals per game (10.1).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is first among all league players for assists (53) and steals (34). Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman also has a conference-best 8.1 rebounds per game, and senior guard/forward Randy Reed II leads the way with a .944 free throw clip.

Pitter Patterson
Senior guard Devin Patterson is known for his quickness, and the Portsmouth, Va., native led the Summit League in steals each of the last two seasons. Now eight games into his senior season, he is 11th on the Omaha career steals list with 129 in just over two seasons. Patterson's next hurdle is Corey Hahn (1998-2002), who had 130 steals for 10th.

Patterson also joined the top 20 in school history for career assists in the opening weekend, and his total has risen  to 228. His next target is Tom Thompson (1984-88), who owned 229 helpers.

Tracking Tre'Shawn
After 30 blocked shots to his credit as a freshman and eight more this season, sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman entered the top 20 in school history for career blocks on Nov. 25. The Omaha Central product used a season-high three at Northern Colorado, followed by another against Minnesota, to push himself to 19th on the list.

Thurman started all but three games in his freshman season, becoming the first UNO freshman to earn a start since CJ Carter in 2011-12. Thurman finished with 18 points and a career-best five blocks against Nevada last year, the most blocks by any Maverick since Gabe Zweiner tallied five against Nebraska-Kearney on Dec. 3, 2005.

Thurman followed his five blocks against the Wolf Pack with three at Kansas State, along with a career-high 19 points. He became the first player to have three or more blocks in back-to-back games since Jerry Bennett did so in 2007-08 with three apiece against North Dakota and Fort Lewis.

Thurman averaged 9.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game in his debut season, tallying 14 double-digit scoring efforts.

Picking Up the Pace
Omaha ranks ninth nationally in scoring with 88.5 points per game, up from 79.6 ppg through the first eight games last year. In its four wins this season over Saint Mary's, UMKC, Northern Colorado and Montana State, UNO has averaged 101.0 points per contest, never scoring less than 95 points.

In those wins, the Mavs have also shot 50 percent (137-of-275) from the field, 35 percent (30-of-87) from long range and 82 percent (100-of-122), compared to 43 percent (113-of-266), 25 percent (19-of-76) and 66 percent (59-of-90), respectively, across their four losses.

Zach Jack Attack
Freshman guard Zach Jackson made his first career start vs. UC Santa Barbara and scored the first basket at Baxter Arena with a jumper 52 seconds into the game. The Wichita, Kan., native finished with four points, two assists, two steals and a rebound in his debut, playing 25 minutes. Jackson then scored the first basket in the Mavericks' second game as well, posting 10 points, four boards, four assists, three steals and a block vs. Saint Mary's.

Jackson was the first freshman to start a season opener since CJ Carter at Fort Wayne on Nov. 12, 2011. Over his eight starts this season, he has averaged 6.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Jackson most recently turned in a season-best 14 points and seven rebounds at Montana State on Dec. 6.

Gibson Provides a Spark
Freshman guard JT Gibson sparked Omaha in its second-half rally vs. UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 13, nailing back-to-back 3-pointers nine minutes in to start a 25-4 run over the next seven minutes of play. Gibson, the 2015 Gatorade Minnesota State Player of the Year, registered eight points, a rebound and assist in his Maverick debut. He became the first freshman to hit at least two triples in a season opener since CJ Carter did so at Fort Wayne on Nov. 12, 2011.

Gibson followed up with another sound performance off the bench vs. Saint Mary's on Nov. 15, finishing with 13 points and six rebounds while shooting 4-of-7 from the field with a trio of threes. Playing in his home state last Friday at Minnesota, he put up 11 points and five boards against the Gophers.

For the season, Gibson has averaged 6.0 points per game and is second on the team with eight 3-pointers made.

White Out
Despite nagging injury issues to start his junior season in 2014-15, forward Jake White was highly productive in the time he saw on the court last year. Over 20 appearances, including three starts, White averaged 7.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, the latter of which ranked second on the team. In those contests, he had five double-figure scoring efforts and two double-figure rebounding performances.

In 2015-16, White is one of three Mavericks averaging in double figures, credited for 14.5 points per game. He has scored in double figures in six consecutive games, including a career-high 25 at Northern Colorado on Nov. 25 and another 23 points with a 3-for-3 effort from long range against Minnesota last on Nov. 27. White achieved his first double-double as a Maverick Dec. 1 vs. Eastern Michigan, putting up 14 points and a career-high 12 caroms.

Wiping Down the Offensive Glass
Omaha finished the 2014-15 season ranked second in the Summit League with 11.1 offensive boards per game, its highest average since head coach Derrin Hansen's first UNO team had 13.0 per game in 2005-06. Last year, the Mavericks tallied double-digit offensive rebounds in 62 percent (18 of 29) of their games, including a season-high 26 vs. Central Arkansas in the season opener.

This year, Omaha is up to 12.8 offensive boards per game, grabbing 10 or more in the seven out of the first eight games. The Mavericks tallied a season-high 19 offensive rebounds Dec. 1 vs. Eastern Michigan.

Stacking Up Nationally
Through their first eight games this season, the Mavericks rank eighth nationally for total steals (81), ninth for scoring (88.5 ppg), 10th for steals per game (10.1) and 22nd for free throws made (159).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in total steals (34) and steals per game (4.3) and is 17th for total assists (53) and 18th for assists per game (6.6). Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman's three double-doubles also rank 39th.

TT for a D-D
Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman owns the last four double-doubles of any Maverick, tallying his first at IUPUI on Feb. 28, 2014. He achieved the second double-double of his career Nov. 17 vs. UMKC, finishing with a career-high 30 points and 11 rebounds, then had another Nov. 27 at Minnesota with 16 points and 10 boards. His most recent was Dec. 1 vs. Eastern Michigan with 25 points and 11 boards.

Prior to Thurman, former Maverick forward Mike Rostampour accounted for eight of the last nine double-doubles by an Omaha player.

Compared to the Opposition
One of the nation's top teams in steals per game, Omaha has equaled or tallied more steals than its opponent in all eight contests this year. Over seven games UNO has:
    •More or equal steals compared to its opponent eight times
    •Fewer or equal turnovers compared to its opponent six times
    •More or equal FT attempts compared to its opponent four times
    •More rebounds compared to its opponent five times
    •More or equal blocks compared to its opponent twice
    •More or equal 3-point field goals made compared to its opponent three times

Hansen Guides Mavericks in 11th Season
Head coach Derrin Hansen is in his 11th season at the helm of the Omaha men's basketball program in 2015-16, boasting a career record of 165-142 over his head coaching career. He took the job after serving as an assistant coach for seven years with former Maverick head coaches Kevin McKenna and Kevin Lehman. Hansen has the second-most victories of any coach in program history, behind only Bob Hanson.
    
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.

Hansen is assisted by assistant coaches Tyler Erwin, Pat Eberhart and James Miller.

2015-16 Slate Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2015-16 schedule includes 30 games, and the team will play in 13 states against schools from 10 other Division I conferences. The schedule has two opponents from both the WAC and the Big Sky and one each from the Big West, Pac-12, Big Ten, MAC, SEC, Mountain West, OVC and SWAC or MEAC. Two opponents – Wyoming and defending Summit League champion North Dakota State – played in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

The Mavericks have never faced seven of their opponents: UC Santa Barbara, Saint Mary's (Minn.), Colorado, Eastern Michigan, Montana State, Southern and North Carolina Central. They hold a combined all-time record of 162-190-2 over all teams on the regular-season slate.

Next Up
Omaha returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 13, visiting Grand Canyon. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. (CT) in Phoenix, Ariz., and Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2. Fans can stream the audio on their smartphones by downloading NRG Media' app “1620 The Zone,” and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.