This Weekend
The Omaha men's basketball team returns home for a single game this weekend, welcoming Fort Wayne on Saturday, Jan. 16. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at Baxter Arena, and Gary Sharp and Grant Nieland will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2. Fans can stream the audio on their smartphones by downloading NRG Media's app “1620 The Zone,” and links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.

Quick Hits
•Omaha sits atop the Summit League standings with a mark of 4-0, its best start since joining the league in 2012-13.
•The Mavericks' six-game win streak is its longest since winning seven straight from Jan. 29 to Feb. 19, 2011. The current streak is also the longest of UNO's five-year Division I era.
•Omaha received votes in this week's CollegeInsider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The last time the Mavericks received votes in the poll was Jan. 13, 2013.
•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.
•Four Mavericks average double-figure scoring: Patterson (17.7 ppg), Thurman (14.4 ppg), senior forward Jake White (16.0 ppg) and junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins (10.7 ppg).
•Hollins is the nation's leader in both steals (73) and steals per game (4.1). He is seven steals away from tying Omaha's single-season steals record (80), which was set by Vernon Manning (1987-88). Hollins' current total of 73 swipes is the second-highest single-season total in school history.
•In league action, Patterson paces the conference in points per game (24.3), points scored (97), free throws made (35) and field goals made (29).
•Eleven different Mavericks have had at least one double-figure scoring performance this season.
•According to kenpom.com, UNO is sixth nationally with an adjusted tempo of 77.7, 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 was picked seventh in the Summit League's preseason poll.

Scouting the Fort Wayne Mastodons
Fort Wayne carries a record of 14-4 (3-0 Summit League) into the weekend and visits South Dakota State on Thursday before facing Omaha on Saturday. The Mastodons last played Jan. 9, defeating Denver on the road, 65-64. Max Landis led IPFW with 19 points on four 3-pointers, helping the Mastodons to their seventh consecutive win.

Head coach Jon Coffman is in his second season at Fort Wayne with a career record of 30-19. Saturday marks the ninth meeting between Omaha and IPFW, with the Mastodons leading the all-time series 6-2. UNO won the most recent matchup, 73-67 on Feb. 26, 2015 in Fort Wayne, Ind., while the Mastodons took the last tilt in Omaha, 75-65 on Jan. 31, 2015.

Last Time Out: Hollins Leads 79-73 Comeback at South Dakota
Omaha staged a furious comeback Saturday afternoon, rallying from a 21-point second-half deficit to defeat South Dakota 79-73 at the DakotaDome. Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins paced the Mavericks with a game-high 17 points, five rebounds, eight assists and five steals. The Omaha Central product shot 4-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, and 6-of-6 at the line. His second-half performance included 13 points on three 3-pointers, four assists and three steals to ignite Omaha's rally.

Senior guard Devin Patterson was right behind Hollins with 16 points with perfect 9-of-9 free throw shooting. Senior forward Jake White added 15 points and a game-high six rebounds, and sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman put up 11 points, three boards and a career-high-tying five blocks. Senior guard/forward Randy Reed II rounded it out with 10 points, chipping in four caroms, two assists and a steal.

Omaha hit 47 percent (22-of-47) of its shots from the floor, 43 percent (6-of-14) behind the arc and 83 percent (29-of-35) at the stripe. South Dakota shot 49 percent (33-of-68) from the field, 33 percent (4-of-12) from long range and 100 percent (3-of-3) at the line. The Coyotes held the edge in rebounding (31-29) and assists (15-14), while the Mavericks had the advantage in blocks (5-3). South Dakota forced 15 Omaha turnovers, converting those into 24 points.

Comeback Kids
Omaha has overcome a double-digit second-half deficit four times this season, most recently down 21 at South Dakota (Jan. 9). The Mavericks also overcame a 19-point deficit at Grand Canyon (Dec. 13), a 16-point deficit vs. Western Illinois (Jan. 1) and a 10-point deficit vs. UMKC (Nov. 17).

Over Derrin Hansen's 11-year career, the Mavericks have prevailed over a double-digit deficit 23 times, including 11 in the Division I era. Below is a look at the largest comebacks Hansen's Omaha teams have achieved:
    Deficit – Date – Opponent-- Final Score
    22 -- Feb. 9, 2013 -- at IUPUI -- W, 85-78    
    21 -- Jan. 9, 2016 -- at South Dakota -- W, 79-73
    19 -- Dec. 13, 2015 -- at Grand Canyon -- W, 108-104 (OT)
    17 -- Jan, 5, 2011 – Truman -- W, 83-70
    17 -- March 5, 2008 -- St. Cloud State -- W, 84-82
    16 -- Jan. 1, 2016 -- Western Illinois -- W, 82-80
    16 -- Jan. 10, 2008 – Augustana -- W, 98-97
    16 -- Dec. 22, 2007 -- at MSU-Billings -- W, 88-77
    14 -- Feb. 13, 2010 – Truman -- W, 82-78
    13 -- Jan. 26, 2013 – UMKC -- W, 67-59
    13 -- Nov. 26, 2011 -- Chadron State -- W, 81-78
    13 -- March 8, 2008 – vs. Minnesota State -- W, 90-74
    13 -- Nov. 16, 2007 – Mary -- W, 88-66

Man of Steal
Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in both total steals (73) and steals per game (4.1). Driven by his efforts on defense, Omaha as a team is also first in the country for total steals and seventh for steals per game.

If Hollins maintains his pace, he will become just the 12th Division I player to average 4.0 steals or more for a season. The last time it happened was 2002, when Alabama A&M's Desmond Cambridge averaged a nation-leading 5.52 spg and Providence's John Linehan had 4.48 spg.

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.

Patterson Earns Second Straight Weekly League Nod
Senior guard Devin Patterson was named Summit League Player of the Week for his performances Jan. 4-10, the conference office announced Monday. The award was Patterson's second straight this month, his third of the season and the fourth weekly league honor of his career.

Patterson averaged 24.0 points per game while leading Omaha to road victories at North Dakota State and South Dakota. The Portsmouth, Va., native tallied 32 points at NDSU, shooting 11-of-14 from the field with three assists and two steals. At USD, he converted all nine free throw attempts en route to 16 points.

Patterson was previously honored as the league's player of the week on Dec. 7 and Jan. 4.

Two for 20
Omaha has had two scorers with 20 or more points on the same night four times this season and is 4-0 in those games. Last season, the Mavericks had two 20-point scorers in the same game just once -- Nov. 22, 2014 in their road upset of Marquette, when Patterson had 26 points and CJ Carter had 25.

Stacking Up Nationally
Omaha leads the nation in team steals (177), free throws made (367) and free throws attempted (498). The Mavericks are also seventh for steals per game (9.8), 13th for scoring offensive (85.1), 15th for total rebounds (691) and 20th for turnovers forced per game (16.3).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in steals (73) and steals per game (4.1) and is 18th for assists (100). Senior guard Devin Patterson is 22nd for free throws made (90), 26th for free throws attempted (115), 29th for steals (33) and 28th for points scored (319).

League Leaders
Omaha leads the Summit League in seven statistical categories: points (1,532), points per game (85.1), field goals made per game (29.6), field goals attempted per game (63.4), free throws made per game (20.4), free throws attempted per game (27.7) and steals per game (9.8).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is first among all league players for assists (100) and steals (73).

Close Calls
Omaha's six losses have come by an average margin of just 4.0 points this year. The Mavericks have fallen by one (vs. UC Santa Barbara, at Wyoming), three (at Minnesota), five (at Colorado) and seven (vs. Eastern Michigan, at Missouri).

Terrific Trio
Senior guard Devin Patterson, senior forward Jake White and sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman are the highest-scoring trio in the Summit League this season. Their combined average of 48.1 points per game is over five points ahead of the scoring average for the next trio on the list, Oral Roberts' Obi Emegano, Albert Owens and Jalen Bradley (42.4). Patterson is second among conference scorers with 17.7 ppg, while White is seventh (16.0) and Thurman is 12th (14.4 ppg).

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. In the middle of his senior season, he is ninth on the Omaha career steals list with 149 in two and a half years. Patterson is tied with former teammate CJ Carter (2011-15), who also had 149 steals, and his next hurdle is Vernon Manning (1978-82), who had 155.

Patterson also joined the top 20 in school history for career assists in the opening weekend, and his total has risen to 261 for 12th place. His next target is Thor Palamore (1987-91), who owned 276 helpers.

Additionally, Patterson has pushed his career scoring total to 959 points, which is the most of any active Maverick. Patterson needs 41 points to become Omaha's 36th 1,000-point scorer.

Tracking Tre'Shawn
After 30 blocked shots to his credit as a freshman and 24 more this season, sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman has made his way into the top 15 in school history for career blocks. The Omaha Central product is now 13th on the list, and his next target is Chris DeSpain (2002-06), who had 55 for 12th place.

Thurman put up five blocks at South Dakota on Jan. 9, matching his career high set against Nevada as a freshman.

Picking Up the Pace
Omaha ranks 13th nationally in scoring with 85.1 points per game, up from 78.8 ppg at this point of the season last year. In its 12 wins this season, UNO has averaged 89.6 points per contest, scoring 95 points or more in five of those games. In their wins, the Mavericks have also shot 49 percent from the field, 32 percent from long range and 76 percent at the line, compared to 42 percent, 26 percent and 68 percent, respectively, across their six losses.

White Out
In 2015-16, senior forward Jake White has taken a starting role and is one of four Mavericks averaging in double figures, credited for 16.0 points per game. He has scored in double figures in all but three games, including a career-high 25 at Northern Colorado on Nov. 25. White owns four double-double performances this season: Dec. 1 vs. Eastern Michigan (14 points/12 rebounds), Dec. 9 at Missouri (18 points/10 rebounds), Dec. 16 vs. Simpson (17 points/11 rebounds) and Dec. 19 at Wyoming (17 points/career-high 13 rebounds).

White was named to the Global Sports Classic All-Tournament Team for his play over the four tournament games, Dec. 13-22. He averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game, shooting 62 percent (26-of-42) from the field and 77 percent (23-of-30) at the line.

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 11.8 offensive boards per game, grabbing 10 or more in 13 out of 18 contests. The Mavericks have also averaged 12.9 second-chance points in that span.

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 but one game this year. Over 18 games UNO has:
    •More or equal steals compared to its opponent 17 times
    •Fewer or equal turnovers compared to its opponent 15 times
    •More or equal free throws made compared to its opponent 13 times
    •More rebounds compared to its opponent 10 times
    •More or equal blocks compared to its opponent nine times
    •More or equal 3-point field goals made compared to its opponent eight times

#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.

Home Sweet Home Advantage
During head coach Derrin Hansen's career, Omaha has won 71 percent of its home contests, going 102-42. The Mavericks secured their first win at brand-new Baxter Arena on Nov. 15, 104-58 vs. Saint Mary's (Minn.).

The 2014-15 season marked UNO's third and final season playing at Ralston Arena, which served as the home of Maverick men's basketball since 2012-13. Over three years at Ralston, Omaha posted a home record of 25-16.

Last season on its home court, UNO's average margin of victory was 17.3, and it scored an average of 79.8 points per game. Over the 10 previous years of the Hansen era, the Mavericks averaged 81.6 points per game at home at Sapp Fieldhouse and Ralston Arena, including 80.5 during the four Division I years.

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 173-144 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.

Entering the season, the Mavericks had never faced six of their opponents: UC Santa Barbara, Saint Mary's (Minn.), Colorado, Eastern Michigan, Montana State and Southern. They hold a combined all-time record of 170-192-2 over all teams on the regular-season slate.

Next Up
Omaha returns to action Thursday, Jan. 21, traveling to Denver. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. at Magness Arena, 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 ­stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.