This Weekend
The Omaha men's basketball team caps its opening weekend of Summit League play this Sunday, Jan. 3, welcoming IUPUI to Baxter Arena at 4:30 p.m. Gary Sharp and Grant Nieland will 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.” A link to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.

Quick Hits
•Omaha's current three-game win streak is its first of the season. The Mavericks last won three straight Feb. 26 - March 3, 2015, which closed the 2014-15 campaign.
•The Mavs trailed Western Illinois for over 36 minutes Friday before rallying for the win. The last time a Maverick opponent led for over 30 minutes and UNO came back to win was Jan. 25, 2014 vs. South Dakota.
•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.
•Patterson and senior forward Jake White lead the team in scoring (16.5 ppg), while Thurman is first for rebounding (7.5 rpg).
•Four Mavericks average double-figure scoring: White (16.5 ppg), Patterson (16.5 ppg), Thurman (14.1 ppg) and junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins (10.2 ppg).
•Hollins is the nation's leader in both steals (61) and steals per game (4.1).
•Eleven different Mavericks have had at least one double-figure scoring performance this season.
•UNO's top scorer off the bench is senior guard Tim Smallwood, who averages 6.6 points per game.
•Omaha hit the century mark for the fourth time this season with its 108-104 overtime win at GCU on Dec. 13. Over the 11-year Derrin Hansen era, the Mavericks are a perfect 17-0 when scoring 100 points or more in a game.
•The Mavericks' 108 points at GCU were the most since scoring 113 vs. Missouri Southern on Feb. 25, 2010.
•According to kenpom.com, UNO is third nationally with an adjusted tempo of 78.5, 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 IUPUI Jaguars
IUPUI carries a record of 5-11 (1-0 Summit League) into Sunday's matchup with Omaha. The Jaguars last played on New Year's Day, defeating South Dakota 77-66 on the road. Darell Combs scored a game-high 19 points to lead four Jaguars in double figures.

Head coach Jason Gardner is in his second season at IUPUI with a career record of 15-32. Sunday marks the seventh meeting between Omaha and IUPUI, with the Mavericks leading the all-time series 5-1. UNO won the last meeting, 87-80 in overtime, on Feb. 28, 2015 in Indianapolis, Ind. The Jaguars won the last tussle in Omaha, 89-84, on Jan. 18, 2015.

Last Time Out: Mavericks Rally Past Western Illinois, 82-80
Omaha overcame a 16-point second-half deficit Friday, opening conference play with an 82-80 win over Western Illinois at Baxter Arena. Senior guard Devin Patterson, who made 13-of-17 at the free throw line, scored a team-leading 25 points along with a team-high seven assists, six rebounds and three steals. Senior forward Jake White added 20 points with five rebounds, shooting 9-of-13 from the field.

Senior guard Tim Smallwood tied his career-high with 14 points with a season-best four 3-pointers, as well as a career-high five steals. Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman rounded it out with 11 points and a game-high seven boards.

Omaha shot 46 percent (27-of-59) from the floor, 27 percent (4-of-15) from long range and 75 percent (24-of-32) at the stripe. Western Illinois finished at a 51 percent (33-of-65) clip from the field, 37 percent (7-of-19) from 3-point range and 78 percent (7-of-9) at the line. The Mavericks held the edge in rebounding (34-32), blocks (3-2) and steals (13-9), while the Leathernecks had a 20-12 advantage in the assists column.

Summit League Openers
After Friday's comeback win over Western Illinois, UNO is 2-2 in Summit League openers since joining the conference in 2012-13. Last season, the Mavericks started league play with an 86-77 win at South Dakota. In the previous two seasons, they dropped their first conference game, 79-72 in overtime at Western Illinois in 2013-14, and 95-51 at North Dakota State in 2012-13.

Comeback Kids
Omaha has overcome a double-digit second-half deficit three times this season, most recently down 16 against Western Illinois on Jan. 1. Previously, the Mavericks overcame a 19-point deficit in their win at Grand Canyon on Dec. 13, the largest since rallying from down 22 for an 85-78 triumph at IUPUI on Feb. 9, 2013. The Mavericks also rallied from a 10-point deficit vs. UMKC on Nov. 17, winning 95-89 in overtime.

Over Derrin Hansen's 11-year career, the Mavericks have prevailed over a double-digit deficit 22 times, including 10 in the Division I era. Below is a look at the five largest comebacks Hansen's Omaha teams have achieved:

    Deficit -- Date -- Opponent -- Final Score
    22 -- Feb. 9, 2013 -- at IUPUI -- W, 85-78    
    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

Man of Steal
Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in both total steals (61) 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.

Two for 20
Omaha has had two scorers with 20 or more points on the same night three times this season and is 3-0 in those games: Dec. 6 at Montana State, Dec. 13 at Grand Canyon and Jan. 1 vs. Western Illinois. At MSU, senior guard Devin Patterson tallied a career-high 38 and sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman notched 20. At GCU, Patterson accounted for 26, while senior forward Jake White had another 23. Against WIU, Patterson put up 25, and White had 20 more.

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.

#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 nine statistical categories: points (1,286), points per game (85.7), field goals made per game (29.9), field goals attempted per game (64.9), free throws made per game (20.0), free throws attempted per game (27.5), offensive rebounds per game (12.3), total rebounds per game (39.9) and steals per game (10.1).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is first among all league players for assists (86) and steals (61).

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 47.1 points per game is over four points ahead of the scoring average for the next trio on the list, Oral Roberts' Obi Emegano, Jalen Bradley and Albert Owens (43.0).

White and Patterson are sixth among conference scorers with 16.5 ppg apiece, while Thurman is 12th (14.1 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 143 in two and a half seasons. Patterson's next hurdle is former teammate CJ Carter (2011-15), who had 149 steals for eighth.

Patterson also joined the top 20 in school history for career assists in the opening weekend, and his total has risen to 252 for 12th place. His next target is Thor Palamore (1987-91), who owned 276 helpers.

Additionally, Patterson has pushed his career scoring total to 887 points, which is the most of any active Maverick. Patterson needs 113 points to become Omaha's 36th 1,000-point scorer.

Picking Up the Pace
Omaha ranks 14th nationally in scoring with 85.7 points per game, up from 78.7 ppg at this point of the season last year. In its nine wins this season, UNO has averaged 92.1 points per contest, scoring 95 points or more in five of those games.

In their wins, the Mavs have also shot 49 percent from the field, 33 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 a team-leading 16.5 points per game. He has scored in double figures in seven consecutive 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).

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 12.3 offensive boards per game, grabbing 10 or more in 11 out of 15 contests. The Mavericks have also averaged 13.5 second-chance points in that span.

Stacking Up Nationally
UNO leads the nation in team steals (151) and free throws attempted (413) and is second nationally for free throws made (300). The Mavericks are also seventh for total rebounds (598) and steals per game (10.1), 14th for scoring (85.7 ppg) and 17th for turnovers forced (16.6).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in steals (61) and steals per game (4.1) and is 17th for assists (86). Senior forward Jake White is 22nd with his .608 field goal percentage.

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

Home Sweet Home Advantage
During head coach Derrin Hansen's career, Omaha has won 71 percent of its home contests, going 101-42. 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 170-144 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 167-192-2 over all teams on the regular-season slate.

Next Up
Omaha returns to action Thursday, Jan. 7, visiting North Dakota State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in Fargo, N.D., 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.