This Week
The league-leading Omaha men's basketball team completes its three-game road swing this week, visiting South Dakota State on Thursday, Jan. 28. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and Midco. 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 video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.

Quick Hits
•The Mavericks took sole possession of first place in the Summit League on Saturday with its win at Oral Roberts.
•Omaha received votes for the third straight week in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The last time the Mavericks received votes in the poll was Jan. 13, 2013.
•Four Mavericks average double-figure scoring: senior guard Devin Patterson (17.6 ppg), senior forward Jake White (17.0 ppg), sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman (14.6 ppg) and junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins (11.5 ppg).
•Hollins is the nation's leader in both steals (90) and steals per game (4.3).
•Patterson became the 36th 1,000-point scorer in program history Saturday night. His 21 points at ORU pushed him to 1,009 for his career total.
•Patterson's effort also marked the 22nd Maverick scoring performance with 20 or more points this season. Omaha had 20 scoring efforts with 20+ over 29 games in 2014-15.
•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 77.1, 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 South Dakota State Jackrabbits
South Dakota State carries a record of 16-5 (5-2 Summit League) into the week, coming off a 79-75 win at South Dakota last Saturday. The Jackrabbits rallied to give head coach Scott Nagy is 400th career victory, led by reigning Summit League Player of the Week Mike Daum's game-highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds. Jake Bittle added 21 points, and George Marshall finished with 10. The Jackrabbits have built a 24-game home win streak in place since Jan. 25, 2013.

Nagy is in his 21st season at South Dakota State with a career record of 400-237. Thursday marks the 69th meeting between Omaha and SDSU, with the Jacks leading the all-time series 40-28. South Dakota State won both games in last season's series, 87-68 on Jan. 10, 2015 in Omaha, then 86-64 on Jan. 28, 2015 in Brookings.

Last Time Out: Patterson Reaches 1,000 Points in 85-79 Win at ORU
Omaha withstood a second-half battle Saturday evening, defeating Oral Roberts 85-79 at the Mabee Center. Senior guard Devin Patterson led the charge for Omaha, scoring a team-high 21 points with six rebounds, four assists and three steals. The Portsmouth, Va., native entered the game with 988 career points, and his last basket of the first half spurred him to his 1,000th point. Patterson is the 36th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone.

Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins added 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting with a team-high seven boards, five assists and five steals. Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman chipped in 16 points, five caroms, a block and a steal, and senior forward Jake White rounded it out with 13 points and four rebounds.

Omaha shot 51 percent (30-of-59) from the floor, 31 percent (5-of-16) from 3-point range and 69 percent (20-of-29) at the free throw line. ORU finished at 44 percent (28-of-63) from the field, 21 percent (4-of-19) from behind the arc and 86 percent (19-of-22) at the stripe. The Golden Eagles outrebounded the Mavericks, 39-33, and had the advantage for assists (12-9) and blocks (4-1), while UNO held the edge in steals (9-6) and turnovers forced (16-13).

Production in the Paint
Omaha's production in the paint stood out vs. Fort Wayne on Jan. 16, as UNO posted a season-high-tying 50 points in the paint to match its total at Minnesota (Nov. 27). It followed with 40 points in the paint at Denver on Jan. 21.

The Mavericks have averaged 37.0 points in the paint per game this year -- the most since 2009-10 (36.8). When scoring 40 or more points inside, they are 7-3.

Man of Steal
Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in both total steals (90) and steals per game (4.3). Driven by his efforts on defense, Omaha as a team is also third in the country for total steals and fifth 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.

Stacking Up Nationally
Omaha leads the nation in free throws made (422) and is third for steals (204). The Mavericks are also fifth for steals per game (9.7) and free throws attempted (566), eighth for scoring offense (85.1 ppg) and 15th for turnovers forced (16.4).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in steals (90) and steals per game (4.3) and is 15th for assists (123) and 20th for assists per game (6.0). Additionally, senior guard Devin Patterson is 30th for free throws made (106).

DP for Three
Senior guard Devin Patterson hit three 3-pointers vs. Fort Wayne on Jan. 16, becoming the Mavericks' active career leader in that category. He now owns 94 treys in three seasons and leads Omaha this year with 35 triples. In games when Patterson knocks down at least three 3-pointers, UNO is 4-1.

League Leaders
Omaha leads the Summit League in seven statistical categories: points (1,787), points per game (85.1), field goals made per game (29.7), field goals attempted per game (63.2), free throws made per game (20.1), free throws attempted per game (27.0) and steals per game (9.7).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is first among all league players for assists (126) and steals (90).

Close Calls
Omaha's seven losses have come by an average margin of just 4.1 points this year. The Mavericks have fallen by one (vs. UC Santa Barbara, at Wyoming), three (at Minnesota), five (at Colorado, vs. Fort Wayne) 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 49.2 points per game is over seven points ahead of the scoring average for the next trio on the list, Oral Roberts' Obi Emegano, Jalen Bradley and Albert Owens (41.6). Patterson is second among conference scorers with 17.6 ppg, while White is fourth (17.0) and Thurman is 11th (14.6 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 ranks eighth on the Omaha career steals list with 154 in three years. Patterson's 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 270 for 12th place. His next target is Thor Palamore (1987-91), who owned 276 helpers.

Additionally, Patterson has pushed his career scoring total to 1,009 points, which is the most of any active Maverick. He became Omaha's 36th 1,000-point scorer on Jan. 23 at Oral Roberts and now ranks 33rd in school history for scoring.

Tracking Tre'Shawn
After 30 blocked shots to his credit as a freshman and 26 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 12th on the list with 56 blocks, and his next target is Jerry Bennett (2006-08), who had 63 for 11th 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 eighth nationally in scoring with 85.1 points per game, up from 77.5 ppg at this point of the season last year. In its 14 wins this season, UNO has averaged 87.8 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, 31 percent from long range and 77 percent at the line, compared to 43 percent, 29 percent and 70 percent, respectively, across their seven losses.

White Out
In 2015-16, senior forward Jake White is one of four Mavericks averaging in double figures, credited for 17.0 points per game, and has scored in double figures in all but three games. White owns a Summit League-best five 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), Dec. 19 at Wyoming (17 points/career-high 13 rebounds) and Jan. 16 (26 points/11 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.

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 21 games UNO has:
    •More or equal steals compared to its opponent 20 times
    •Fewer or equal turnovers compared to its opponent 18 times
    •More or equal free throws made compared to its opponent 16 times
    •More rebounds compared to its opponent 11 times
    •More or equal blocks compared to its opponent nine times
    •More or equal 3-point field goals made compared to its opponent nine times

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.

This year, Omaha is up to 11.3 offensive boards per game, grabbing 10 or more in 14 out of 21 contests. The Mavericks have also averaged 12.7 second-chance points in that span.

Erickson Nominated for NABC Good Works Team
Senior guard Kyler Erickson has been selected as a nominee for the 2016 Allstate NABC Good Works Team, it was announced in December. The Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams recognize a distinguished group of student-athletes who have demonstrated a commitment to enriching the lives of others and contributing to the greater good in their communities. Erickson is one of 154 NABC nominees, and the final NABC Good Works Team comprising student-athletes from NCAA Divisions I, II and III and the NAIA will be unveiled in February.

As a senior at Millard South High School, Erickson witnessed a shooting in his school's administration office on Jan. 5, 2011. Nearly a year and a half later, he suffered the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and since undergoing successful treatment, he has become a vocal advocate encouraging others to seek assistance for mental health issues. Erickson runs a website, KylerErickson.com, that details his story, and his videos have garnered widespread attention with over 50,000 views in 110 countries. Erickson's message of “turning tragedy into testimony” encourages people in all walks of life to confront mental health challenges they may be facing.

Erickson has served as a speaker, member and volunteer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and spoken to over 20 elementary, middle and high schools in Omaha and San Diego. He also starred in an episode of “The Harbor TV,” a hope-filled homeroom program for high schools across the country and has mentored several mentally ill students and residents in the Omaha area. Additionally, Erickson has volunteered with multiple local charities, organizations and schools.

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 175-145 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 172-193-2 over all teams on the regular-season slate.

Next Up
Omaha returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 30, hosting South Dakota. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Baxter Arena, and Gary Sharp and Grant Nieland will have the radio call on KOIL 1290 AM. Fans can stream the audio on their smartphones by downloading NRG Media's app “The Mighty 1290,” and links to ­stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.