This Week
The Omaha men's basketball team hits the road this Thursday, Jan. 7, visiting North Dakota State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D. Gary Sharp 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.” Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.

Quick Hits
•Omaha's four-game win streak is its longest since winning five straight from Nov. 25 to Dec. 14, 2013.
•The Mavs trailed Western Illinois for over 36 minutes on Jan. 1 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 leads the team in scoring (16.9 ppg), while Thurman is first for rebounding (7.6 rpg).
•Four Mavericks average double-figure scoring: Patterson (16.9 ppg), Thurman (14.6 ppg), senior forward Jake White (16.0 ppg) and junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins (10.3 ppg).
•Hollins is the nation's leader in both steals (64) and steals per game (4.0).
•In league action, Patterson paces the conference in points per game (24.5), points scored (49), assists (11), free throws made (18) and minutes played (74).
•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 6.2 points per game.
•Omaha hit the century mark for the fourth time this season with its 108-104 overtime win at Grand Canyon 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.
•According to kenpom.com, UNO is fifth 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 North Dakota State Bison
North Dakota State carries a record of 11-4 (1-0 Summit League) into Thursday's matchup with Omaha. The Bison played one game in the opening weekend of league play, defeating Denver 75-49 at home. Paul Miller scored 18 points, and Carlin Dupree added 16 off the bench to lead NDSU's four double-figure scorers. The Bison also recorded their 31st consecutive home win, setting a Summit League record for the longest home win streak.

Head coach David Richman is in his second season at North Dakota State with a career record of 34-14. Thursday marks the 66th meeting between Omaha and NDSU, with the Bison leading the all-time series 40-25. North Dakota State has won seven straight games in the series, including the most recent, 64-57, on Feb. 5, 2015 in Fargo, N.D. The Mavericks have not won in Fargo since Dec. 29, 2001, when they earned a 74-65 victory to open that season's NCC slate.

Last Time Out: Omaha Drops IUPUI 76-71 For Perfect League Start
Omaha registered its first 2-0 start in Summit League play since joining the conference, spurred by a 76-71 triumph over IUPUI Sunday at Baxter Arena. Senior guard Devin Patterson led all scorers with 24 points, shooting 9-of-14 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 at the line. The Portsmouth, Va., native added a game-high four assists and two steals.

Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman joined Patterson with another 20-point performance, totaling 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The Omaha Central product pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds and had a season-high-tying three blocks. Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins, another Central product, also finished in double figures with 11 points, as well as four boards, three assists and a game-high three steals to his nation-leading total.

Omaha hit 48 percent (29-of-61) of its shots from the floor, 21 percent (3-of-14) from long range and 79 percent (15-of-19) at the line. Western Illinois shot 45 percent (30-of-67) from the field, 7 percent (1-of-15) from 3-point range and 91 percent (10-of-11) at the stripe. The Jaguars held the edge in rebounding (37-32) and steals (12-7), while the Mavericks had the advantage in blocks (6-1) and assists (10-8).

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 (64) and steals per game (4.0). Driven by his efforts on defense, Omaha as a team is also second 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 Tabbed Summit League Co-Player of the Week
Senior guard Devin Patterson was named Summit League Co-Player of the Week for his performances Dec. 28 to Jan. 3, the conference office announced Jan. 4.

The award was the third career player-of-the-week honor for Patterson and his second this season. The Portsmouth, Va., native led Omaha in scoring in both games last weekend, averaging 24.5 points, 5.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals with a .536 field goal percentage and a .818 free throw percentage.

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

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
UNO is second in the nation in team steals (158) and free throws made (315), as well as third for free throws attempted (432), seventh for steals per game (9.9), ninth for total rebounds (630), 14th for scoring (85.1 ppg) and 20th for turnovers forced (16.6).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in steals (64) and steals per game (4.0) and is 19th for assists (89). Senior forward Jake White is 30th with his .592 field goal percentage.

League Leaders
Omaha leads the Summit League in eight statistical categories: points (1,362), points per game (85.1), field goals made per game (29.8), field goals attempted per game (64.6), free throws made per game (19.7), free throws attempted per game (27.0), total rebounds per game (39.4) and steals per game (9.9).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is first among all league players for assists (89) and steals (64).

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 47.5 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 (42.9). Patterson is sixth among conference scorers with 16.9 ppg apiece, while White is seventh (16.0) and Thurman is 12th (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 is ninth on the Omaha career steals list with 145 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 256 for 12th place. His next target is Thor Palamore (1987-91), who owned 276 helpers.

Additionally, Patterson has pushed his career scoring total to 911 points, which is the most of any active Maverick. Patterson needs 89 points to become Omaha's 36th 1,000-point scorer.

Tracking Tre'Shawn
After 30 blocked shots to his credit as a freshman and 17 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 is now 15th on the list, and his next target is Ryan Curtis (2002-06), who had 48 for 14th place.

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 14th nationally in scoring with 85.1 points per game, up from 78.0 ppg at this point of the season last year. In its 10 wins this season, UNO has averaged 90.5 points per contest, scoring 95 points or more in five of those games. In those games, 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 12.2 offensive boards per game, grabbing 10 or more in 12 out of 16 contests. The Mavericks have also averaged 13.1 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 16 games UNO has:
    •More or equal steals compared to its opponent 15 times
    •Fewer or equal turnovers compared to its opponent 14 times
    •More or equal free throws made compared to its opponent 11 times
    •More rebounds compared to its opponent nine times
    •More or equal blocks compared to its opponent eight times
    •More or equal 3-point field goals made compared to its opponent seven 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.

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 171-144 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 168-192-2 over all teams on the regular-season slate.

Next Up
Omaha returns to action Saturday, Jan. 9, visiting South Dakota. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. in Vermillion, S.D., and the game will be broadcast by ESPN3 and Midco. Gary Sharp will also have the radio call on KOIL 1290 AM, and fans can stream the audio on their smartphones by downloading NRG Media' app “1620 The Zone.” Links to ­stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.