This Weekend
The Omaha men's basketball closes its three-game homestand this weekend, hosting North Dakota State on Saturday, Feb. 13. 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's .589 field goal percentage against South Dakota State Wednesday night was a season high, as was its .611 3-point field goal percentage. The Mavericks are a perfect 9-0 when shooting 50 percent or better this year.
•Four Mavericks average double-figure scoring: senior guard Devin Patterson (17.9 ppg), senior forward Jake White (17.1 ppg), sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman (14.6 ppg) and junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins (11.8 ppg).
•Senior guard Kyler Erickson made his first career start Wednesday in his 48th career game as a Maverick.
•Hollins had his third 20-point scoring effort Wednesday with 28 points vs. SDSU, which marked the 27th Maverick performance of 20 or more points this season. UNO had 20 scoring efforts with 20+ over 29 games in 2014-15.
•Hollins is the nation's leader in both steals (103) and steals per game (4.0).
•Omaha received votes for the fifth straight week in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The last time the Mavericks received votes in the poll was Jan. 13, 2013.
•Patterson became the 36th 1,000-point scorer in program history on Jan. 23 at Oral Roberts.
•Patterson (12.6 ppg), Thurman (12.0 ppg) and Hollins (12.0 ppg) have all averaged double-figure scoring when facing North Dakota State. Thurman also has a team-leading 6.7 rebounds per game in contests against the Bison.
•Omaha has posted double-digit steals in 11 games this season.
•Eleven different Mavericks have had at least one double-figure scoring performance this year.
•According to kenpom.com, UNO is sixth nationally with an adjusted tempo of 76.5, 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 16-9 (6-5 Summit League) into Saturday's matchup with Omaha. The Bison last played Thursday night, falling 72-58 at South Dakota, where Carlin Dupree led the Bison with 14 points.
Head coach David Richman is in his second season at NDSU with a career record of 39-19. Wednesday is the 67th meeting between Omaha and North Dakota State, with the Bison leading the all-time series, 40-26, including 6-1 in Summit League play. UNO won the most recent matchup, 91-82, on Jan. 7 in Fargo, N.D. It ended NDSU's 31-game home win streak, which was a Summit League record and the sixth-longest active streak in the nation. NDSU won the last contest in Omaha, 75-72, on Jan. 8, 2015.
Last Time Out: Hollins Keys Mavs Past League-Leading Jacks, 96-92
Omaha moved within half a game of first place in the Summit League standings Wednesday night, knocking off conference leader South Dakota State 96-92 at Baxter Arena. Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins had a dominant and well-rounded performance, finishing with a career-high 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor, hitting 2-of-2 from 3-point range and going 8-of-11 at the free throw line. The Omaha Central product flirted with a triple-double, adding a game-high nine rebounds, eight assists, four steals and a block.
Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman came up with 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting, six boards, a steal, an assist and a block. Senior forward Jake White chipped in 18 points with a career-best four 3-pointers, and junior guard Devin Patterson posted 15 points with a trio of threes and four assists.
As a team, Omaha shot a season-high 59 percent (33-of-56) from the field, a season-best 61 percent (11-of-18) from 3-point range and 66 percent (19-of-29) at the stripe. SDSU finished at 52 percent (33-of-63) from the floor, 48 percent (15-of-31) from downtown and 92 percent (11-of-12) at the line. The Jacks outrebounded Omaha 30-28.
Omaha Homaha
The addition of senior guard Kyler Erickson to Omaha's starting five Wednesday night marked the third different lineup the Mavericks have used this season. Erickson, out of Millard South, joined two other hometown natives -- junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins and sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman, both from Omaha Central -- as starters.
The last time UNO had a starting lineup with at least three players from Omaha was Nov. 23, 2012 vs. Bethune-Cookman, when CJ Carter, Koang Doluony and John Karhoff got the nod.
Erickson Named to Allstate NABC Good Works Team
Senior guard Kyler Erickson has been named to the 2016 Allstate NABC Good Works Team, it was announced Tuesday. The Allstate NABC Good Works Team recognizes 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 was one of 154 NABC nominees.
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.
Members of the Allstate NABC Good Works Team will be invited by Allstate to be recognized at the 2016 NCAA Men's Final Four and NABC Convention and will participate in a community service project to benefit the host city of Houston.
Man of Steal
Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in both total steals (103) and steals per game (4.0), well ahead of the second-ranked player, Kris Dunn of Providence (71/3.1). Driven by Hollins' efforts on defense, Omaha as a team is also fourth 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.
Stacking Up Nationally
Omaha is fourth in the nation for free throws made (513) and steals (241), fifth for scoring offense (84.7 ppg), seventh in steals per game (9.3)and free throw attempts (689), and 18th for turnovers forced per game (15.9).
Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in steals (103) and steals per game (4.0) and is 14th for assists (151) and 23rd for assists per game (5.8).
Bouncing Back
Omaha has shown the ability to bounce back from losses this season, going 8-2 in games that follow a defeat.
Hollering About Hollins
Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is Omaha's all-time single-season steals leader, and his 151 assists are the seventh-highest single-season total in school history. Additionally, he joined UNO's top 20 for career steals on Feb. 6 and now ranks 17th.
Hollins had one of his finest games of the season vs. Fort Wayne on Jan. 16, finishing with 23 points, a season-high 13 assists and a season-best eight steals alongside five rebounds. He claimed Omaha's single-season steals record (then 81) in the game, breaking the previous mark of 80 set by Vernon Manning (1981-82). Hollins was also the first Omaha player in six years to record a double-double off points and assists.
Hollins had another outstanding performance Feb. 10 vs. South Dakota State, finishing with a season-high 28 points, nine boards, eight assists, four steals and a block.
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 103 treys in three seasons and leads Omaha this year with 44 triples. In games when Patterson knocks down at least three 3-pointers, UNO is 5-2.
Two for 20
Omaha has had at least two scorers with 20 or more points on the same night six times this season and is 5-1 in those games. An astonishing four Mavericks were 20-point scorers on Jan. 16 vs. Fort Wayne, marking the first time that has occurred in the modern era.
Last season, the Mavericks had two 20-point scorers in the same game just twice -- last on Nov. 22, 2014 in their road upset of Marquette, when Patterson had 26 points and CJ Carter had 25.
League Leaders
Omaha leads the Summit League in seven statistical categories: points (2,203), points per game (84.7), field goals made per game (29.5), field goals attempted per game (62.8), free throws made per game (19.7), free throws attempted per game (26.5) and steals per game (9.3).
Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is first among all league players for assists (151) and steals (103).
Close Calls
Omaha's losses have come by an average margin of 5.0 points this year, its lowest average in the Derrin Hansen era. The Mavericks have fallen by one (vs. UC Santa Barbara, at Wyoming), three (at Minnesota, vs. Denver), five (at Colorado, vs. Fort Wayne), seven (vs. Eastern Michigan, at Missouri, at Western Illinois) and 11 (at South Dakota State). Last season's average margin of loss was 10.8 points.
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 average of 49.6 points per game is over seven points higher than the scoring average for the next trio on the list, Oral Roberts' Obi Emegano, Jalen Bradley and Albert Owens (42.0). Patterson is third among conference scorers with 17.9 ppg, while White is fourth (17.1) and Thurman is 10th (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 sixth on the Omaha career steals list with 162 in three years. His next hurdle is Seth Nelson (1999-2003), who had 166.
Patterson also joined the top 20 in school history for career assists in the opening weekend, and his total has risen to 297 for 10th place. His next target is Richard Jones (1993-96), who dished out 299 assists.
Additionally, Patterson has pushed his career scoring total to 1,106 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 18th in school history for scoring, needing 18 points to tie Tyler Bullock (2009-11), who had 1,124.
Tracking Tre'Shawn
After 30 blocked shots to his credit as a freshman and 31 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 61 blocks, and his next target is Jerry Bennett (2006-08), who had 63 for 11th place.
Thurman's 18 blocks in Summit League play are the most of any conference player this year. He 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 ninth nationally in scoring with 84.7 points per game, up from 76.4 ppg at this point of the season last year. It marks the highest scoring average of any Derrin Hansen-coached team at UNO and is the fourth Maverick squad under his direction to average more than 80 points per contest, joining teams from 2010-11 (81.3 ppg), 2009-10 (84.6) and 2008-09 (81.3).
In its 16 wins this season, UNO has averaged 88.8 points per contest, scoring 95 points or more in seven of those games. In their wins, the Mavericks have also shot 50 percent from the field, 34 percent from long range and 77 percent at the line, compared to 43 percent, 32 percent and 70 percent, respectively, across their 10 losses.
White Out
In 2015-16, senior forward Jake White is one of four Mavericks averaging in double figures, credited for 17.1 ppg, and has scored in double figures in all but three games. The Chaska, Minn., native owns six 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), Jan. 16 vs. Fort Wayne (26 points/11 rebounds) and Feb. 3 at Western Illinois (21 points/career-high-tying 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.
Home Sweet Home Advantage
During head coach Derrin Hansen's career, Omaha has won 70 percent of its home contests, going 104-44. 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.
#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 177-148 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. 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 174-196-2 over all teams on the regular-season slate.
Next Up
Omaha returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 17, starting its final regular-season road trip with a visit to IUPUI. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Ind., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. 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 stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
