This Week
The Omaha men's basketball team embarks on its final regular-season road swing this week, first visiting IUPUI on Wednesday, Feb. 17. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Indiana Farmers Coliseum, 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 live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.

Quick Hits
•Omaha remains in the hunt for a Summit League regular-season title, as it sits half a game out of a tie for first place.
•Four Mavericks average double-figure scoring: senior guard Devin Patterson (17.9 ppg), senior forward Jake White (17.3 ppg), sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman (14.4 ppg) and junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins (11.9 ppg).
•Senior guard Kyler Erickson earned his first career start last Wednesday in his 48th career game.
•Omaha is a perfect 9-0 when shooting 50 percent or better this year, including 4-0 in league play. IUPUI has allowed its opponent to shoot at least 50 percent nine times in 2015-16.
•White had his 10th 20-point scoring effort Saturday with 23 points vs. North Dakota State, which marked the 28th 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 (107) and steals per game (4.0).
•Omaha received votes for the sixth 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 (12.8 ppg), Thurman (12.3 ppg) and Hollins (11.0 ppg) have all averaged double-figure scoring when facing IUPUI. Thurman also has a team-leading 7.3 rebounds per game in contests against the Jaguars.
•Omaha has posted double-digit steals in 12 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 76.4, 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 brings in a record of 11-16 (7-5 Summit League) into Wednesday's matchup with Omaha. The Jaguars last played on Thursday, Feb. 11, falling 77-56 at Oral Roberts, where Matt O'Leary led the way with 13 points.

Head coach Jason Gardner is in his second season at IUPUI with a record of 21-37. Wednesday is the eight meeting between Omaha and IUPUI, with the Mavericks leading the all-time series, 6-1. UNO won the most recent matchup, 76-71, on Jan. 3 in Omaha and now seek the season series sweep. The Mavericks also won the last matchup in Indianapolis, 87-80 in double overtime, on Feb. 28, 2015.

Last Time Out: Mavericks Down North Dakota State, 76-69
Omaha picked up its second consecutive home triumph Saturday afternoon, defeating North Dakota State 76-69 at Baxter Arena. Senior forward Jake White led the way with game highs of 23 points and seven rebounds while adding an assist and a steal. He shot 10-of-14 from the field for his 10th 20-point scoring effort of the season.

Senior guard Devin Patterson added 16 points, and junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins had 14 points, six assists, four steals and four boards while shooting 6-of-10 with two 3-pointers. Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman also had a double-figure scoring day, posting 10 points with three rebounds.

As a team, UNO shot 48 percent (29-of-61) from the field, 31 percent (5-of-16) from three and 77 percent (13-of-17) at the free throw line. NDSU finished at 53 percent (27-of-51) from the floor, 41 percent (7-of-17) behind the arc and 53 percent (8-of-15) at the stripe.

Hollins Named Summit League Player of the Week
Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins was named Summit League Player of the Week for his performances Feb. 8-14, the conference office announced Monday. The weekly league award is the first of his career and the fourth by any Maverick this season.

Hollins averaged 21.0 points, 7.0 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 steals per game while leading Omaha to a pair of victories over South Dakota State and North Dakota State last week, drawing the Mavericks within a half-game of first place in the league standings. Against league-leading SDSU, Hollins registered game highs in four categories, scoring a career-best 28 points with nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals along with a block. He added 14 points against NDSU, as well as six assists, four rebounds and four steals.

Senior guard Devin Patterson was previously named league player of the week on Dec. 7, Jan. 4 and Jan. 11.

Omaha Homaha
The addition of senior guard Kyler Erickson to Omaha's starting five last Wednesday marked the third different lineup the Mavericks have used this season, and UNO is 2-0 since making the change. 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 Feb. 9. 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 (107) and steals per game (4.0), well ahead of the second-ranked player, Kris Dunn of Providence (73/3.0).

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 (526) and steals (251), fifth for scoring offense (84.4 ppg), seventh in steals per game (9.3) and free throw attempts (706) and 16th for turnovers forced per game (15.9).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in steals (107) and steals per game (4.0) and is 15th for assists (157) and 2nd for assists per game (5.8).

League Leaders
Omaha leads the Summit League in seven statistical categories: points (2,279), points per game (84.4), field goals made per game (29.5), field goals attempted per game (62.7), free throws made per game (19.5), free throws attempted per game (26.1) and steals per game (9.3).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is first among all league players for assists (157) and steals (107).

Hollering About Hollins
Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is Omaha's all-time single-season steals leader, and his 157 assists are the sixth-highest single-season total in school history. He joined UNO's top 20 for career steals on Feb. 6 and now ranks 15th.

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 104 treys in three seasons and leads Omaha this year with 45 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.

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 (42.2). Patterson is third among conference scorers with 17.9 ppg, while White is fourth (17.3) and Thurman is 10th (14.6 ppg).

Comeback Kids
Omaha has overcome a double-digit deficit for a win five times this season, including 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 10-point deficits vs. UMKC (Nov. 17) and vs. South Dakota State (Feb. 10).

Over Derrin Hansen's 11-year career, the Mavericks have prevailed over a double-digit deficit 24 times, including 12 in the Division I era.

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 164 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 299 for 10th, which ties Richard Jones (1993-96). Patterson's next target is Thad Mott (1988-92), who had 328.

Additionally, Patterson has pushed his career scoring total to 1,122 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 two 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 32 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 62 blocks, and his next target is Jerry Bennett (2006-08), who had 63 for 11th place.

Thurman's 19 blocks in Summit League play are the second-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 84.4 points per game, up from 76.3 ppg at this point of the season last year. It marks the second-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 17 wins this season, UNO has averaged 88.1 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, 33 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 17.3 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.

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 three games this year. Over 27 contests UNO has:
    •More or equal steals compared to its opponent 24 times
    •Fewer or equal turnovers compared to its opponent 22 times
    •More or equal free throws made compared to its opponent 20 times
    •More rebounds compared to its opponent 13 times
    •More or equal blocks compared to its opponent 12 times
    •More or equal 3-point field goals made compared to its opponent 11 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 178-148 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 175-196-2 over all teams on the regular-season slate.

Next Up
Omaha returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 20, visiting Fort Wayne. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Gates Sports Center in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1620 The Zone. Fans can stream the audio on their smartphones by downloading NRG Media's app “1620 The Zone,” and links to ­stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.