This Weekend
The Omaha men's basketball team opens a three-game homestand this weekend, welcoming Denver on Saturday, Feb. 6. 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 received votes for the fourth straight week in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The last time the Mavericks received votes in the poll was Jan. 13, 2013.
•UNO is undefeated this season when holding its opponent under 60 points. Denver, which averages 63.8 points per game, has scored fewer than 60 points 12 times this year.
•Four Mavericks average double-figure scoring: senior guard Devin Patterson (17.7 ppg), senior forward Jake White (17.5 ppg), sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman (14. ppg) and junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins (11.3 ppg).
•Hollins is the nation's leader in both steals (92) and steals per game (3.8), as well as Omaha's all-time single-season thefts leader, and he sits five away from joining UNO's top 20 for career steals. Additionally, his 134 assists are the eighth-highest single-season total in school history.
•White (21) had his ninth 20-point scoring effort on Wednesday at Western Illinois, which marked the 25th Maverick scoring performance of 20 or more points this season. Omaha had 20 scoring efforts with 20+ over 29 games in 2014-15.
•White also registered his team-leading sixth double-double of the year at WIU with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
•Patterson became the 36th 1,000-point scorer in program history on Jan. 23 at Oral Roberts.
•Senior guard Tim Smallwood has averaged 10.0 points in reserve over the last four games, hitting 12 3-pointers in that span for 57 percent (12-of-21) long-range shooting.
•Omaha has posted a double-digit steals total in 10 games this season.
•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 76.8, 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 Denver Pioneers
Denver brings in a record of 12-11 (4-6 Summit League) into Saturday's matchup with Omaha. The Pioneers last played Thursday night, defeating IUPUI 53-51 at home, where Joe Rosga led the Pioneers with 16 points.

Head coach Joe Scott is in his ninth season at Denver with a record of 142-128 and a career mark of 231-236 over 16 years. Saturday is the eighth meeting between UNO and DU, with the Pioneers leading the all-time series, 5-2. UNO won the most recent matchup, 69-55, on Jan. 21 in Denver, as well as the last game in Omaha, 80-69, on Jan. 24, 2015.

Mavericks Kick Off Annual Summit League Food Fight
As part of the annual Summit League Food Fight, fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or make a monetary donation to benefit the Maverick Food Pantry at Saturday's game. Fans who donate $10 or 10 cans of food will receive a Summit League t-shirt, while those who donate $5 or five cans of food will receive a reusable UNO grocery bag.

All nine Summit League institutions are competing to raise the most pounds of food to earn the food fight trophy. A $5 cash donation equals 13 pounds of food. The student-led initiative is organized and executed by the Omaha Athletics Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Last Time Out: Omaha Falls to Leathernecks, 83-76
Omaha dropped a conference road game Wednesday night, falling 83-76 to Western Illinois at Western Hall. Senior forward Jake White led the way for Omaha with his sixth double-double of the season on 21 points and a career-high-tying 13 rebounds, shooting 9-of-14 from the field.

Senior guard Devin Patterson joined White in double figures with 16 points on four 3-pointers, seven assists and three steals. Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman added 12 points and five rebounds, and junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins chipped in nine points, six rebounds and six assists.

As a team, Omaha shot 43 percent (28-of-65) from the field, 44 percent (11-of-25) from 3-point range and 64 percent (9-of-14) at the free throw line. Western finished at 50 percent (27-of-54) from the floor, 35 percent (6-of-17) behind the arc and 67 percent (23-of-34) at the stripe. UNO narrowly outrebounded the Leathernecks 39-38.

Man of Steal
Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in both total steals (92) and steals per game (3.8). Driven by his 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 second in the nation for free throws made (473), as well as fourth for steals (221), seventh for free throw attempts (632) and steals per game (9.2) and ninth for scoring offense (84.8 ppg).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the nation in steals (92) and steals per game (3.8) and is 14th for assists (140) and 24th for assists per game (5.8).

Bouncing Back
Omaha has shown the ability to bounce back from losses this season, going 6-1 in games that follow a defeat.

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 99 treys in three seasons and leads Omaha this year with 40 triples. In games when Patterson knocks down at least three 3-pointers, UNO is 4-2.

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 (2.035), points per game (84.8), field goals made per game (29.6), field goals attempted per game (63.3), free throws made per game (19.7), free throws attempted per game (26.3) and steals per game (9.2).

Individually, junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is first among all league players for assists (140) and steals (92).

Close Calls
Omaha's seven losses have come by an average margin of 5.2 points this year. The Mavericks have fallen by one (vs. UC Santa Barbara, at Wyoming), three (at Minnesota), 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 49.5 points per game is eight points ahead of the scoring average for the next trio on the list, Oral Roberts' Obi Emegano, Jalen Bradley and Albert Owens (41.5). Patterson is third among conference scorers with 17.7 ppg, while White is fourth (17.5) and Thurman is ninth (14.3 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 159 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 237 for 11th place. His next target is Nelson, who dished out 288 assists.

Additionally, Patterson has pushed his career scoring total to 1,065 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 26th in school history for scoring, needing five points to tie Don Claussen (1950-54), who had 1,070.

Tracking Tre'Shawn
After 30 blocked shots to his credit as a freshman and 30 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 60 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 ninth nationally in scoring with 84.8 points per game, up from 76.3 ppg at this point of the season last year. In its 15 wins this season, UNO has averaged 88.3 points per contest, scoring 95 points or more in six of those games. In their wins, the Mavericks have also shot 49 percent from the field, 32 percent from long range and 78 percent at the line, compared to 43 percent, 31 percent and 69 percent, respectively, across their nine losses.

White Out
In 2015-16, senior forward Jake White is one of four Mavericks averaging in double figures, credited for 17.5 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 24 contests UNO has:
    •More or equal steals compared to its opponent 21 times
    •Fewer or equal turnovers compared to its opponent 19 times
    •More or equal free throws made compared to its opponent 18 times
    •More rebounds compared to its opponent 13 times
    •More or equal blocks compared to its opponent 11 times
    •More or equal 3-point field goals made compared to its opponent 11 times

Home Sweet Home Advantage
During head coach Derrin Hansen's career, Omaha has won 71 percent of its home contests, going 103-43. 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.

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 176-147 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 173-195-2 over all teams on the regular-season slate.

Next Up
Omaha returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 10, hosting South Dakota State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Baxter Arena, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and Midco. Gary Sharp and Grant Nieland 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.