This Week
The Omaha men's basketball team hosts Denver this Wednesday, Jan. 18. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Baxter Arena, and Gary Sharp and John Karhoff will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2. Fans can stream 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.

Fans are encouraged to arrive early, as Baxter Arena will offer $1 beers, sodas and hot dogs from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Quick Hits
•Omaha enters the game on a three-game win streak, matching an earlier stretch of three straight wins from Dec. 10-18.
•Five Omaha players average double-figure scoring: senior guard Marcus Tyus (15.5 ppg), junior forward Tre'Shawn Thurman (13.2 ppg), sophomore guard Zach Jackson (11.6 ppg), senior guard Tra-Deon Hollins (10.9 ppg) and sophomore forward Mitch Hahn (10.8 ppg).
•Tyus eclipsed 1,000 career points Jan. 4 vs. Fort Wayne, becoming the 37th Maverick to reach the milestone. Thurman is next in line, entering Wednesday's game with 973 career points.
•Tyus is averaging 20.7 points per game over five games in league play, which ranks fourth in the conference. In non-conference, he had averaged 13.2 points per game.
•Hollins sits at 15th on the Summit League's all-time career steals list with 190.
•Omaha went 7-6 in non-conference play, marking its fourth straight season finishing .500 or better against non-conference opponents.
•Head coach Derrin Hansen has used three different lineups throughout the first 19 games this year.
•Omaha capped the 2015-16 season at 18-14 overall and 10-6 in the Summit League, finishing third in the conference standings. The Mavericks were picked fourth in the league's 2016-17 preseason poll.
•Hollins and Thurman were both named Preseason All-Summit, with Hollins on the first team and Thurman on the second team.
•Omaha was a perfect 10-0 when shooting 50 percent or better last year. This year, the Mavericks are 2-1.
•Eight different Mavericks have scored in double figures this year.
•Thurman registered his team-leading fifth double-double of the year Jan. 4 vs. Fort Wayne. In games with a Thurman double-double over the last three seasons, Omaha is 6-5.

Scouting the Denver Pioneers
Denver enters the week with a record of 11-7 (3-2 Summit League) after a 79-55 win over North Dakota State last Saturday. Daniel Amigo recorded his seventh double-double with a game-high 28 points and 12 rebounds.

Leading scorer Joe Rosga averages 15.8 points per game, which ranks eighth in the league. Amigo (15.1 ppg) also averages in double figures and has a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game, which ranks fourth among league players. The Pioneers were picked eighth in the preseason league poll, and Rosga was a second-team Preseason All-Summit selection.

Head coach Rodney Billups in his first season at DU, carrying a career record of 11-7.

Wednesday's game marks the 10th meeting all-time between Omaha and Denver, and the Pioneers lead the all-time series, 7-2. The two teams met most recently on March 6, 2016 in the Summit League Tournament Quarterfinals with Denver earning a 78-70 win. UNO and DU split the regular-season series last year, with the Mavericks winning 69-55 on Jan. 21 in Denver and the Pioneers taking a 75-72 decision on Feb. 6 at Baxter Arena.

Last Time Out: Tyus, Hahn Spur Mavericks Past Western Illinois, 86-72
Behind a combined 49 points and 11 3-pointers from Marcus Tyus and Mitch Hahn, Omaha extended its win streak to three straight conference games last Saturday with an 86-72 win over Western Illinois at Baxter Arena. Tyus led all scorers with 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting with five 3-pointers and four steals. Hahn was just behind with 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting, hitting 6-of-8 3-point shots and 4-of-4 at the free throw line, while adding six rebounds.

Senior guard Tra-Deon Hollins added 13 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and six steals for the night. The performance put him at second in school history for career steals (190), one off tying the program record set by Calvin Kapels (2002-06).

Junior guard Daniel Norl also had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, hitting 3-of-3 from deep. Junior forward Tre'Shawn Thurman posted eight points, a team-high 10 rebounds, a career-high-tying five assists and two blocks.

As a team, Omaha shot 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the field, a season-high 51.7 percent (15-of-29) from 3-point range and 58.6 percent (17-of-29) at the line. Western Illinois finished at 39.7 percent (23-of-58) from the floor, 28.6 percent (6-of-21) behind the arc and 76.9 percent (20-of-26) at the stripe.

The Leathernecks had the edge on the glass, 45-38, but Omaha had the advantage in assists (18-8), steals (13-3) and turnovers forced (18-6).

Last Five On Fire
Over the last five contests, Omaha has gone 3-2 with a three-game win streak. The stretch has been spurred by 23.0 points per game from Marcus Tyus, who has shot .512 (21-of-41) from long range and had three scoring efforts of 20+. In that span, junior forward Tre'Shawn Thurman also has 9.4 rebounds per game.

Tyus Joins 1,000 Point Club
He entered the 2016-17 season having not played a game since Feb. 7, 2015, but senior guard Marcus Tyus is now the most recent Omaha player to join the prestigious 1,000-Point Club. Over four active seasons (2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2016-17), he has amassed 1,082 career points to rank 23rd in school history. Tyus was the 37th UNO player to reach the 1,000 points milestone.
    
Omaha's active career leader for 3-pointers, Tyus moved up to 11th on the triples chart Jan. 14 vs. Western Illinois. His career total of 135 passed Troy Kloewer (1993-97), who had 131. Next up is CJ Carter (2011-15), who had 142.

History-Making Hollins
Senior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is Omaha's all-time single-season steals leader, and he joined the top 20 for career steals on Feb. 6, 2016. Hollins moved up to second in school history Jan. 14 vs. Western Illinois, passing Dwayne King (1982-86), who had 186. Hollins now has a career total of 190 swipes, needing just one to tie Calvin Kapels (2002-06) for the school record of 191.

Hollins' 196 assists last season were the second-highest single-season mark in school history. He broke into the all-time top 20 for assists Nov. 19 vs. Rice and is now ninth with 321, having passed Devin Patterson (2013-16), who had 311. Hollins now needs seven more to tie for eighth on the list, which would match That Mott (1988-92), who had 328.

Hollins had one of his finest performances of the 2015-16 season vs. Fort Wayne on Jan. 16, 2016, 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, clearing 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.

Tracking Tre'Shawn
After 30 blocked shots to his credit as a freshman and 35 more as a sophomore, junior forward Tre'Shawn Thurman made his way into the top 10 in school history with 65 career blocks. Midway into the 2016-17 campaign, the Omaha Central product now sits in a tie for fifth on the list with 83, which matches Levy Jones (2003-05). Thurman's next hurdle is Frank Cypress (1993-95), who had 94.

Thurman most recently inked his name in the Omaha record books for career rebounds, joining the top 20 in school history on Dec. 21 at Pitt. He currently sits at 13th on the list with 533 boards, having passed Glenn Moberg (1975-79), who had 531. Thurman's next target is Dennis Forrest (1973-77), who grabbed 557.

Thurman is also on the brink of becoming the second Maverick this season to join the 1,000 Point Club. With 973 points to his credit entering this week, he needs 27 more to become the 38th 1,000-point scorer in school history.

Stacking Up Nationally
As a team, Omaha ranks 12th nationally for free throws made (353) and free throws attempted (478), 30th for scoring offense (81.8), 31st for total steals (150), 39th for 3-pointers made (168) and 41st for steals per game (7.9)

Individually, senior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is the nation's leader for total steals (63), as well as third for steals per game (3.3), fifth for total assists (125) and eighth for assists per game (6.6).

League Leaders
As a team, Omaha is the Summit League's leader in free throws made per game (18.6) and free throw attempts per game (25.2). Individually, senior guard Tra-Deon Hollins leads the way in steals (63) and assists (125) for the second straight season. Tre'Shawn Thurman is also first for defensive rebounds (119).

Feelin' Hahn, Hahn, Hahn
Sophomore forward Mitch Hahn is averaging 10.9 points per game, the most of any Maverick coming off the bench.

The Fremont, Neb., native had an impressive debut Nov. 12 at UC Santa Barbara, leading all scorers with 15 points in reserve with five 3-pointers. Hahn was the first Maverick to knock down at least five triples in a season opener since former Maverick Jeff Martin did so in 2009-10.

Hahn scored a season-high 24 points Jan. 14 vs. Western Illinois, helped by his 6-of-8 showing from 3-point range. He is second on the team for threes made this season with 34.

Action Jackson
Sophomore guard Zach Jackson is second on the team for rebounding with 5.1 boards per game and third for scoring with 11.6 points per game this season. In Omaha's season opener Nov. 12 at UCSB, he scored 14 points and pulled down a career-best and eight rebounds and has matched the rebounding performance twice more -- Nov. 15 at Kansas State and Dec. 3 at Iowa. Jackson also put up a career-high 21 points against the Hawkeyes, and he has scored in double figures in all but five games this season.

Jackson started 24 games in his freshman campaign in 2015-16, averaging 3.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per contest. A native of Wichita, Kan., he was the first Omaha freshman to start a season opener since CJ Carter in 2011. Jackson also had the distinction of making the first basket in Baxter Arena history, nailing a jumper 52 seconds into last year's season opener vs. UC Santa Barbara.

Looking to the Bench
Omaha's bench outscored Buena Vista's bench 60-28 on Nov. 22. The last time the Mavericks' bench enjoyed a scoring margin of 30 or more was March 1, 2014, when UNO outscored Fort Wayne's reserves 59-26.

The 2016-17 Mavericks are averaging 26.8 points per game by bench scorers, the highest of any Derrin Hansen-coached team. The next highest average is courtesy of the 2013-14 squad, which had 26.5 bench points per game.

Hitting the Century Mark
Omaha hit the century mark for the second time this season in its 101-93 win at South Dakota State on Jan. 7. Over the 12-year Derrin Hansen era, the Mavericks are 20-2 when scoring 100 points or more in a game.

Compared to the Opposition
Over its 19 contests this season, Omaha has:
    •More or equal field goals made compared to its opponent seven times
    •More or equal 3-point field goals made compared to its opponent nine times
    •More or equal free throws made compared to its opponent 13 times
    •More or equal rebounds compared to its opponent seven times
    •More or equal assists compared to its opponent eight times
    •More or equal steals compared to its opponent 10 times
    •Fewer or equal turnovers compared to its opponent eight times
    •More or equal blocks compared to its opponent eight times

2016-17 Slate = Tough Test for Mavericks
Omaha's 2016-17 schedule includes 29 games, and the team will play in 13 states against schools from nine other Division I conferences. The schedule has two opponents from both the Big 12 and Big West and one each from the Pac-12, Big Ten, ACC, Conference USA, MAC, Big Sky and WAC. Five opponents – USC, Iowa, Iowa State, Pitt and defending Summit League champion South Dakota State – played in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

The 2016-17 season also features four opponents the Mavericks have never faced: USC, Rice, Cal State Fullerton and Pitt. They now hold a combined all-time record of 142-179 over all teams on the regular-season slate.

Next Up
Omaha travels to Oral Roberts on Saturday, Jan. 21. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. at the Mabee Center in Tulsa, Okla., with a live ESPN3 broadcast. Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1290 KOIL, and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.