Leading Off
The Omaha men's basketball team seeks its sixth straight win and the outright lead in the Summit League standings this Saturday, Jan. 26, visiting South Dakota State in a first-place showdown. The game is set for 4:15 p.m. at Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D., and will be broadcast on YurView Cox Channel 1013, ESPN3 and Midco. Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1290 KOIL, and links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
• With its overtime win Thursday at Purdue Fort Wayne, Omaha maintained its share of the top spot in the Summit League standings. It was the Mavericks' first overtime game this season.
• The Mavericks' 6-1 start to league play matches its previous best set by the 2015-16 team.
• Omaha has won nine of its last 10 games. Its five-game win streak is its longest of the season and the longest since Feb. 16 - March 6, 2017.
• Omaha has won its last five decisions on the road, the most since seven straight from Jan. 2 - Feb. 19, 2011.
• The Mavericks have outrebounded their opponent in five consecutive games with an average margin of 8.4. The last time Omaha outrebounded its opponent in five consecutive games was Dec. 5-31, 2009.
• Omaha is the only team in the league to have all five starters averaging double figures:
Zach Jackson (18.4 ppg),
JT Gibson (14.1 ppg),
Mitch Hahn (11.8 ppg), Pile (10.5 ppg) and
KJ Robinson (10.4 ppg).
• Omaha is one of three league teams -- with South Dakota State and Purdue Fort Wayne -- with at least two players in the conference's top 10 for scoring. Jackson is fourth, and Gibson is ninth.
• The Mavericks, who rank 18th nationally and lead the Summit League for fewest turnovers per game, have had single-digit turnovers in nine of the last 12 games.
• The Mavericks' assist-to-turnover ratio jumped from 0.9 in the first nine games to 1.6 over the last 11.
• Omaha is three wins shy of two century marks: its 100th win since gaining membership in the Summit League in 2012-13 and
Derrin Hansen's 100th career conference win since taking the reins of the Maverick program in 2005-06.
• The Mavericks were picked eighth in the 2018-19 Summit League's Preseason Poll, and Jackson was a first-team Preseason All-Summit selection.
• Jackson collected second-team All-Summit accolades as a junior. Since Omaha joined the Summit League in 2012-13, 10 Mavericks have combined for 12 All-Summit awards.
• Jackson and Hahn are both team captains for the second straight year.
Scouting the South Dakota State Jackrabbits
South Dakota State is 16-6 (6-1 Summit League) after its fifth straight win, 87-69 win over North Dakota State on Thursday. The Jackrabbits buried 11 3-pointers, starting 7-of-11 from deep in the first half. Mike Daum led all scorers with 30 points and 17 rebounds, David Jenkins had 25 points, and Skyler Flatten added another 16.
SDSU, which finished 28-7 (13-1 Summit League) and made its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance a year ago, was voted Summit League's 2018-19 preseason favorite. Daum, a three-time first-team All-Summit pick and a two-time league player of the year, was named Preseason Summit League Player of the Year. Head coach TJ Otzelberger carries a career record of 62-30 in his third year at SDSU.
All-Time Against South Dakota State
Saturday marks the 76th meeting between Omaha and South Dakota State, and the Jackrabbits lead the all-time series 45-30, including 10-3 in the Mavericks' Division I era. The Jackrabbits have a 4-2 advantage in Brookings since 2012-13. Omaha's last win there was Jan. 7, 2017 by a score of 101-93.
Omaha and SDSU last met Jan. 30, 2018 at Frost Arena, where the Jacks prevailed 80-60.
Last Time Out: Captains Carry Mavericks to OT Comeback at Purdue Fort Wayne, 85-79
Omaha erased a 17-point second-half deficit Thursday night, rallying for an 85-79 overtime win in a barn burner with Purdue Fort Wayne at Gates Sports Center.
Senior captains
Zach Jackson and
Mitch Hahn combined for 48 points, with 24 of Jackson's coming in the second half and overtime period. He finished with 25 for the night with six rebounds while hitting 8-of-9 at the line. Hahn put up his third double-double of the year on a season-high 23 points and a career-best 15 rebounds, shooting 9-of-16 with four 3-pointers.
JT Gibson also finished in double figures with 11 points -- all after halftime -- alongside three rebounds, an assist and two steals.
Omaha outshot the Mastodons .465 (33-of-71) to .420 (29-of-69) from the field and outrebounded an opponent for the fifth straight game, 43-37.
Scoring Notables
•
Zach Jackson has led Omaha with three straight 20-point scoring efforts against Western Illinois (22), South Dakota (21) and Purdue Fort Wayne (25). Averaging 22.7 points per game in that span, he has shot .537 (22-of-41), including .471 (8-of-17) from deep.
• Over the last five games,
Mitch Hahn (14),
JT Gibson (13),
Zach Jackson (12) and
KJ Robinson (10) have combined for 49 of Omaha's 57 threes.
• Five Mavericks have made at least four triples in a single game this season: Gibson (seven times), Jackson and Hahn (three times each),
KJ Robinson (twice) and
Ayo Akinwole (once).
• Omaha has had five double-figure scorers six times, most recently vs. North Dakota State (Jan. 2). All five starters have scored in double figures on two occasions.
• The Mavericks have shot .500 or better as a team on eight occasions, including six of the last nine games. They are undefeated when shooting at least .500.
Threes, Please
Omaha ranks 15th nationally with a .392 shooting percentage from distance and 43rd nationally as a team with 184 3-pointers made.
JT Gibson has been a major factor from long range, and the junior is 75th in the country for 3-point percentage (.392).
The Mavericks have nine games with double-digit triples this season.
League Leaders
Through the first seven games of league play, Omaha ranks in the top third of the Summit League for scoring (first at 85.3), field goal percentage (second at .501), field goals made per game (first at 31.4), 3-point percentage (first at .422), free throws made per game (second at 12.7), rebounds per game (third at 34.4), offensive rebounds per game (second at 9.3), assists per game (third at 14.1) and fewest turnovers per game (first at 9.7).
January Surge
Omaha is a perfect 5-0 in the month of January, during which time the Mavericks have shot .500 from the field and .418 from three while averaging 84.4 points per game. The charge has been led by the starting five:
Zach Jackson (19.8 ppg),
Mitch Hahn (17.2 ppg/8.8 rpg),
JT Gibson (12.8 ppg),
Matt Pile (12.2 ppg/9.8 ppg) and
KJ Robinson (10.4 ppg).
Action Jackson
Over 20 games in his senior campaign,
Zach Jackson has a team-best 18.4 points with 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.8 steals per game. He ranks 61st nationally for total points (368), is the fourth-best scorer in the Summit League and also ranks third among league players for free throws made (79). Jackson's 10 straight games in double figures from Nov. 6 to Dec. 8 is the longest of any Omaha player this season, and he carries a nine-game double-figure streak into Saturday's game at South Dakota State.
JT's Junior Year
JT Gibson has scored in double figures in all but two games this season, including a nine-game streak from Nov. 14 - Dec. 15 and his current eight-game stretch. He has scored 15 or more points in a night on eight occasions, highlighted by a career-high 22 points with three rebounds, three assists and a steal vs. Denver (Dec. 28), followed by 21 points, three boards, a career-high eight assists and three steals vs. Oral Roberts (Dec. 30).
Gibson has seven games with four or more 3-pointers, led by a five-triple efforts at Oregon (Dec. 8) and vs. Denver (Dec. 28). He ranks sixth in the Summit League for 3-pointers made (51) and steals (26). In league play, he carries a league-best 4.0 assist-to-turnover ratio and has averaged 15.3 points per game.
Gibson, who has scored in 52 straight contests, is Omaha's active career leader for threes made and assists (152).
JT for Three
JT Gibson is the only Omaha player to hit a three in all 20 games this season. The streak is the longest of his career, surpassing his previous best of 19 straight games from Nov. 20, 2017 to Jan. 25, 2018.
With a team-high 51 treys, he ranks sixth among Summit League players. The Brooklyn Park, Minn., native broke into Omaha's top 15 for career triples Dec. 6 at Seattle and now ranks 11th (143).
Milestones in the Making for Jackson
Zach Jackson came into his final season on the brink of with two major milestones. Nov. 9 at Minnesota, he became the 39th 1,000-point scorer in program history and Thursday moved up to ninth all-time for scoring with 1,360 points. He needs just four points to pass Seth Nelson (1999-2003), whose 1,363 points occupy the eighth spot on the list.
Jackson also has 473 rebounds over his career, needing 17 to become the 12th player in school history with at least 1,000 points and 500 boards.
On Jan. 2, Jackson joined the top 20 in school history for career field goals and is now 11th with 457 made.
Feelin' Hahn, Hahn, Hahn
Mitch Hahn has been a major factor in Omaha's success of late, as the senior has averaged 16.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game with .525 shooting over the last 10 games, scoring in double figures in each one. The numbers are up from his previous 10 games, during which he had 7.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game and shot .308 from the floor and .229 from three.
The Fremont, Neb., native also owns three games with at least three 3-pointers, hitting three apiece against Minnesota (Nov. 6) and Northern Arizona (Nov. 14) and a season-best four at Idaho (Dec. 15) and vs. North Dakota State (Jan. 2). He has three double-doubles on the year: at Rice (Dec. 21) with 18 points/11 rebounds, at North Dakota (Jan. 10) with 17 points and 11 rebounds and at Purdue Fort Wayne (Jan. 24) with 23 points/15 rebounds.
The Pile Driver
Matt Pile is shooting at a .608 clip in his sophomore campaign, ranking second among Summit League players. He also ranks third for offensive rebounds (53) and fifth for rebounds per game (7.5) and total rebounds (149). In league-only games, he is first for offensive boards (28).
The Goddard, Kan., native has scored in double digits 12 times this year. He delivered back-to-back double-doubles vs. North Dakota State (Jan. 2) with 19 points/12 rebounds and at North Dakota (Jan. 10) with a career-best 20 points/10 rebounds. Over the last 12 games, Pile has six double-doubles and has averaged 11.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest.
Just a year and a half into his career, Pile's is Omaha's active career leader in for blocks (49) and double-doubles (eight). He joined the top 15 in school history with a season-best four-block performance Jan. 20 vs. South Dakota.
Here's to You, Mr. Robinson
KJ Robinson returned to the Mavericks' starting five Dec. 6 at Seattle, playing his first game since Nov. 20. He hit five 3-pointers en route to 17 points that night and has since averaged 10.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in the 12-game stretch. Robinson put up a season-best 18-point performance Jan. 17 at Western Illinois.
With a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio this year, he ranks 25th nationally.
The Evolution of Zach Jackson
Zach Jackson has been a four-year starter, averaging 11.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for his career. The Wichita, Kan., native has scored in 67 straight contests dating back to Jan. 7, 2017 and has 69 consecutive starts since Dec. 29, 2016.
From his freshman campaign to his junior year, Jackson evolved into an all-league player and last year became the sixth Maverick in the Division I era to score 500+ points in a single season.
Down But Not Out
Omaha overcame a 17-point deficit to win Thursday at Purdue Fort Wayne, marking the third time this season the Mavericks have worked past a double-digit deficit. The previous two were a 14-point comeback at North Dakota (Jan. 10) and a 15-point comeback at Bethune Cookman (Nov. 20).
Over
Derrin Hansen's 14-year career, the Mavericks have prevailed over a double-digit deficit 29 times, including 17 in the Division I era.
Compared to the Opposition
Over its 20 contests this season, Omaha has:
•More or equal field goals made compared to its opponent 13 times
•More or equal 3-point field goals made compared to its opponent 11 times
•More or equal free throws made compared to its opponent nine times
•More or equal rebounds compared to its opponent nine times
•More or equal assists compared to its opponent 10 times
•More or equal steals compared to its opponent 14 times
•Fewer or equal turnovers compared to its opponent 15 times
•More or equal blocks compared to its opponent nine times
Up Next
Omaha returns home to host North Dakota on Sunday, Feb. 3. Tipoff is set for Noon at Baxter Arena, and the game will be broadcast on YurView Cox Channel 1013, ESPN3 and Midco with Donny Baarns and former Maverick
Kyler Erickson on the call. Gary Sharp and former Maverick John Karhoff will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2, and links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
