Leading Off
The Omaha men's basketball team is set for a one-two showdown with Summit League leader South Dakota State this Thursday, Feb. 14 at Baxter Arena at 7 p.m. Donny Baarns and former Maverick
Kyler Erickson will have the call on YurView Cox Channel 1013, ESPN+ and Midco, and Gary Sharp and former Maverick John Karhoff will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2. Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
• Omaha sits in second place in the Summit League standings, behind only South Dakota State's 10-1 mark.
• The Mavericks' 107-102 overtime win at South Dakota last Thursday marked their first 100-point scoring output and their second OT game this season.
• The Mavericks' 6-1 start to league play before a loss at SDSU (Jan. 26) matched its previous best set in 2015-16.
• Omaha has won 11 of its last 13 games. It won five straight decisions on the road from Dec. 15 - Jan. 24, the most since seven straight from Jan. 2 - Feb. 19, 2011.
• The Mavericks have outrebounded seven of their last eight opponents.
• Omaha is the only team in the league to have all five starters averaging double figures:
Zach Jackson (18.3 ppg),
JT Gibson (14.2 ppg),
Mitch Hahn (12.5 ppg),
KJ Robinson (11.8 ppg) and
Matt Pile (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 10th.
• The Mavericks rank seventh nationally for fewest total turnovers and 18th for fewest turnovers per game. They have had single-digit turnovers in 10 of the last 14 games.
• Robinson has limited himself to 23 turnovers in 20 games. In league play, Gibson and
Ayo Akinwole both have just eight miscues in 10 games.
• Omaha is one win 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 20-6 (10-1 Summit League) after its ninth straight win, 80-55 over North Dakota last Saturday. Mike Daum posted a 29-point, 20-rebound double-double, and Alex Arians and David Jenkins each had 15 points. Daum is one of 30 players named to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Watch List.
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 66-30 in his third year at SDSU.
All-Time Against South Dakota State
Thursday marks the 77th meeting between Omaha and South Dakota State, and the Jackrabbits lead the all-time series 46-30, including 11-3 in the Mavericks' Division I era. The Jackrabbits have a 5-1 advantage in Omaha since 2012-13. Omaha's last home win over the Jacks was Feb. 10, 2016 by a score of 96-92.
Omaha and SDSU last met Jan. 26 at Frost Arena, where the Jacks prevailed 83-73.
Last Time Out: Mavericks Rally for 107-102 OT Win Over South Dakota
Omaha survived an overtime thriller last Thursday, defeating South Dakota 107-102 on a neutral court at the Sanford Pentagon to sweep the season series. USD erased an 18-point Omaha lead in the second half, but
Mitch Hahn's game-tying three sent the contest to overtime at 87-87 before the Mavericks held on for the win.
Zach Jackson recorded his fifth 20-point scoring effort in six games, exploding for a game-high 27. He finished 9-of-17 from the field with three 3-pointers, six rebounds and an assist. Hahn joined him with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting and hit 5-of-6 at the stripe, adding four boards and two assists.
KJ Robinson totaled 20 points for the night, hitting 5-of-8 from the field and 8-of-9 at the line. He dished out a game-high seven assists and chipped in four rebounds and a steal.
Six Mavericks finished in double figures, as
Matt Pile and
Ayo Akinwole also had 11 points apiece and
JT Gibson pitched in 10 more. Pile pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds as well.
Omaha shot .500 (30-of-60) to South Dakota's .492 (31-of-63) from the floor. The Mavericks finished .787 (37-of-47) at the stripe, while USD came in at a .743 (26-of-35) clip as the two teams combined for 57 fouls and 82 free throws. Omaha had the advantage on the glass, 37-27 and a 38-28 edge in the paint.
Scoring Notables
• Over the last six games,
Zach Jackson has averaged 20.3 points per game and has at least 20 points in five of them: 22 at Western Illinois (Jan. 17), 21 vs. South Dakota (Jan. 20), 25 at Purdue Fort Wayne (Jan. 24), 22 vs. North Dakota (Feb. 3) and 27 at South Dakota (Feb. 7).
• Over the last five games,
Mitch Hahn (11),
KJ Robinson (11),
JT Gibson (10) and Jackson (nine) have combined for 41 of Omaha's 43 threes.
• Five Mavericks have made at least four triples in a single game this season: Gibson (eight times), Jackson and Hahn (three times each), Robinson (twice) and
Ayo Akinwole (once).
• Omaha has had at least five double-figure scorers eight times, most recently at South Dakota (Feb. 7), when it was six in one game. Six Mavericks have finished in double figures seven times in the Division I era and 12 times in the
Derrin Hansen era.
• All five starters have scored in double figures on four occasions.
• The Mavericks have shot .500 or better as a team 10 times, including eight of the last 12 games. They are undefeated when shooting at least .500.
Threes, Please
Omaha ranks 13th nationally with a .393 shooting percentage from distance and 85th nationally as a team with 210 3-pointers made.
JT Gibson has been a major factor from long range, and the junior is 68th in the country for 3-point percentage (.399).
The Mavericks have 11 games with double-digit triples this season.
League Leaders
Omaha ranks in the top third of the Summit League for scoring (third at 80.8), field goal percentage (third at .482), field goals made per game (third at 29.8), 3-point percentage (second at .393), 3-pointers made per game (third at 9.1), steals per game (third at 6.0) and fewest turnovers per game (first at 10.4).
Mavericks by Month
After going 5-1 in the month of January, Omaha has continued its winning ways with a perfect 2-0 start to February. The Mavericks' starting five has led the charge this month:
Zach Jackson (24.5 ppg/5.5 rpg),
Mitch Hahn (18.5 ppg/4.0 rpg),
KJ Robinson (18.0 ppg/3.5 rpg),
JT Gibson (15.0 ppg/4.5 rpg) and
Matt Pile (11.5 ppg/6.5 rpg).
Action Jackson
Over 23 games in his senior campaign,
Zach Jackson has a team-best 18.3 points with 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.8 steals per game. He ranks 86th nationally for scoring and 108th for total points (422), is the fourth-best scorer in the Summit League and also ranks third among league players for free throws made (91). Jackson's 1,414 points are 95th among the NCAA's Division I active career leaders for scoring.
Jackson had 10 straight games in double figures from Nov. 6 to Dec. 8, and he had another nine-game streak from Dec. 19 to Jan. 24.
JT's Junior Year
JT Gibson has scored in double figures in all but two games this season, including his current 11-game streak in place since Dec. 21. He has scored 15 or more points in a night on nine 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 eight 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 (59) and third for steals (31). In league play, he has averaged 15.1 points per game.
Gibson, who has scored in 55 straight contests, is Omaha's active career leader for threes made.
JT for Three
JT Gibson is the only Omaha player to hit a three in all 23 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 59 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 10th (151).
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 last Thursday took sole possession of seventh all-time for scoring with 1,414 points. He needs 44 points to pass Phil Cartwright (1988-92), whose 1,457 points occupy the sixth spot.
Jackson also has 486 rebounds over his career, needing 14 to move into a tie for 20th all time. He also would become the 12th player in school history with at least 1,000 points and 500 boards. Additionally, Jackson is 86 points and 14 caroms away from becoming just the second player in program history to reach 1,500 points and 500 rebounds.
On Jan. 2, Jackson joined the top 20 in school history for career field goals and is now 10th with 476 made. He moved into 20th for career steals (101) Feb. 3 vs. North Dakota.
Feelin' Hahn, Hahn, Hahn
Mitch Hahn has been a major factor in Omaha's success of late, as the senior has averaged 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game with .529 shooting over the last 13 games. He has scored in double figures in each one, marking the longest double-figure streak of any Maverick this season. 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 four 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, at Purdue Fort Wayne (Jan. 24) with 23 points/15 rebounds and at South Dakota State (Jan. 26) with 14 points/15 rebounds.
Call Him Kid Clutch
Mitch Hahn has been responsible for two key threes in the closing seconds during Summit League play. The senior hit the game-winning trey at North Dakota (Jan. 10) with eight seconds left for a 92-91 win. Last Thursday at South Dakota (Feb. 7), Hahn's triple with six seconds remaining in regulation sent the game to overtime at 87-87 before Omaha recorded a 107-102 victory.
The Pile Driver
Matt Pile is shooting at a .592 clip in his sophomore campaign, ranking second among Summit League players. He also ranks third for offensive rebounds (62) and fifth for rebounds per game (7.3) and total rebounds (169). In league-only games, he is first for offensive boards (36).
The Goddard, Kan., native has scored in double digits 14 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 14 games, Pile has six double-doubles and has averaged 11.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest.
Just a year and a half into his career, Pile's is Omaha's active career leader in for blocks (51). 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 12.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in the 15-game stretch. Robinson put up a season-best 23-point performance Jan. 26 at South Dakota State, canning four triples and adding five rebounds and four steals.
With a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio this year, Robinson ranks 25th nationally. He is Omaha's active career leader for assists (164).
The Evolution of Zach Jackson
Zach Jackson has been a four-year starter, averaging 12.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for his career. The Wichita, Kan., native has scored in 70 straight contests dating back to Jan. 7, 2017 and has 72 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.
Tossing Up 20+
Omaha had its fifth performance this season with multiple 20-point scorers Feb. 7 at South Dakota from
Zach Jackson (27),
Mitch Hahn (21) and
KJ Robinson (20). It was the first time three Mavericks have done so on the same night since Jan. 16, 2016 vs. Fort Wayne, as well as the second time in the Division I era and the third time in the
Derrin Hansen era.
Compared to the Opposition
Over its 23 contests this season, Omaha has:
•More or equal field goals made compared to its opponent 14 times
•More or equal 3-point field goals made compared to its opponent 12 times
•More or equal free throws made compared to its opponent 11 times
•More or equal rebounds compared to its opponent 11 times
•More or equal assists compared to its opponent 10 times
•More or equal steals compared to its opponent 16 times
•Fewer or equal turnovers compared to its opponent 17 times
•More or equal blocks compared to its opponent 10 times
Home Sweet Homaha
Omaha played 12 games at home in 2017-18, and eight of its nine wins came at Baxter Arena. This season, the Mavericks are 7-2 at home. They average 84.9 points per game and have an average margin of victory of 16.6 points.
Up Next
Omaha plays host to Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday, Feb. 16. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. at Baxter Arena, and 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.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early for pregame Senior Day festivities to honor senior duo
Zach Jackson and
Mitch Hahn.
