The Basics
The Omaha men's basketball team takes on No. 9 Creighton this Tuesday, Dec. 1. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. at CHI Health Center Omaha.
The game will be televised live on FS1, with Lane Grindle handling play-by-play and Jess Settles providing color commentary. 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
• At No. 9, Creighton is Omaha's highest-ranked opponent of the Mavericks' Division I era. The designation previously went to No. 13 Kansas in 2017-18.
• The 2020-21 season is the 108th overall in program history and the 10th of the Mavericks' Division I era. All-time, the program is 1,198-1,204.
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Marlon Ruffin carries a three-game double-figure scoring streak after last week's Gulf Coast Showcase. He averages 16.3 ppg, which ranks seventh among Summit League players.
• Ruffin has been solid at the stripe, hitting 18-of-19 over the first three games.
• Tuesday will be a homecoming of sorts for Omaha director of operations
Kevin Jewell, who graduated from Creighton in 2018. He was previously an assistant video coordinator (2017-18) and manager (2014-17) for the Bluejays.
• Former Maverick Mike Rostampour (2013-15) is playing in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers with Team Iran this week in Doha, Qatar. Iran defeated Saudi Arabia on Nov. 27 and plays Syria on Nov. 30.
• The Mavericks have a 10-game non-conference slate, all on the road from Nov. 25 to Dec. 29. During that time, their home facility, Baxter Arena, will serve as the host site for the NCHC Pod, with 38 hockey games held Dec. 1-21.
• Omaha was picked fourth in the Summit League's preseason poll. Pile was a first-team Preseason All-Summit selection, and Ruffin was a second-team pick.
• Pile needs 54 points to become the 42nd 1,000-point scorer in Maverick history.
• Pile and
Ayo Akinwole are serving as team captains for the second straight season.
Scouting the Creighton Bluejays
Creighton, ranked No. 9 by the Associated Press, is 1-0 after a 69-58 home win over North Dakota State to open the season Sunday afternoon. Christian Bishop finished with a team-leading 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, while Marcus Zegarowski had 12 points and six assists. Mitch Ballock added 11 points and seven rebounds.
CU finished the 2019-20 campaign at 24-7 (13-5 BIG EAST) after winning seven of their last eight games of the year. The Bluejays were picked second in the BIG EAST's 2020-21 preseason poll, and Zegarowski was named the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year. Ballock was also a second-team Preseason All-BIG EAST pick.
Head coach Greg McDermott is in his 11th season at Creighton with a record of 232-116 and a career mark of 512-311 over 27 years.
All-Time Against Creighton
Tuesday marks the first regular-season meeting between Omaha and Creighton as Division I foes and the first regular-season matchup since 1995. Creighton has a 40-3 advantage in the all-time series, including seven straight wins. The Mavericks' last win over CU was a 56-45 road decision on Dec. 11, 1982.
Omaha and Creighton last played in an exhibition game on Oct. 26, 2017 to benefit the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund. The Bluejays won 96-67 at CHI Health Center Omaha. The night marked the first time
Ayo Akinwole and
Matt Pile donned a Maverick uniform, as both were freshmen.
Against the BIG EAST
Tuesday's game with Creighton is Omaha's second matchup all-time with a member of the BIG EAST. Omaha is 1-0 against members of the conference.
Hansen vs. McDermott
Derrin Hansen and Greg McDermott have sat on opposing benches plenty of times over the last three decades, including twice as head coaches in exhibition. In 2008-09, Hansen's Maverick squad visited McDermott-coached Iowa State, falling 74-54 in Ames. The two met again in 2017-18 for the Omaha-Creighton hurricane charity relief game in downtown Omaha.
Ruffin's Week Nets Accolades
Marlon Ruffin's big weekend at the Gulf Coast Showcase earned him both a spot on the all-tournament team on Saturday and Summit League Player of the Week honors on Monday. The only Maverick to average in double figures, he had 16.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.0 apg and 1.7 spg and three straight double-digit scoring performances, all off the bench. Ruffin was Omaha's leading scorer in the first two games and finished 18-of-19 at the free throw line for the week.
Up Next
Omaha visits Drake on Thursday, Dec. 3, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. at the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and ESPN+, and Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1290 KOIL. Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
