The Basics
The Omaha men's basketball team visits North Dakota State for a pair of Summit League road games this Friday, Jan. 8 and Saturday, Jan. 9. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. both nights at the Scheels Center in Fargo, N.D.
Both games will be televised live on Midco and ESPN+, with Brian Shawn and Freddy Coleman handling the broadcast on Friday, then Shawn and Greg Stemen on Saturday. Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2 on Friday, then 1290 KOIL on Saturday. Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
• Omaha played its first home game in 311 days last weekend when it welcomed Oral Roberts.
• While Omaha played its non-conference schedule from Nov. 25 to Dec. 29, its home facility, Baxter Arena, served as the host site for the NCHC Pod, with 38 hockey games held Dec. 1-21.
• Omaha plays 18 of its 26 games away from Baxter Arena this season.
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Matt Pile became the 42nd 1,000-point scorer in Maverick history on Dec. 17 at Wyoming.
• Pile owns the 11th-most total rebounds nationally. His 807 career rebounds are the seventh-most of any active player in NCAA Division I, and his 22 career double-doubles are the 14th-most.
• Pile has started 84 consecutive games, the longest streak of any active Maverick.
• 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 1,199-1,212.
• Omaha was picked fourth in the Summit League's preseason poll. Pile was a first-team Preseason All-Summit selection, and
Marlon Ruffin was a second-team pick.
• Pile and
Ayo Akinwole are serving as team captains for the second straight season.
Scouting the North Dakota State Bison
North Dakota State is 4-6 (2-0 Summit League) after sweeping Western Illinois last weekend, 68-50 in game one and 78-67 in game two. In the finale, six Bison scored in double figures, led by Tyree Eady's 16 points and eight rebounds.
The defending Summit League Tournament champion and defending regular-season co-champion, NDSU was picked third in the league's preseason poll. Rocky Kreuser was a second-team Preseason All-Summit selection.
Head coach David Richman is in his seventh season in Fargo with a career record of 125-81.
All-Time Against North Dakota State
Friday marks the 79th meeting between Omaha and North Dakota State, with the Bison leading the all-time series, 47-31, including 13-5 in the Mavericks' Division I era. NDSU swept both games last season, 86-78 at Baxter Arena on Feb. 5 and 87-67 in Fargo on Feb. 29. NDSU is 7-2 against Omaha in the Division I era when games are set in Fargo.
This and That
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Marlon Ruffin had a big weekend to open league play, tallying back-to-back 20-point games vs. Oral Roberts. He finished with a season-high 24 points on Saturday, then added 21 on Sunday.
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Ayo Akinwole has shot 57% (17-of-30) over the last four games, averaging 11.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 2.3 apg. He was bolstered by a 19-point outburst at K-State -- one of three straight double-figure scoring performances between Dec. 17 - Jan. 2.
• Akinwole carries a perfect 10-of-10 streak at the stripe since Dec. 5.
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Sam'i Roe has scored in double figures in two of the last three games, averaging 8.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg. He had a season-high 12 points at K-State (Dec. 29).
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La'Mel Robinson is Omaha's leading bench scorer with 6.5 ppg. He averaged 11.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg last weekend.
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Devin Evans made his Summit League debut last Saturday with a season-high eight points vs. Oral Roberts.
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Wanjang Tut has averaged 11.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg over the last six games. Over the first six games of the year, he had averaged 7.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg.
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Nick Ferrarini made his Maverick debut Dec. 16 during the second half at Colorado after the NCAA Division I Council's decision to grant a blanket waiver allowing all transfer student-athletes to compete immediately this season.
• Nine different Mavericks have scored in double figures in the first 12 games.
Up Next
Omaha returns home for two games with South Dakota State on Friday, Jan. 15 and Saturday, Jan. 16. Tipoff both nights is set for 7 p.m. at Baxter Arena. Gary Sharp and Kyler Erickson will have the radio call on 1290 KOIL, and links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
