The Basics
Omaha looks to stay undefeated in conference play and in 2025 this Saturday at 1 p.m. when they close out the week vs. the reigning Summit League Champions from South Dakota State.

Gary Sharp will have the call on 1290 KOIL and links to live stats, audio, and video can be found at OMavs.com.

Quick Hits
• The Mavericks made a statement on Wednesday when, in the first ever nationally basketball game in Baxter Arena, they routed Kansas City, the No. 1 ranked team in the Summit League preseason poll, 77-58.
• Omaha has now won five games in a row, including the first three conference games. This is the team's longest winning streak to open conference play since the 2019-20 season. Only the 2015-16 team (four wins) has had a longer win streak to open league play.
• As a team, Omaha shot 51.9% from the field on Wednesday, giving them four games this year with a FG% above 50%.
• Kamryn Thomas had one of his most complete games yet, scoring 14 with an .857 FG% (6-for-7) while also pulling down four rebounds and recording three assists, one steal, and one block. During a 13-0 scoring run in the second half he accounted for eight points in three minutes.
• Marquel Sutton had four field goals to end the night with 401 in his career, while also pulling down five rebounds to put him at 498 in his career. Should he reach that mark, Marquel will become the 15th Maverick ever and fourth in the D1 era to total 1000 points and 500 boards.
• JJ White and Lance Waddles led the way with 17 points each vs. Kansas City, with each of them going 6-for-10 with three from behind the arc. Omaha is now 6-2 since White returned to the starting lineup. Waddles, meanwhile, is only 15 points away from reaching 200 for the first time in his career.
• Tony Osburn scored another 12 points on Wednesday to bring him to 201 points on the season. It only took him 16 games to reach that mark this year vs. 26 last season. He now has a career-high 10 games this year with double-digit points and 27 in his career.
• Sutton earned his first career Summit League Preseason honor after being named Second Team All-Preseason in October. In 2023-24, he was second on the team with 12.3 PPG (406 total) and led all Mavericks with 6.3 RPG (208 total boards).
• Lance Waddles (NDSU), Joshua Streit (NDSU), and Isaac Ondekane (Lindenwood) headline the Mavericks' top transfers this year with the trio coming to Omaha with a combined six seasons of Division I basketball under their belts. Also new this year are top JUCO transfers Kamryn Thomas (2024 NJCAA Third Team All-American), Khamani Cooper (465 points as a freshman in 2024), and Valentino Simon (965 career points from 2022-24). 
• Omaha has three captains this year: Marquel Sutton, Tony Osburn, and Lance Waddles.
• Head Coach Chris Crutchfield has a 42-59 career record. This season marks his fourth year as a head coach and third with the Mavericks.

Scouting the South Dakota State Jackrabbits
The 2023-24 Summit League Champs are off to a 10-7 start with a 1-1 record in conference play coming into this weekend after losing a 73-72 nail-biter at St. Thomas on Wednesday. 

SDSU's top player and the most recent conference player of the week Oscar Cluff has been everything as advertised since transferring over from Washington State. The senior center from Australia is one of the top all-around players in the conference this year, currently placing first in rebounding (12.2 rpg, 183 total), and FG% (.695) by huge margins, while also slotting in at third in ppg (17.5), fifth in points (263), 11th in FT% (.785), 11th in assists (43), and fourth in blocks (13). He has yet to post an FG% less than .500 in a game this year and already has 10 double-doubles, including back-to-back games with 19 rebounds.

Joining Cluff in the league's top 25 in scoring are a pair of second year guards Joe Sayler (12.4 ppg, 186 total) and Kalen Garry (10.6 ppg, 180 total). Garry also owns the top FT% on the team at .889 (32-for-36) and leads the team in assists with 44, good for 10th in the league.

Head Coach Eric Henderson is in his sixth year leading the Jackrabbits and ninth year overall with the program. During his head coaching tenure, SDSU has won four Regular Season Titles and two Championship Titles in 2021-22 and 2023-24.

All-Time Against South Dakota State
Following a razor thin 90-87 road loss at SDSU followed by a 85-77 overtime loss at home last year, the Mavericks are now 32-56 all-time against the Jackrabbits and have lost 10 in a row. White totaled 31 points with five assists and three steals last year, while Sutton had 23 points and 15 rebounds, including a double-double.