The Basics
Omaha looks to keep its undefeated streak to start 2025 alive and make history when they head to Colorado to face Denver on Wednesday at 8 p.m. in their only game this week. With one more win, the Mavericks will set new Division I program records for consecutive wins (seven) and consecutive wins to open Summit League Play (five).

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 took down the top two ranked teams in the Summit League preseason poll last week, blowing out Kansas City 77-58 in the first ever nationally broadcasted basketball game at Baxter Arena, before closing out the week with an 87-80 win over the reigning conference champion South Dakota State.
• Omaha's six-straight wins tie program's longest Division I streak set in 2018-19 and 2015-16, while its four-straight wins to open conference play also match the 2015-16 squad.
• The team's 87-80 win over SDSU was its sixth game with 80+ points this year, while its .519 FG% marked the fourth time this year Omaha shot over .500 as a team.
• Averaging 86.0 ppg while allowing 75.8, Omaha's 10.3 scoring margin is 3.3 points higher than second place St. Thomas at 7.0.
• Marquel Sutton made history yet again on Saturday when he officially reached 500 rebounds in his career, becoming the 22nd Maverick in history and fourth to only play in the Division I era to reach this mark. With 1000 career points and 500 rebounds, he is now just the 15th Maverick ever and fourth in the D1 era to total 1000 points and 500 boards.
• Sutton also topped 300 points for the third-straight season last week, doing so in 19 games vs. 30 in 2022-23 and 23 in 2023-24.
• Lance Waddles also passed a career milestone on Saturday when he reached 200 points in a season for the first time in his career. He joins Sutton (17) and Tony Osburn (207) as the first three Mavericks to reach this mark this year.
• JJ White had a career day vs. SDSU, topping 20 points for the first time in his career with 24 after making a career-high eight field goals and four three-pointers. He also recorded a season-high seven assists.
• Waddles and White each have 10 double-digit scoring games on the season now.
• Four Mavericks are currently in the league's top 25 in scoring in conference play: Sutton (7th - 19.0 ppg), White (10th - 16.5), Waddles (12th - 15.8), & Osburn (21st - 12.8) all crack the list.
• 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 44-59 career record. This season marks his fourth year as a head coach and third with the Mavericks.

Scouting the Denver Pioneers
Coming off a Summit League Tournament Championship appearance last year, the Pioneers are off to a slow start in 2024-25 as they currently sit in last place in the standings at 6-13 overall and 0-4 in conference play. Carrying a seven-game losing streak into this week, Denver most recently fell 95-70 vs. North Dakota and 69-50 to North Dakota State last week.

The Pioneers a headed up by a trio of 200-point scorers: Nicholas Shogbonyo (277, 14.6 ppg), DeAndre Craig (221, 13.0 ppg), and Sebastian Akins (233, 12.3 ppg). All three rank in the top 20 in scoring in the league. Shogbonyo, a junior JUCO transfer, also leads the team in rebounding with 92 boards and 4.8 rpg. Craig, the only one of the three who was on the team last year, is Denver's top shooter with the third-best FG% in the league at .500 (87-for-174), as well as a .424 3-PT FG% (25-for-59). He is also top 10 in the Summit with 22 steals and 56 assists. Freshman Akins is right behind Craig with 4 assists.

Other notable Pioneers are Josh Lee, who leads the league with 31 steals, and Isaiah Addo-Ankrah, who paces Denver with a .448 3-PT FG% (43-for-96). 

Head Coach Jeff Wulbrun is in his fourth year with the Pioneers and has led them to three straight double-digit win seasons. Prior to Denver, he worked as an assistant coach at Stanford, California, Illinois State, and UAB, helping the latter three to the NCAA Tournament.

All-Time Against Denver
The all-time series remains tied 13-13 between Omaha and Denver. Last year, each team won on the road in the regular season, with the Pioneers taking the first meeting 95-80 before the Mavericks routed them 91-72. Both teams met in the Summit League Tournament Semifinals last year, with Omaha leading at the half only to fall behind late and come up just short of the comeback in the final minute. Sutton totaled 41 points and 24 rebounds last year, while Osburn had 32 points and two steals. For Denver, DeAndre Craig had 26 points and nine assists.