The Basics
The Mavericks continue the opening week of conference play against arguably the top team in the Summit League this year when they head to Fargo this Saturday at 1 p.m. to take on a North Dakota State team that ranks 23rd in the National Mid-Major poll.

Gary Sharp will have the call on 1290 KOIL or 1180 KZOT and links to live stats, audio, and video can be found at OMavs.com.

Quick Hits
• The Mavericks began the new year with one of their most complete performances yet as they defeated North Dakota 95-85 on the road.
• After adding another 40 on Thursday, Omaha now has 118 points in the paint in the last three games, accounting for 45% of the team's total scoring (118 out of 262). Omaha has also scored at least 80 points in all three of these games, marking the first time the team has done so since December 2022.
• With 27 points and seven rebounds last night, Marquel Sutton is on the cusp of reaching 1000 career points and 500 career rebounds with 994 points and 481 boards. He would become the 44th Maverick in history and 10th who exclusively played in the Division I era to reach 1000 points, 22nd Maverick ever and fourth in just DI competition to reach 500 boards, and 15th Maverick all-time and fourth in the Division I era to have 1000 points and 500 rebounds.
• Now at 144 points this season, Lance Waddles is just 14 points awaying from breaking his personal single-season scoring mark of 158 points which he set last year with NDSU. Likewise, Joshua Streit has 44 points on the year, better than all but one of his three years with the Bison (60 in 2022-23).
• Tony Osburn had his third game of the season with 20+ points on Thursday thanks to a career high 11 free throws made (11-for-12). He also had his sixth game of the season with at least three made from behind the arc.
• JJ White continues to make an impact since returning to the starting lineup, leading the team with a season-high six assists vs. UND. In six games this year as a starter, White has 54 points and is shooting 51.1% (22-for-43). The team is 4-2 during this span.
• Omaha's three road wins so far this year are the team's most since the 2020-21 season.
• 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 41-59 career record. This season marks his fourth year as a head coach and third with the Mavericks.

Scouting the North Dakota State Bison
Arguably the top team in the Summit League this year and the 23rd ranked team in all of Mid-Major basketball, NDSU is 11-5 on the season, but 0-1 in conference play after falling 89-85 to St. Thomas in the conference opener to snap their eight-game winning streak.

With two conference player of the week awards under his belt this year, senior forward Jackson Moni has been the Bison's top player after transferring from Division II Northern State. His 19.0 ppg lead the team and are second in the league, while his 247 points rank second on the team and fifth in the Summit. One of the most accurate shooters in the conference, Moni owns a .530 FG% (second place), a .458 3-PT FG% (first place), and a .833 FT% (sixth place). On top of this he is 12th in rebounding at 4.9 rpg and his 3.8 apg also lead the league.

Right beside Moni in many of these standings is 2023-24 All-Defensive Team selection Jacari White. The senior guard is sixth in the Summit League with 16.2 ppg and third in points with 259. He is fifth in FG% (.456), second in 3-PT FG% (.415), and eighth in FT% (.815) while also leading the conference with 44 three-pointers.

Now in his 11th year leading the Bison and 22nd with the program, Head Coach David Richman is one of the most accomplished coaches in the Summit League with three conference titles and NCAA Tournament berths, including a win over North Carolina central in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

All-Time Against North Dakota State
Going 1-1 against the Bison last year, the Mavericks are 32-54 all-time against NDSU and 6-20 in the Division I era. Omaha's 96-92 overtime win on January 13 last year snapped a nine-game losing streak against NDSU. Sutton and White had 27 and 25 points last year, respectively, in the season series.