OMAHA, Neb. –– Omaha Men's Basketball head coach Chris Crutchfield announced Tuesday the addition of two transfers to the Mavericks' 2026-27 roster.

Joining Omaha are:

• Deke Thompson – Fr. – G – 6'4"/205 – Jenks, Okla. – Sand Springs (Texas State) 
• Heri Bukinga – Fr. – F – 6'11"/235 – Goma, Congo – DME Sports Academy (Drake) 

Deke Thompson

Thompson joins the Mavericks after completing his freshman season at Texas State (NCAA Division I - Sun Belt). He appeared in three games for the Bobcats before suffering a season-ending injury in November. Coached by Eric Savage at Sand Springs High School., Thompson averaged 22 points, six rebounds and three assists per game as a senior, including one 42-point performance. An all-state selection, Thompson was the District 4-6A Player of the Year as a senior. He comes from a family of collegiate athletes including his father, Demetrius Thompson II (men's basketball - Missouri State) and his uncle, Tramaine Thompson, played football at K-State from 2009-13 and led the NCAA in 2012 with an average of 19.8 yards per punt return. Thompson has four younger siblings.

Crutchfield on Thompson:

"Deke joins us after redshirting his freshman season at Texas State. He gives us a big guard that can score at three levels. He is an excellent 3-point shooter and underrated defender. We recruited Deke out of high school. We are so excited that he is coming to Omaha."

Heri Bukinga

Bukinga arrives in the 402 from Missouri Valley Conference member Drake where he redshirted. Bukinga, from the Congo, prepped at DME Academy in Florida before arriving in Des Moines. He was one of four true freshmen on a new-look Bulldog roster. Bukinga stands out with his rare size and ability to run the floor and was a recent BWB Global Camp invitee. 

Crutchfield on Bukinga:

"Heri joins us after redshirting and gaining 25 pounds at Drake. At 6-foot-11-inches with a 7-foot-5-inch wingspan, Heri gives us a defensive presence at the rim. He also is a quick and explosive rebounder. This a huge addition to our roster. We are looking forward to working with him."

The duo joins the Mavs' fall signing class of Marcus Gillespie, the highest ranked signee in program history, Ethan Sheats and Jonny Jordan.

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