Mavericks Set for Showdown with Spartans
Nov 5, 2010 | General, Men's Basketball
UNO Men's Basketball Media Supplement -- Nov. 8
The UNO men's basketball team travels to East Lansing, Mich., for an exhibition at No. 2 Michigan State on Monday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. CT. The meeting marks the first clash in history between the two schools.
UNO opens regular-season play on Saturday, Nov. 13, hosting Nebraska Wesleyan at Sapp Fieldhouse at 4 p.m. The NWU game will also serve as Alumni Day, with all former Maverick men's basketball players welcome to attend a day of festivities on the UNO campus.
Scouting the Competition: Michigan State Spartans
Head Coach: Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, 1997)
2009-10 Record: 12-2 (2-2 LSC)
Career Record: 364-146 (16th Year)
Last Game: W, 88-44 vs. Saginaw Valley State (11/2/10)
Record at MSU: Same
Website: MSUSpartans.com
Michigan State opened the exhibition portion of their schedule against Saginaw Valley State on Wednesday, Nov. 2, recording an 88-44 win in East Lansing. ...Kalin Lucas scored 13 points for the Spartans, and Draymond Green -- brother of UNO's Torrian Harris -- had 12 points with three rebounds and four assists.
MSU returns nine letterwinners from last year's Final Four squad, including three starters. Lucas, who tore his Achilles tendon during last year's NCAA Tournament, was an All-Big Ten selection and the Spartans' leading scorer in 2009-10, with an average of 14.8 points and 4.0 assists. He is also a preseason All-America selection for 2010-11.
Head coach Tom Izzo enters his 16th year at the helm of the Spartan program. A four-time national coach of the year, Izzo's teams have qualified for 13 straight NCAA tournaments, highlighted by six Final Four appearances. He won the 2000 NCAA title along with five Big Ten regular-season championships and two Big Ten Tournament crowns.
MSU Exhibition Pits Brothers Harris, Green
Monday's exhibition game will be a special occasion for UNO's Torrian Harris and Michigan State's Draymond Green, as the brothers will play against each other for the only time in their collegiate careers. Both natives of Saginaw, Mich., the duo are separated by two years in school but played as teammates at Saginaw High School through Harris' senior year in 2006.
Harris began his collegiate playing days in the area at Saginaw Community College, transferring to UNO for his junior season in 2009-10. He averaged 7.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game, helping the Mavericks to the MIAA tournament championship, as well as an NCAA Division II Tournament appearance. Harris also shot .494 from the field.
Green, a 6-6 junior forward, averaged 9.9 points and 7.7 rebounds for the Spartans in 2009-10. He appeared in all 37 games and shot .525 from the field for 366 points, which ranked fourth on the team. He also had the second-highest block total with 34, as well as 112 assists and 45 steals to his credit. Green played 29 minutes against Butler in the NCAA Final Four, scoring 12 points with six boards, a pair of blocks, a steal and an assist.
On Exhibit
UNO has a solid recent history of opening the exhibition portion of their schedule with well-known Division I programs, including this year's marquee match-up at Michigan State. Last season, the Mavericks faced Creighton in a cross-town pairing at Qwest Center Omaha, falling 99-77 to the Bluejays.
UNO's Recent Exhibition Games Against Division I Opponents
Season Team Location Conference Result
2010-11 at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. Big Ten ---
2009-10 at Creighton Omaha, Neb. Missouri Valley L, 99-77
2008-09 at Iowa State Ames, Iowa Big 12 L, 74-54
2006-07 at Creighton Omaha, Neb. Missouri Valley L, 73-56
at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb. Big 12 L, 76-62
2005-06 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb. Big 12 L, 70-65
Big Ten Country
Although this Monday's exhibition at Michigan State does not count in the official season record, UNO looks for its first win over a Big Ten Conference opponent in the match-up. The Mavericks are 0-3 all-time against Big Ten squads and have not faced any team from the league in 24 years. Its last Big Ten showdown came against Wisconsin in 1986-87, along with games against Iowa in 1981-82 and Illinois in 1978-79.
UNO Alumni Day Set for Nov. 13
The UNO men's basketball program will host its annual Alumni Day celebration on Saturday, Nov. 13, when the Mavericks face Nebraska Wesleyan in their regular-season opener. All former men's basketball players are welcome to attend the variety of festivities, including the pre-game shootaround, a meet-and-greet with the 2010-11 team, a campus tour, the alumni vs. alumni game, UNO's match-up with NWU and a halftime presentation. Detailed information is available at OMavs.com.
2010 Alumni Day Schedule
Time Event Location
11:30 a.m. Maverick Pregame Shootaround Sapp Fieldhouse
Noon Registration/Meet and Greet the 2010-11 Mavs Sapp Fieldhouse
12:30 p.m. Campus Tour UNO Campus
1:45 p.m. Alumni Game Sapp Fieldhouse
4 p.m. Tipoff -- UNO vs. Nebraska Wesleyan Sapp Fieldhouse
UNO Coming Off Remarkable 2009-10 Season
The UNO men's basketball team had a solid 2009-10 season, capturing the first MIAA tournament championship in program history and qualifying for the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 12th time. The Mavericks posted a record of 22-9 (12-8), and Tyler Bullock and Andrew Bridger both garnered All-MIAA recognition. Bullock was also an honorable mention All-America selection by the Division II Bulletin after averaging 19.0 points per game and ranking second in the league in scoring.
Maverick Trio Named to 2009-10 NABC Honors Court
Three Mavericks were named to the 2009-10 NABC Honors Court for their performance in the classroom last year, the NABC announced in July. Former Maverick Andrew Bridger, as well as current seniors Tyler Bullock and Jeff Martin were all part of the list. Criteria includes junior or senior academic standing, a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or higher and at least one year of matriculation at his NCAA Division I, II or III or NAIA institution.
Bridger, who is now a student assistant with the UNO men's basketball program, is a business management major. Bullock is pursuing a degree in business finance, and Martin is majoring in general studies.
Coming Home
Junior guard Mitch Albers will be a familiar face in the Maverick lineup in 2010-11, as he returns to UNO after a year on the Nebraska roster for the 2009-10 season. Albers transferred back to UNO after redshirting a year with the Huskers, and he brings back a major scoring presence for the Mavs.
As a sophomore in 2008-09, Albers made his way into the UNO record books, totaling 440 points for the year, which ranks 20th all-time for a season. The Papillion, Neb., native averaged 15.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game and earned honorable mention All-MIAA honors. Albers, who started all 28 games, also shot .476 from the field, as well as a .434 clip from long range.
Entering his junior season at UNO, Albers ranks 12th in school history with 94 career 3-pointers. He needs just seven more to tie Andy Price (1994-96) for 11th place, and also trails senior Jeff Martin's 110 shots from long-range, which is the 10th-most in the Maverick record books.
Martin Eclipses School 3-Point Record in NCAA Tournament
Senior Jeff Martin closed his junior campaign in style, hitting five 3-pointers to break the UNO school record for treys in a season with 98. The mark surpassed former Maverick Zac Robinson's 96 3-pointers, set in 2006-07.
Martin also ranks among the top long-range shooters in program history with 110 career triples. He is 10th all-time entering his senior season and needs just 11 more to tie Patrick Voss (1997-2000) for ninth place on the list.
Mavs Chosen Third in MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
Nebraska-Omaha was picked to finish third in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association's 2010-11 preseason polls, the league office announced in October. The preseason conference standings are chosen in a survey of MIAA head coaches and media members.
The Mavericks earned 102 points in the coaches poll and 157 in the media list, as well as two first-place votes in each poll. The 12 conference coaches selected Fort Hays State as their preseason favorite and Central Missouri at No. 2, while media voters picked UCM first, followed by FHSU.
Preseason Honoree Bullock Leads Mavericks Into 2010-11 Season
Senior guard Tyler Bullock is UNO's top returning player this season, having been named an honorable mention All-American by the Division II Bulletin a year ago. The Bulletin also named Bullock a preseason honorable mention All-American and tabbed him the preseason player of the year for the MIAA.
In 2009-10, Bullock earned first-team All-MIAA status and ranked second in the league in scoring with 19.0 points per game. In addition to his conference and national recognition, he was a second-team all-region pick by Daktronics. Bullock started all 31 games and was 40th in the country in free throw percentage with a .856 clip. The business finance major is also a standout in the classroom, having been named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll the last two years.
On the way to a league championship, Bullock averaged 20 points in UNO's three MIAA Tournament games and was subsequently named the tournament's most valuable player. He reached double-figure scoring in 27 of 31 games and also scored 20 or more points on 15 occasions. His 588 total points for the season is the fourth-highest single-season total in school history.
Bullock began his playing career at Denver, where he started all 29 games as a true freshman and averaged 11 points per contest.
Hansen Takes Mavs to New Heights
Head coach Derrin Hansen enters his sixth season at the helm of the UNO men's basketball program, having taken the job after serving as an assistant coach for seven years with former Maverick head coaches Kevin McKenna and Kevin Lehman. Hansen boasts a career record of 91-59 (.607) over the first five years of his head coaching career and needs just nine more wins to reach the 100-win mark. He has the second-most victories of any coach in program history, behind only Bob Hanson, who amassed a record of 382-313 from 1969 to 1994.
Hansen has coached or assisted on teams that have earned five trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament, while also garnering two regular-season league titles and three tournament crowns. In 2007-08, his squad recorded a school-record 25 wins in its final season of North Central Conference play. The Mavs won their final NCC Tournament and earned their first appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament since 2004-05.
Last year, UNO won its first MIAA championship in only its second season as members of the league. The Mavericks finished with a record of 22-9.
As a player at Nebraska Wesleyan, Hansen's 1988 squad advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals, and while serving as a student coach, the 1990 Plainsmen advanced to the final 16. He graduated with his bachelor's degree from NWU in 1991.
Mavericks Rank in Top 50 Nationally
UNO ranked in the top 50 nationally in multiple categories of the final 2009-10 NCAA Division II statistics report released in March -- 15th in scoring offense (84.6 points per game), 25th in assists per game (16.6), 26th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.24) and 38th in field goal percentage (47.9).
In addition, former Maverick Andrew Bridger capped his career ranked eighth in the country with 6.4 assists per game, and Jeff Martin completed his junior season at 17th in 3-point field goals with 3.2 per contest. Martin also ranked 40th in 3-point field goal percentage (39.7), while Tyler Bullock was 40th nationally in free throw percentage (85.6) and 50th in points per game (19.0).
Next Up for the Mavs...
UNO makes its 2010-11 debut at Sapp Fieldhouse on Saturday, Nov. 14, hosting Nebraska Wesleyan at 4 p.m. The game also marks the annual Alumni Day for all former Maverick men's basketball student-athletes.
The UNO men's basketball team travels to East Lansing, Mich., for an exhibition at No. 2 Michigan State on Monday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. CT. The meeting marks the first clash in history between the two schools.
UNO opens regular-season play on Saturday, Nov. 13, hosting Nebraska Wesleyan at Sapp Fieldhouse at 4 p.m. The NWU game will also serve as Alumni Day, with all former Maverick men's basketball players welcome to attend a day of festivities on the UNO campus.
Scouting the Competition: Michigan State Spartans
Head Coach: Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, 1997)
2009-10 Record: 12-2 (2-2 LSC)
Career Record: 364-146 (16th Year)
Last Game: W, 88-44 vs. Saginaw Valley State (11/2/10)
Record at MSU: Same
Website: MSUSpartans.com
Michigan State opened the exhibition portion of their schedule against Saginaw Valley State on Wednesday, Nov. 2, recording an 88-44 win in East Lansing. ...Kalin Lucas scored 13 points for the Spartans, and Draymond Green -- brother of UNO's Torrian Harris -- had 12 points with three rebounds and four assists.
MSU returns nine letterwinners from last year's Final Four squad, including three starters. Lucas, who tore his Achilles tendon during last year's NCAA Tournament, was an All-Big Ten selection and the Spartans' leading scorer in 2009-10, with an average of 14.8 points and 4.0 assists. He is also a preseason All-America selection for 2010-11.
Head coach Tom Izzo enters his 16th year at the helm of the Spartan program. A four-time national coach of the year, Izzo's teams have qualified for 13 straight NCAA tournaments, highlighted by six Final Four appearances. He won the 2000 NCAA title along with five Big Ten regular-season championships and two Big Ten Tournament crowns.
MSU Exhibition Pits Brothers Harris, Green
Monday's exhibition game will be a special occasion for UNO's Torrian Harris and Michigan State's Draymond Green, as the brothers will play against each other for the only time in their collegiate careers. Both natives of Saginaw, Mich., the duo are separated by two years in school but played as teammates at Saginaw High School through Harris' senior year in 2006.
Harris began his collegiate playing days in the area at Saginaw Community College, transferring to UNO for his junior season in 2009-10. He averaged 7.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game, helping the Mavericks to the MIAA tournament championship, as well as an NCAA Division II Tournament appearance. Harris also shot .494 from the field.
Green, a 6-6 junior forward, averaged 9.9 points and 7.7 rebounds for the Spartans in 2009-10. He appeared in all 37 games and shot .525 from the field for 366 points, which ranked fourth on the team. He also had the second-highest block total with 34, as well as 112 assists and 45 steals to his credit. Green played 29 minutes against Butler in the NCAA Final Four, scoring 12 points with six boards, a pair of blocks, a steal and an assist.
On Exhibit
UNO has a solid recent history of opening the exhibition portion of their schedule with well-known Division I programs, including this year's marquee match-up at Michigan State. Last season, the Mavericks faced Creighton in a cross-town pairing at Qwest Center Omaha, falling 99-77 to the Bluejays.
UNO's Recent Exhibition Games Against Division I Opponents
Season Team Location Conference Result
2010-11 at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. Big Ten ---
2009-10 at Creighton Omaha, Neb. Missouri Valley L, 99-77
2008-09 at Iowa State Ames, Iowa Big 12 L, 74-54
2006-07 at Creighton Omaha, Neb. Missouri Valley L, 73-56
at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb. Big 12 L, 76-62
2005-06 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb. Big 12 L, 70-65
Big Ten Country
Although this Monday's exhibition at Michigan State does not count in the official season record, UNO looks for its first win over a Big Ten Conference opponent in the match-up. The Mavericks are 0-3 all-time against Big Ten squads and have not faced any team from the league in 24 years. Its last Big Ten showdown came against Wisconsin in 1986-87, along with games against Iowa in 1981-82 and Illinois in 1978-79.
UNO Alumni Day Set for Nov. 13
The UNO men's basketball program will host its annual Alumni Day celebration on Saturday, Nov. 13, when the Mavericks face Nebraska Wesleyan in their regular-season opener. All former men's basketball players are welcome to attend the variety of festivities, including the pre-game shootaround, a meet-and-greet with the 2010-11 team, a campus tour, the alumni vs. alumni game, UNO's match-up with NWU and a halftime presentation. Detailed information is available at OMavs.com.
2010 Alumni Day Schedule
Time Event Location
11:30 a.m. Maverick Pregame Shootaround Sapp Fieldhouse
Noon Registration/Meet and Greet the 2010-11 Mavs Sapp Fieldhouse
12:30 p.m. Campus Tour UNO Campus
1:45 p.m. Alumni Game Sapp Fieldhouse
4 p.m. Tipoff -- UNO vs. Nebraska Wesleyan Sapp Fieldhouse
UNO Coming Off Remarkable 2009-10 Season
The UNO men's basketball team had a solid 2009-10 season, capturing the first MIAA tournament championship in program history and qualifying for the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 12th time. The Mavericks posted a record of 22-9 (12-8), and Tyler Bullock and Andrew Bridger both garnered All-MIAA recognition. Bullock was also an honorable mention All-America selection by the Division II Bulletin after averaging 19.0 points per game and ranking second in the league in scoring.
Maverick Trio Named to 2009-10 NABC Honors Court
Three Mavericks were named to the 2009-10 NABC Honors Court for their performance in the classroom last year, the NABC announced in July. Former Maverick Andrew Bridger, as well as current seniors Tyler Bullock and Jeff Martin were all part of the list. Criteria includes junior or senior academic standing, a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or higher and at least one year of matriculation at his NCAA Division I, II or III or NAIA institution.
Bridger, who is now a student assistant with the UNO men's basketball program, is a business management major. Bullock is pursuing a degree in business finance, and Martin is majoring in general studies.
Coming Home
Junior guard Mitch Albers will be a familiar face in the Maverick lineup in 2010-11, as he returns to UNO after a year on the Nebraska roster for the 2009-10 season. Albers transferred back to UNO after redshirting a year with the Huskers, and he brings back a major scoring presence for the Mavs.
As a sophomore in 2008-09, Albers made his way into the UNO record books, totaling 440 points for the year, which ranks 20th all-time for a season. The Papillion, Neb., native averaged 15.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game and earned honorable mention All-MIAA honors. Albers, who started all 28 games, also shot .476 from the field, as well as a .434 clip from long range.
Entering his junior season at UNO, Albers ranks 12th in school history with 94 career 3-pointers. He needs just seven more to tie Andy Price (1994-96) for 11th place, and also trails senior Jeff Martin's 110 shots from long-range, which is the 10th-most in the Maverick record books.
Martin Eclipses School 3-Point Record in NCAA Tournament
Senior Jeff Martin closed his junior campaign in style, hitting five 3-pointers to break the UNO school record for treys in a season with 98. The mark surpassed former Maverick Zac Robinson's 96 3-pointers, set in 2006-07.
Martin also ranks among the top long-range shooters in program history with 110 career triples. He is 10th all-time entering his senior season and needs just 11 more to tie Patrick Voss (1997-2000) for ninth place on the list.
Mavs Chosen Third in MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
Nebraska-Omaha was picked to finish third in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association's 2010-11 preseason polls, the league office announced in October. The preseason conference standings are chosen in a survey of MIAA head coaches and media members.
The Mavericks earned 102 points in the coaches poll and 157 in the media list, as well as two first-place votes in each poll. The 12 conference coaches selected Fort Hays State as their preseason favorite and Central Missouri at No. 2, while media voters picked UCM first, followed by FHSU.
Preseason Honoree Bullock Leads Mavericks Into 2010-11 Season
Senior guard Tyler Bullock is UNO's top returning player this season, having been named an honorable mention All-American by the Division II Bulletin a year ago. The Bulletin also named Bullock a preseason honorable mention All-American and tabbed him the preseason player of the year for the MIAA.
In 2009-10, Bullock earned first-team All-MIAA status and ranked second in the league in scoring with 19.0 points per game. In addition to his conference and national recognition, he was a second-team all-region pick by Daktronics. Bullock started all 31 games and was 40th in the country in free throw percentage with a .856 clip. The business finance major is also a standout in the classroom, having been named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll the last two years.
On the way to a league championship, Bullock averaged 20 points in UNO's three MIAA Tournament games and was subsequently named the tournament's most valuable player. He reached double-figure scoring in 27 of 31 games and also scored 20 or more points on 15 occasions. His 588 total points for the season is the fourth-highest single-season total in school history.
Bullock began his playing career at Denver, where he started all 29 games as a true freshman and averaged 11 points per contest.
Hansen Takes Mavs to New Heights
Head coach Derrin Hansen enters his sixth season at the helm of the UNO men's basketball program, having taken the job after serving as an assistant coach for seven years with former Maverick head coaches Kevin McKenna and Kevin Lehman. Hansen boasts a career record of 91-59 (.607) over the first five years of his head coaching career and needs just nine more wins to reach the 100-win mark. He has the second-most victories of any coach in program history, behind only Bob Hanson, who amassed a record of 382-313 from 1969 to 1994.
Hansen has coached or assisted on teams that have earned five trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament, while also garnering two regular-season league titles and three tournament crowns. In 2007-08, his squad recorded a school-record 25 wins in its final season of North Central Conference play. The Mavs won their final NCC Tournament and earned their first appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament since 2004-05.
Last year, UNO won its first MIAA championship in only its second season as members of the league. The Mavericks finished with a record of 22-9.
As a player at Nebraska Wesleyan, Hansen's 1988 squad advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals, and while serving as a student coach, the 1990 Plainsmen advanced to the final 16. He graduated with his bachelor's degree from NWU in 1991.
Mavericks Rank in Top 50 Nationally
UNO ranked in the top 50 nationally in multiple categories of the final 2009-10 NCAA Division II statistics report released in March -- 15th in scoring offense (84.6 points per game), 25th in assists per game (16.6), 26th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.24) and 38th in field goal percentage (47.9).
In addition, former Maverick Andrew Bridger capped his career ranked eighth in the country with 6.4 assists per game, and Jeff Martin completed his junior season at 17th in 3-point field goals with 3.2 per contest. Martin also ranked 40th in 3-point field goal percentage (39.7), while Tyler Bullock was 40th nationally in free throw percentage (85.6) and 50th in points per game (19.0).
Next Up for the Mavs...
UNO makes its 2010-11 debut at Sapp Fieldhouse on Saturday, Nov. 14, hosting Nebraska Wesleyan at 4 p.m. The game also marks the annual Alumni Day for all former Maverick men's basketball student-athletes.
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