Mavericks Prepare for League-Leading Lions
Jan 14, 2011 | General, Men's Basketball
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The UNO men's basketball team (9-4, 6-3 MIAA) looks for its seventh straight MIAA win this weekend, hosting No. 22 Missouri Southern (12-1, 8-1 MIAA) on Saturday, Jan. 15 at 3:30 p.m.
Nebraska-Omaha last took the court on Wednesday, Jan. 12, capturing a 90-84 win over Southwest Baptist for its sixth straight victory. The victory marked a special night for head coach Derrin Hansen and junior guard Mitch Albers, as Hansen earned his 100th career win and Albers surpassed the 1,000 career points milestone. He led all scorers with a season-high 29 points -- just one off his career best -- and was 5-for-7 from 3-point range. Three Mavs joined Albers in double figures -- Tyler Bullock (17), Torrian Harris (15) and John Karhoff (14). Karhoff's mark tied his career high for points, and Harris also matched his career best for rebounds (11) en route to the third double-double of his career.
Missouri Southern has won three straight games, most recently defeating Fort Hays State 82-64 in Joplin, Mo., on Monday night. Jason Adams finished with 25 points, while Kevin Hinsey (15), Skyler Bowlin (10) and Marquis Addison (10) also finished in double figures. In addition, Keane Thomann pulled down a game-leading 10 rebounds. MSSU's only loss of the year came against Pittsburg State on Jan. 2, as it fell 77-75 at home.
Going Streaking
UNO's six-game conference win streak heading into Saturday's contest with Missouri Southern is the Mavericks' longest since a seven-victory streak capped in the NCC Tournament in 2003-04. It is also the Mavs' longest regular-season league streak since 1989-90, when they had eight straight in NCC play.
Albers Joins Maverick 1,000 Point Club
Junior guard Mitch Albers became the 32nd member of UNO's 1,000 Point Club on Wednesday, as he dropped 29 points on Southwest Baptist in the Mavs' win. The Papillion-LaVista graduate now has 1,010 career points, which ranks 29th in UNO history. His next targets on the scoring list are Paul Sieczkowski (1968-72), who had 1,016 points, and Tola Dada (2000-04), who had 1,017.
How They Stack Up
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Category UNO MSSU
Scoring Tyler Bullock (19.0) Skyler Bowlin (19.6)
Rebounding Torrian Harris (6.9) Keane Thomann (8.3)
Assists Tyler Bullock (4.8) Skyler Bowlin (4.9)
Steals Tyler Bullock (1.9) Skyler Bowlin (3.2)
Blocks Torrian Harris (0.8) Keane Thomann (1.4)
TEAM RANKS/AVERAGES IN THE MIAA
Category UNO MSSU
Scoring Offense 5th (78.7) 3rd (82.0)
Scoring Defense 8th (76.3) 1st (66.0)
Scoring Margin 7th (+2.4) 2nd (+16.0)
Rebounds Per Game 10th (33.5) 4th (37.5)
Rebounding Margin 10th (-4.3) 3rd (+5.9)
FG Percentage 6th (.465) 2nd (.493)
FG Defense 5th (.439) 2nd (.413)
3-Pt. FG Percentage 10th (.318) 6th (.360)
3-Pt. FG Defense 7th (.352) 6th (.352)
FT Percentage 4th (.720) 5th (.716)
Assists Per Game 7th (14.0) 2nd (18.0)
Blocks Per Game 4th (3.4) 3rd (3.5)
Steals Per Game 6th (7.4) 1st (11.2)
Assist/Turnover Ratio 4th (1.2) 5th (1.2)
Last Time Out
Nebraska-Omaha leads the series with MSSU 4-2 all-time, and the Lions have never won in two seasons of play in Omaha.
The two teams last squared off on March 5, 2010 when the Mavericks took a 93-89 win in the first round of the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City. Torrian Harris scored a career-high 26 points off the bench, and Tyler Bullock contributed 18. Jeff Martin (11), Andrew Bridger (11) and Eugene Bain (10) also scored in double figures, and Matt Newman grabbed 11 rebounds to help the Mavs advance to semifinal play.
In regular-season action, UNO knocked off the Lions at Sapp Fieldhouse last year, 113-111 in overtime. Aaron Terry hit Dion Curry with a pass for a layup as time expired to seal the win, and Bridger dished out a career-best 16 assists along with 20 points in the win.
Hansen Hits 100-Win Milestone
Head coach Derrin Hansen is in 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 100-63 over the first five-plus years of his head coaching career and hit the century mark on Jan. 12 in a 90-84 win over Southwest Baptist. 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 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 Teams Nationally
UNO has the fifth-lowest average for turnovers per game in the NCAA's Division II rankings through Jan. 2, as the Mavs have 11.7 turnovers per contest. The mark is just behind Minnesota State (11.4 TOPG), Hillsdale (11.5), Concordia-St. Paul (11.6) and Metro State (11.6).
Individually, senior guard Tyler Bullock is 45th in the country in scoring (19.3 PPG) through games of Jan. 2, 52nd in assists per game (4.9 APG) and 71st in steals (2.1 SPG).
Harris Emerges as Dual Threat
Senior guard Torrian Harris has had a strong senior season in 2010-11, averaging double-figure scoring and leading the Mavericks on the boards. Harris has 11.4 points per game, which ranks third on the team, as well as a squad-best 6.9 rebounds per contest, which is eighth-best in the MIAA. In addition, the Saginaw, Mich., native started off his final season with a memorable exhibition game at Michigan State, where he faced his half-brother, Draymond Green. Harris has since started all 13 games and has hit double-figure scoring in eight of those contests.
Martin Continues Climb Up Career Triples Chart
Senior Jeff Martin ranks among the top long-range shooters in program history with 134 career triples. He is seventh all-time entering this weekend's match-up and needs 27 more to tie Michael Jenkins (2005-09), who had 161 for sixth place on the list. Martin leads the Mavericks from deep in 2010-11 with 30 3-pointers.
Last season, Martin closed his junior campaign in style, hitting five 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game against Tarleton State to set the UNO school record for treys in a season (98). The mark surpassed former Maverick Zac Robinson's 96 3-pointers, set in 2006-07.
UNO Career 3-Point Leaders
1. Zac Robinson (2002-07) -- 248 7. Jeff Martin (2008-present) -- 134
2. Mike Simons (1996-2000) -- 230 8. Troy Kloewer (1993-97) -- 131
3. Dan Morrow (1999-2003) -- 186 9. Denny Johnston (2004-08) -- 125
4. Seth Nelson (1999-2003) -- 181 10. Patrick Voss (1997-2001) -- 121
5. Andrew Bridger (2006-10) -- 164 Mitch Albers (2007-present) -- 121
6. Michael Jenkins (2005-09) -- 161
Coming Home
Junior guard Mitch Albers is 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.
Albers ranks 10th in school history with 121 career 3-pointers and is tied with Patrick Voss (1997-2001). He also trails senior Jeff Martin's 134 shots from long-range, which is seventh-most in the Maverick record books.
Albers notched a team-leading 14 points for the Mavericks in an exhibition at No. 2 Michigan State on Nov. 8, seeing his first action in a UNO uniform since March 2009. He has since averaged 18.3 points in regular-season play, which ranks second on the team, highlighted by a season-high 29 points against Southwest Baptist on Jan. 12. Albers had the game-winning shot from half-court at the buzzer to defeat Central Missouri, 81-79, in Warrensburg, Mo.
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.
Through games of Jan. 12, Bullock has averaged 19.0 points per game, highlighted by a season-best 28-point performance at Emporia State on Dec. 8. He tops the Mavericks in scoring average, points scored (247), assists (62), steals (25), field goals made (86-of-172) and free throws made (75-of-98).
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 was the fourth-highest single-season total in school history.
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.
Next Up for the Mavs...
UNO returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 19, traveling to Pittsburg State. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. in Pittsburg, Kan.
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The UNO men's basketball team (9-4, 6-3 MIAA) looks for its seventh straight MIAA win this weekend, hosting No. 22 Missouri Southern (12-1, 8-1 MIAA) on Saturday, Jan. 15 at 3:30 p.m.
Nebraska-Omaha last took the court on Wednesday, Jan. 12, capturing a 90-84 win over Southwest Baptist for its sixth straight victory. The victory marked a special night for head coach Derrin Hansen and junior guard Mitch Albers, as Hansen earned his 100th career win and Albers surpassed the 1,000 career points milestone. He led all scorers with a season-high 29 points -- just one off his career best -- and was 5-for-7 from 3-point range. Three Mavs joined Albers in double figures -- Tyler Bullock (17), Torrian Harris (15) and John Karhoff (14). Karhoff's mark tied his career high for points, and Harris also matched his career best for rebounds (11) en route to the third double-double of his career.
Missouri Southern has won three straight games, most recently defeating Fort Hays State 82-64 in Joplin, Mo., on Monday night. Jason Adams finished with 25 points, while Kevin Hinsey (15), Skyler Bowlin (10) and Marquis Addison (10) also finished in double figures. In addition, Keane Thomann pulled down a game-leading 10 rebounds. MSSU's only loss of the year came against Pittsburg State on Jan. 2, as it fell 77-75 at home.
Going Streaking
UNO's six-game conference win streak heading into Saturday's contest with Missouri Southern is the Mavericks' longest since a seven-victory streak capped in the NCC Tournament in 2003-04. It is also the Mavs' longest regular-season league streak since 1989-90, when they had eight straight in NCC play.
Albers Joins Maverick 1,000 Point Club
Junior guard Mitch Albers became the 32nd member of UNO's 1,000 Point Club on Wednesday, as he dropped 29 points on Southwest Baptist in the Mavs' win. The Papillion-LaVista graduate now has 1,010 career points, which ranks 29th in UNO history. His next targets on the scoring list are Paul Sieczkowski (1968-72), who had 1,016 points, and Tola Dada (2000-04), who had 1,017.
How They Stack Up
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Category UNO MSSU
Scoring Tyler Bullock (19.0) Skyler Bowlin (19.6)
Rebounding Torrian Harris (6.9) Keane Thomann (8.3)
Assists Tyler Bullock (4.8) Skyler Bowlin (4.9)
Steals Tyler Bullock (1.9) Skyler Bowlin (3.2)
Blocks Torrian Harris (0.8) Keane Thomann (1.4)
TEAM RANKS/AVERAGES IN THE MIAA
Category UNO MSSU
Scoring Offense 5th (78.7) 3rd (82.0)
Scoring Defense 8th (76.3) 1st (66.0)
Scoring Margin 7th (+2.4) 2nd (+16.0)
Rebounds Per Game 10th (33.5) 4th (37.5)
Rebounding Margin 10th (-4.3) 3rd (+5.9)
FG Percentage 6th (.465) 2nd (.493)
FG Defense 5th (.439) 2nd (.413)
3-Pt. FG Percentage 10th (.318) 6th (.360)
3-Pt. FG Defense 7th (.352) 6th (.352)
FT Percentage 4th (.720) 5th (.716)
Assists Per Game 7th (14.0) 2nd (18.0)
Blocks Per Game 4th (3.4) 3rd (3.5)
Steals Per Game 6th (7.4) 1st (11.2)
Assist/Turnover Ratio 4th (1.2) 5th (1.2)
Last Time Out
Nebraska-Omaha leads the series with MSSU 4-2 all-time, and the Lions have never won in two seasons of play in Omaha.
The two teams last squared off on March 5, 2010 when the Mavericks took a 93-89 win in the first round of the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City. Torrian Harris scored a career-high 26 points off the bench, and Tyler Bullock contributed 18. Jeff Martin (11), Andrew Bridger (11) and Eugene Bain (10) also scored in double figures, and Matt Newman grabbed 11 rebounds to help the Mavs advance to semifinal play.
In regular-season action, UNO knocked off the Lions at Sapp Fieldhouse last year, 113-111 in overtime. Aaron Terry hit Dion Curry with a pass for a layup as time expired to seal the win, and Bridger dished out a career-best 16 assists along with 20 points in the win.
Hansen Hits 100-Win Milestone
Head coach Derrin Hansen is in 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 100-63 over the first five-plus years of his head coaching career and hit the century mark on Jan. 12 in a 90-84 win over Southwest Baptist. 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 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 Teams Nationally
UNO has the fifth-lowest average for turnovers per game in the NCAA's Division II rankings through Jan. 2, as the Mavs have 11.7 turnovers per contest. The mark is just behind Minnesota State (11.4 TOPG), Hillsdale (11.5), Concordia-St. Paul (11.6) and Metro State (11.6).
Individually, senior guard Tyler Bullock is 45th in the country in scoring (19.3 PPG) through games of Jan. 2, 52nd in assists per game (4.9 APG) and 71st in steals (2.1 SPG).
Harris Emerges as Dual Threat
Senior guard Torrian Harris has had a strong senior season in 2010-11, averaging double-figure scoring and leading the Mavericks on the boards. Harris has 11.4 points per game, which ranks third on the team, as well as a squad-best 6.9 rebounds per contest, which is eighth-best in the MIAA. In addition, the Saginaw, Mich., native started off his final season with a memorable exhibition game at Michigan State, where he faced his half-brother, Draymond Green. Harris has since started all 13 games and has hit double-figure scoring in eight of those contests.
Martin Continues Climb Up Career Triples Chart
Senior Jeff Martin ranks among the top long-range shooters in program history with 134 career triples. He is seventh all-time entering this weekend's match-up and needs 27 more to tie Michael Jenkins (2005-09), who had 161 for sixth place on the list. Martin leads the Mavericks from deep in 2010-11 with 30 3-pointers.
Last season, Martin closed his junior campaign in style, hitting five 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game against Tarleton State to set the UNO school record for treys in a season (98). The mark surpassed former Maverick Zac Robinson's 96 3-pointers, set in 2006-07.
UNO Career 3-Point Leaders
1. Zac Robinson (2002-07) -- 248 7. Jeff Martin (2008-present) -- 134
2. Mike Simons (1996-2000) -- 230 8. Troy Kloewer (1993-97) -- 131
3. Dan Morrow (1999-2003) -- 186 9. Denny Johnston (2004-08) -- 125
4. Seth Nelson (1999-2003) -- 181 10. Patrick Voss (1997-2001) -- 121
5. Andrew Bridger (2006-10) -- 164 Mitch Albers (2007-present) -- 121
6. Michael Jenkins (2005-09) -- 161
Coming Home
Junior guard Mitch Albers is 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.
Albers ranks 10th in school history with 121 career 3-pointers and is tied with Patrick Voss (1997-2001). He also trails senior Jeff Martin's 134 shots from long-range, which is seventh-most in the Maverick record books.
Albers notched a team-leading 14 points for the Mavericks in an exhibition at No. 2 Michigan State on Nov. 8, seeing his first action in a UNO uniform since March 2009. He has since averaged 18.3 points in regular-season play, which ranks second on the team, highlighted by a season-high 29 points against Southwest Baptist on Jan. 12. Albers had the game-winning shot from half-court at the buzzer to defeat Central Missouri, 81-79, in Warrensburg, Mo.
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.
Through games of Jan. 12, Bullock has averaged 19.0 points per game, highlighted by a season-best 28-point performance at Emporia State on Dec. 8. He tops the Mavericks in scoring average, points scored (247), assists (62), steals (25), field goals made (86-of-172) and free throws made (75-of-98).
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 was the fourth-highest single-season total in school history.
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.
Next Up for the Mavs...
UNO returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 19, traveling to Pittsburg State. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. in Pittsburg, Kan.
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