Mavericks Prep for Pittsburg State
Jan 18, 2011 | General, Men's Basketball
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The UNO men's basketball team (9-5, 6-4 MIAA) looks to maintain its hold on third place in the conference this week, traveling to Pittsburg State on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Nebraska-Omaha last took the court on Saturday, Jan. 15 and saw its six-game win streak snapped in a 98-95 loss to league leader Missouri Southern. Tyler Bullock led the Mavs with 26 points and dished out a career-high nine assists. Three other Mavs joined Bullock in double figures -- Mitch Albers (19), Jeff Martin (15) and Torrian Harris (10). Harris also pulled down eight rebounds to lead the way on the boards.
Pittsburg State lost both of its games last week, most recently falling to nationally-ranked Fort Hays State 78-71 in Hays, Kan., on Saturday. Eric Ray finished with 15 points, while Chris Ware (12) and Eric Marshall (11) also reached double figures. In addition, Ware grabbed nine boards, and Marshall had a trio of blocks.
Last Time Out
Pittsburg State leads the series with UNO 22-15 all-time. UNO last defeated PSU on Jan. 20, 2010 with a score of 83-59 at Sapp Fieldhouse.
The two teams most recently squared off on Feb. 27, 2010, when the Gorillas took a 99-90 win in their home arena. Bullock scored 24 points and was a perfect 14-for-14 from the free throw line while adding five rebounds and seven assists. Jeff Martin (17), Dion Curry (16) and Matt Newman (13) also scored in double figures, and Newman and Harris each had six boards.
How They Stack Up
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Category UNO PSU
Scoring Tyler Bullock (19.5) Eric Ray (12.3)
Rebounding Torrian Harris (7.0) Andra Bailey (7.9)
Assists Tyler Bullock (5.1) Logan Jones (3.4)
Steals Tyler Bullock (1.8) Andra Bailey (1.6)
Blocks Torrian Harris (0.9) Eric Marshall (1.2)
TEAM RANKS/AVERAGES IN THE MIAA
Category UNO PSU
Scoring Offense 5th (79.9) 6th (77.0)
Scoring Defense 9th (77.9) 6th (71.6)
Scoring Margin 7th (+2.0) 4th (+5.4)
Rebounds Per Game 10th (33.5) 1st (39.6)
Rebounding Margin 11th (-3.8) 1st (+8.5)
FG Percentage 5th (.470) 3rd (.479)
FG Defense 8th (.447) 5th (.444)
3-Pt. FG Percentage 9th (.329) 10th (.327)
3-Pt. FG Defense 10th (.362) 7th (.347)
Free Throw Percentage 4th (.717) 12th (.650)
Assists Per Game 6th (14.6) 10th (13.3)
Blocks Per Game 3rd (3.4) 6th (3.1)
Steals Per Game 5th (7.5) 2nd (10.0)
Assist/Turnover Ratio 4th (1.2) 11th (0.7)
Albers Joins Maverick 1,000 Point Club
Junior guard Mitch Albers became the 32nd member of UNO's 1,000 Point Club on Jan. 12, as he dropped 29 points on Southwest Baptist in the Mavs' win. The Papillion-LaVista graduate now has 1,029 career points, which ranks 27th in UNO history. His next targets on the scoring list are Leonard Todd (1966-70), who had 1,048 points, and Ryan Curtis (2002-06), who had 1,051.
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 100-64 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 is 15th nationally in average for turnovers per game in the NCAA's Division II rankings through Jan. 16, as the Mavs have 12.4 turnovers per contest. Two MIAA schools are included in the top 15 for the category, as Northwest Missouri State is also 13th with 12.2 per game.
Individually, senior guard Tyler Bullock is 44th in the country in scoring (19.5 PPG) and 37th in assists per game (5.1 APG). Junior guard Mitch Albers is also ranked nationally, coming in at 47th in free throw percentage (86.7) and 68th in scoring (18.3 PPG).
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 11.6 points per game, which ranks third on the team, as well as a squad-best 7.0 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 14 games and has hit double-figure scoring in nine of those contests.
Martin Continues Climb Up Career Triples Chart
Senior Jeff Martin ranks among the top long-range shooters in program history with 138 career triples. He is seventh all-time entering this weekend's match-up and needs 23 more to tie Michael Jenkins (2005-09), who had 161 for sixth place on the list. Martin ranks second on the team in 2010-11 with 28 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) -- 138
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. Mitch Albers (2007-present) -- 123
5. Andrew Bridger (2006-10) -- 164
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 123 career 3-pointers and two away from Denny Johnston (2004-08). He also trails senior Jeff Martin's 138 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. 15, Bullock has averaged 19.5 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 (273), assists (71), steals (25), field goals made (94-of-187) and free throws made (83-of-109).
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 Saturday, Jan. 22, hosting Washburn. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Sapp Fieldhouse.
Live Stats
Live Radio
Live Video
The UNO men's basketball team (9-5, 6-4 MIAA) looks to maintain its hold on third place in the conference this week, traveling to Pittsburg State on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Nebraska-Omaha last took the court on Saturday, Jan. 15 and saw its six-game win streak snapped in a 98-95 loss to league leader Missouri Southern. Tyler Bullock led the Mavs with 26 points and dished out a career-high nine assists. Three other Mavs joined Bullock in double figures -- Mitch Albers (19), Jeff Martin (15) and Torrian Harris (10). Harris also pulled down eight rebounds to lead the way on the boards.
Pittsburg State lost both of its games last week, most recently falling to nationally-ranked Fort Hays State 78-71 in Hays, Kan., on Saturday. Eric Ray finished with 15 points, while Chris Ware (12) and Eric Marshall (11) also reached double figures. In addition, Ware grabbed nine boards, and Marshall had a trio of blocks.
Last Time Out
Pittsburg State leads the series with UNO 22-15 all-time. UNO last defeated PSU on Jan. 20, 2010 with a score of 83-59 at Sapp Fieldhouse.
The two teams most recently squared off on Feb. 27, 2010, when the Gorillas took a 99-90 win in their home arena. Bullock scored 24 points and was a perfect 14-for-14 from the free throw line while adding five rebounds and seven assists. Jeff Martin (17), Dion Curry (16) and Matt Newman (13) also scored in double figures, and Newman and Harris each had six boards.
How They Stack Up
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Category UNO PSU
Scoring Tyler Bullock (19.5) Eric Ray (12.3)
Rebounding Torrian Harris (7.0) Andra Bailey (7.9)
Assists Tyler Bullock (5.1) Logan Jones (3.4)
Steals Tyler Bullock (1.8) Andra Bailey (1.6)
Blocks Torrian Harris (0.9) Eric Marshall (1.2)
TEAM RANKS/AVERAGES IN THE MIAA
Category UNO PSU
Scoring Offense 5th (79.9) 6th (77.0)
Scoring Defense 9th (77.9) 6th (71.6)
Scoring Margin 7th (+2.0) 4th (+5.4)
Rebounds Per Game 10th (33.5) 1st (39.6)
Rebounding Margin 11th (-3.8) 1st (+8.5)
FG Percentage 5th (.470) 3rd (.479)
FG Defense 8th (.447) 5th (.444)
3-Pt. FG Percentage 9th (.329) 10th (.327)
3-Pt. FG Defense 10th (.362) 7th (.347)
Free Throw Percentage 4th (.717) 12th (.650)
Assists Per Game 6th (14.6) 10th (13.3)
Blocks Per Game 3rd (3.4) 6th (3.1)
Steals Per Game 5th (7.5) 2nd (10.0)
Assist/Turnover Ratio 4th (1.2) 11th (0.7)
Albers Joins Maverick 1,000 Point Club
Junior guard Mitch Albers became the 32nd member of UNO's 1,000 Point Club on Jan. 12, as he dropped 29 points on Southwest Baptist in the Mavs' win. The Papillion-LaVista graduate now has 1,029 career points, which ranks 27th in UNO history. His next targets on the scoring list are Leonard Todd (1966-70), who had 1,048 points, and Ryan Curtis (2002-06), who had 1,051.
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 100-64 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 is 15th nationally in average for turnovers per game in the NCAA's Division II rankings through Jan. 16, as the Mavs have 12.4 turnovers per contest. Two MIAA schools are included in the top 15 for the category, as Northwest Missouri State is also 13th with 12.2 per game.
Individually, senior guard Tyler Bullock is 44th in the country in scoring (19.5 PPG) and 37th in assists per game (5.1 APG). Junior guard Mitch Albers is also ranked nationally, coming in at 47th in free throw percentage (86.7) and 68th in scoring (18.3 PPG).
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 11.6 points per game, which ranks third on the team, as well as a squad-best 7.0 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 14 games and has hit double-figure scoring in nine of those contests.
Martin Continues Climb Up Career Triples Chart
Senior Jeff Martin ranks among the top long-range shooters in program history with 138 career triples. He is seventh all-time entering this weekend's match-up and needs 23 more to tie Michael Jenkins (2005-09), who had 161 for sixth place on the list. Martin ranks second on the team in 2010-11 with 28 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) -- 138
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. Mitch Albers (2007-present) -- 123
5. Andrew Bridger (2006-10) -- 164
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 123 career 3-pointers and two away from Denny Johnston (2004-08). He also trails senior Jeff Martin's 138 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. 15, Bullock has averaged 19.5 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 (273), assists (71), steals (25), field goals made (94-of-187) and free throws made (83-of-109).
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 Saturday, Jan. 22, hosting Washburn. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Sapp Fieldhouse.
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