Mavericks Make Arena Debut, Host UC Santa Barbara
Nov 12, 2015 | Men's Basketball
This Weekend
The Omaha men's basketball team opens the 2015-16 season this weekend, kicking off a three-game homestand with UC Santa Barbara on Friday, Nov. 13. Tipoff for the Mavericks' debut at Baxter Arena is set for 7 p.m., and Jon Green and Grant Nieland will also have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2. Fans can stream the audio on their smartphones by downloading NRG Media's app “1620 The Zone,” and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
•Omaha kicks off the season with a three-game homestand at Baxter Arena, welcoming UC Santa Barbara, Saint Mary's (Minn.) and UMKC over five days. The last time the Mavericks began the season with three straight home games was 2002-03, when they hosted Mary, Rockhurst and Bellevue.
•UNO returns nine letterwinners from its 2014-15 team, including three starters in senior guards Marcus Tyus and Devin Patterson and sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman.
•The Mavericks were picked seventh in the Summit League's Preseason Poll released in October.
•UNO has four returning players who averaged 7.0 or more points per game last year: Tyus (13.0), Patterson (11.7), Thurman (9.5) and White (7.3).
•According to kenpom.com, UNO finished 2014-15 at third nationally in adjusted tempo, which estimates of the possessions per 40 minutes a team would have against a team that wants to play at an average Division I tempo. Omaha's adjusted tempo was listed at 73.8, behind only VMI (77.1) and Coppin State (74.1). Entering this season, the site estimates UNO will be second with an adjusted tempo of 75.1, behind only The Citadel (75.6).
Scouting the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
UC Santa Barbara went 19-14 (11-5 Big West) last season and was picked second in the Big West Preseason Poll behind UC Irvine. The Gauchos return nine letterwinners from the 2014-15 squad, including four starters: Michael Bryson, who will sit out Friday's game, as well as John Green, Gabe Vincent and Mitch Brewe. Bryson earned first-team All-Big West recognition, while Green was an honorable mention selection, and Vincent was tabbed Big West Freshman of the Year. Bryson was also second on the team for scoring, averaging 13.9 points per game, and ranked third in the Big West for 3-pointers made (68) and free throw percentage (.854).
Head coach Bob Williams is in his 18th year at UCSB with a record of 288-224 and a career record of 477-324 over 27 years of coaching.
Friday marks the first meeting between UC Santa Barbara and Omaha.
At a Glance: 2014-15
Omaha finished the 2014-15 season, its fourth and final year of reclassification to NCAA Division I, with a record of 12-17 (5-11 Summit League). Two Mavericks seniors, guard CJ Carter and forward Mike Rostampour, earned all-conference recognition, as Carter garnered second-team plaudits and Rostampour was named honorable mention.
UNO finished the year on a three-game win streak on the road, defeating Fort Wayne 73-67, IUPUI 87-80 in double-overtime and North Dakota 80-78.
As a team, Omaha led the Summit League with 8.2 steals per game last year, spurred by Patterson, who paced the conference with 59 steals. The Mavericks were also first in the conference for points per game (76.8), field goals made per game (26.4) and free throws made per game (17.7).
Success in Season Openers
Omaha is 9-1 in season openers during the Derrin Hansen era, including 3-1 in the Division I transitional years. In 2012-13, the Mavericks posted a 77-64 season-opening win against Northern Illinois at Ralston Arena, then defeated the Huskies again in DeKalb, Ill., 68-66, in 2013-14. Last season, the streak was extended to three straight season-opening victories, as the Mavs topped Central Arkansas, 100-75.
Last Time Out: Mavs Cap Season On Streak, Top North Dakota 80-78
Omaha capped its 2014-15 season on a three-game win streak, defeating North Dakota 80-78 at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center last March. A balanced offensive effort put six Mavericks in double-figure scoring, led by 14 points apiece from forward Tre'Shawn Thurman and guard Devin Patterson. Thurman added a team-high five assists, four rebounds, three blocks and a steal, while Patterson shot 6-of-10 and had three boards, three assists and a steal.
Forward Mike Rostampour played the final game of his career and finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and a pair of steals, while guard CJ Carter totaled 11 points, three caroms, three assists and a team-leading four steals.
Forward Jake White and guard Kyler Erickson rounded out the double-figure scoring performances with 10 points apiece, shooting an identical 4-of-7 from the field. Erickson had two key treys in the second half, and White narrowly missed a double-double, grabbing a team-leading nine rebounds. Guard Tim Smallwood came just short of another double-figure effort, totaling nine points on 4-of-6 shooting.
As a team, Omaha shot .466 (27-of-58) to UND's .415 (27-of-65) from the field and outrebounded UND 37-36.
Welcome to Baxter Arena
This weekend marks Omaha's basketball debut at Baxter Arena, the Mavericks' new on-campus home at 67th and Center Streets. The 7,500-seat facility serves as the home of Omaha hockey, men's and women's basketball and volleyball. Omaha played its last three seasons at Ralston Arena and before that, it called Sapp Fieldhouse home.
Home Sweet Home Advantage
The 2014-15 season marked UNO's third and final season playing at Ralston Arena, which served as the home of Maverick men's basketball since 2012-13. Over three years at Ralston, Omaha posted a home record of 25-16.
Last season on its home court, UNO's average margin of victory was 17.3, and it scored an average of 79.8 points per game. Over the 10 years of the Derrin Hansen era, the Mavericks have averaged 81.6 points per game at home, including 80.5 during the four Division I years.
During Hansen's career, Omaha has also won 71 percent of its home tilts, going 97-40. Additionally, UNO is 9-1 in home openers at Sapp Fieldhouse and Ralston Arena during Hansen's tenure.
#euromavs: A Maverick Adventure to Italy
Omaha embarked on its first overseas training trip August 12-22 of this year with a tour of Italy, spending 11 days in three cities with four games against foreign competition. The Mavericks won all four contests, defeating All Star Varese 85-43, Stellazzurra 75-39, Isernia 107-31 and Luiss University 81-41.
Sophomore forward Daniel Meyer (11.5 points per game), senior forward Jake White (10.0 ppg) and senior guard/forward Randy Reed II (10.0 ppg) all averaged double-figure scoring for the trip.
The team stayed in Milan, Florence and Rome, and sightseeing activities included a private boat tour at Lake Como, visits to the Duomo, the Accademia Museum, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Maria Novella, the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain and tours of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Vatican.
Pitter Patterson
Senior guard Devin Patterson is known for his quickness, and the Portsmouth, Va., native led the Summit League with 59 steals last year. Entering his senior season, he is tied for 12th on the Omaha career steals list with 116 in two seasons, matching Tom Thompson (1984-88). Patterson is also five assists away from joining the top 20 for career assists, where his first target will be Paul Potter, who had 215 from 1976-77.
Tracking Tre'Shawn
Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman started all but three games in his freshman season, becoming the first UNO freshman to earn a start since CJ Carter in 2011-12. Thurman finished with 18 points and a career-best five blocks against Nevada last year, the most blocks by any Maverick since Gabe Zweiner tallied five against Nebraska-Kearney on Dec. 3, 2005.
Thurman followed his five blocks against the Wolf Pack with three at Kansas State, along with a career-high 19 points. He became the first player to have three or more blocks in back-to-back games since Jerry Bennett did so in 2007-08 with three apiece against North Dakota and Fort Lewis.
Thurman averaged 9.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game in his debut season, tallying 14 double-digit scoring efforts. With 30 blocks to his credit as a freshman, Thurman is now just six away from entering the top 10 in school history in that category.
White Out
Despite nagging injury issues to start his junior season in 2014-15, forward Jake White was highly productive in the time he saw on the court last year. Over 20 appearances, including three starts, White averaged 7.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, the latter of which ranked second on the team. In those contests, he had five double-figure scoring efforts and two double-figure rebounding performances, including a season-high 13 points at South Dakota and a season-best 11 boards twice, vs. Central Arkansas and at UMKC.
Tyus On Track
While senior guard CJ Carter was the last Maverick to cross the 1,000 career points threshold, junior guard Marcus Tyus is the next UNO player on track to join the prestigious scoring club. In three seasons, he has amassed 787 career points, and if he reaches 1,000, Tyus will be the 36th UNO player to achieve the feat.
Tyus is also 16th on Omaha's career 3-pointers chart, as his 92 treys sit just behind Charles Box, who had 94 from 1995-98.
Wiping Down the Offensive Glass
Omaha finished the 2014-15 season ranked second in the Summit League with 11.1 offensive boards per game, its highest average since head coach Derrin Hansen's first UNO team had 13.0 per game in 2005-06. Last year, the Mavericks tallied double-digit offensive rebounds in 62 percent (18 of 29) of their games, including a season-high 26 vs. Central Arkansas in the season opener.
Stacking Up Nationally
The Mavericks maintained their place the top 20 in the 2014-15 national statistical rankings, as Omaha's 17.7 free throws made per game ranked eighth nationally among Division I programs. Its 8.2 steals per game were also 19th in their country, and its 76.8 points per game were 20th.
Individually, junior guard Devin Patterson was 16th with 2.2 steals per game.
Smallwood Steps Up
Senior guard Tim Smallwood moved into a starting role in the last six games of the 2014-15 season after Marcus Tyus suffered a season-ending injury. Smallwood stepped up, averaging 7.0 points per game with eight 3-pointers, second-most on the team during that six-game span. The Tulsa, Okla., native went off in a double-overtime win at IUPUI, hitting 5-of-7 seven shots from long range to finish with a career-high 15 points. He also had a standout effort on the glass in his start vs. Western Illinois, grabbing a career-high seven boards with a career-best-tying three steals.
TT for a D-D
Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman had the most recent double-double of any Maverick, tallying the first of his career with 14 points and 11 rebounds at IUPUI on Feb. 28, 2014. Prior to that, former Maverick forward Mike Rostampour accounted for eight of the last nine double-doubles by an Omaha player.
What Makes Up the Mavericks
•UNO returns 61 percent of its offensive production from last season, as this year's returners accounted for 1,361 of the Mavericks' 2,226 points. The returning nine are also credited for 69 percent (696) of last season's 1,009 rebounds.
•Senior guards Devin Patterson and Marcus Tyus are UNO's leading returning scorers after averaging 13.0 and 11.7 points per game, respectively, both of which ranked among the top 15 scorers in the Summit League. Patterson also led the league in steals (59) and was second in assists (104), while Tyus was third for 3-point percentage (.440).
•Patterson played the most minutes last season of any returner on this year's roster, averaging 30.5 minutes per game as a junior.
•Sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman became the Maverick freshman to start since 2011-12. Thurman broke into the starting five in the second game of the season.
•UNO's 2015-16 roster includes six seniors, one junior, five sophomores and four freshmen.
•The Mavericks hail from eight different states. Six are from Nebraska, three are from Minnesota, and two are out of Kansas, while Oklahoma, Missouri, Virginia and Montana are all represented once on the roster.
Compared to the Opposition
One of the nation's top teams in steals per game last season, Omaha equaled or tallied more steals than its opponent 22 times in 2014-15. Over 29 games Omaha had:
•More or equal steals compared to its opponent 22 times
•Fewer or equal turnovers compared to its opponent 21 times
•Shot more or equal FT attempts compared to its opponent 19 times
•More rebounds compared to its opponent 14 times
•More or equal blocks compared to its opponent 13 times
•More or equal 3-point field goals made compared to its opponent 12 times
Terrific Trio
Senior guards Devin Patterson and Marcus Tyus and former guard CJ Carter represented the highest-scoring trio in the Summit League last season. Their combined average of 41.6 points per game was ahead of Oral Roberts' Obi Emegano, Kory Billbury and Denell Henderson (41.5).
Individually, Carter ranked third in the conference with 16.9 ppg, had 21 double-figure scoring games and led Omaha in scoring 12 times. Tyus was also 12th among league scorers with13.0 ppg, while Patterson was 15th (11.7).
White Achieving On and Off the Court
In addition to his contributions on the court, senior forward Jake White hit another milestone off the court last May.
As part of UNO's spring commencement, White graduated with his bachelor's degree in communications, and he is now pursuing a second bachelor's degree in emergency management this season.
Reed Named to NABC Honors Court
The National Association of Basketball Coaches released its 2014-15 NABC Honors Court in July, and the list included senior guard/forward Randy Reed II, who earned his first Honors Court award. Reed is a general studies major from St. Louis, Mo., and he carries a 3.47 grade-point average.
In order to be named to the annual Honors Court, a student-athlete must be a junior or senior academically, hold a 3.2 cumulative GPA or higher and have matriculated at least one year at his current institution.
The Departure of Carter
One of Omaha's biggest losses from 2014-15 is former guard CJ Carter, who etched his named in the UNO career record books in his senior season. Carter finished at fifth all-time for career scoring (1,502 points), seventh for field goals made (533) and assists (343), eighth for steals (149), 10th for 3-pointers made (142) and 18th for blocks (40).
Championship Pedigree
Six players on Omaha's roster made appearances in state basketball championship games with their high school programs. Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins and sophomore forward Tre'Shawn Thurman played on three state championship teams together at Omaha Central in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13, and Hollins had another under his belt in 2009-10. Freshman forward Zach Jackson also won a state title with Wichita East in 2014-15.
Sophomore forward Daniel Meyer's Central Catholic squad made it to the Montana championship game in 2012-13, and freshman guard JT Gibson, from Champlin Park in Minnesota, and freshman center Zach Pirog, out of ThunderRidge in Colorado, each appeared in state championship contests in 2014-15.
Fresh Faces
The Mavericks have six new faces on the roster this year: junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins, sophomore forward Mitchell Hahn, freshmen guards JT Gibson and Zach Jackson, freshman forward Ben Kositzke and freshman center Zach Pirog. Five of the six will be eligible to play in 2015-16.
Hollins, a hometown product, won four consecutive state championships at Omaha Central, where he was teammates with fellow Maverick Tre'Shawn Thurman. Hollins was a two-time first-team all-state pick, averaging 12.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a senior. He began his collegiate career at Central Community College, where he was part of a team that qualified for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament, and Chipola College.
Hahn, a native of Fremont, Neb., played one season at Holy Cross before transferring to UNO. As a prep at Fremont, he was named the state player of the year by Gatorade and the Nebraska Basketball Coaches Association in 2013-14, and he was named first-team all-state that season. As a senior, Hahn averaged 18.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. In accordance with NCAA transfer rules, he will sit out this season.
Gibson played at Champlin Park High School in Brooklyn Park, Minn., where he was the Gatorade State Player of the Year. Gibson was a first-team all-state selection while helping his team to the state title game, as well as a two-time all-conference pick.
Jackson comes from Wichita East High School in Wichita, Kan., where he was two-time all-state honoree and led his team to a state championship as a senior. Jackson averaged 12.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.
Pirog, from Highlands Ranch, Colo., was listed as a two-star recruit by ESPN during his career at ThunderRidge High School. Pirog helped his team to the state title game and was a two-time all-state selection.
Kositzke is another local product who rounds out the Mavericks' class, coming from Millard West. He was first-team all-state selection as a senior and helped the Wildcats to two state tournament appearances.
Starting Off
Seven Mavericks were the first player to come off the bench for Omaha in 2014-15: Jake White 15 times, Tim Smallwood eight times, Rylan Murry on six occasions, Kyler Erickson three times, twice apiece for Randy Reed II and Devin Newsome and once for Tre'Shawn Thurman.
Seven different players scored Omaha's first points of the game in last season: White, Thurman, Devin Patterson, Marcus Tyus, Mike Rostampour, CJ Carter and Tim Smallwood.
Now Entering the Game
Sophomore guard Alex Allbery sat out the 2014-15 season after transferring from St. Thomas and is now eligible to play in 2015-16. Allbery, a local product from Creighton Prep, began his collegiate career playing one of year of baseball at St. Thomas, where he hit .545 as a freshman. His team also finished third at the NCAA Division III World Series.
Hansen Guides Mavericks in 11th Season
Head coach Derrin Hansen is in his 11th season at the helm of the Omaha men's basketball program in 2015-16, boasting a career record of 161-138 over his head coaching career. He took the job after serving as an assistant coach for seven years with former Maverick head coaches Kevin McKenna and Kevin Lehman. Hansen has the second-most victories of any coach in program history, behind only Bob Hanson.
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, and the Mavs won their final NCC Tournament to advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time since 2004-05. In 2009-10, UNO earned an NCAA Tournament berth by capturing the MIAA Tournament crown in just its second year as a member of the league.
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.
Hansen is assisted by assistant coaches Tyler Erwin, Pat Eberhart and James Miller.
2015-16 Slate Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2015-16 schedule includes 30 games, and the team will play in 13 states against schools from 10 other Division I conferences. The schedule has two opponents from both the WAC and the Big Sky and one each from the Big West, Pac-12, Big Ten, MAC, SEC, Mountain West, OVC and SWAC or MEAC. Two opponents – Wyoming and defending Summit League champion North Dakota State – played in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
The Mavericks have never faced seven of their opponents: UC Santa Barbara, Saint Mary's (Minn.), Colorado, Eastern Michigan, Montana State, Southern and North Carolina Central. They hold a combined all-time record of 158-186-2 over all teams on the regular-season slate.
Former Maverick Rostampour Playing Professionally
Former Maverick forward Mike Rostampour signed a contract in August to play professionally for BC Prievidza, a basketball club in the Slovak Extraliga, the highest professional league in Slovakia.
Rostampour was a two-year starter and a three-year member of the Omaha program from 2012 to 2015. As a senior, he was named All-Summit Honorable Mention and averaged 10.2 points and a team-best 7.7 rebounds per game while leading the league in offensive rebounds.
Summit League Preseason Poll Released
Omaha was picked to finish seventh in the 2015-16 Summit League Preseason Poll, the conference office announced last month. The poll was tallied in a vote of the league's head coaches, communications personnel and media.
South Dakota State was the favorite to win the Summit League, garnering 30 first-place votes for 541 points. North Dakota State was second and received three first-place votes for 481 points, while Oral Roberts earned one first-place vote and 403 points for third. Fort Wayne came in fourth with 316 points, followed by South Dakota (283) in fifth and IUPUI (239) in sixth. Omaha was seventh in the poll with 192 points, while Denver (164) and Western Illinois (126) rounded it out in eighth and ninth place, respectively.
No Longer the Newcomers
Omaha is in its first year as a Division I institution with full Summit League and NCAA postseason eligibility. The Mavericks competed the last four seasons as a reclassifying Division I school, joining the Summit League in 2012-13. During the reclassification period, UNO was ineligible for the league tournament and NCAA postseason play, but played a full regular-season conference schedule for its last three transitional years.
Next Up
Omaha continues its three-game homestand on Sunday, Nov. 15, hosting Saint Mary's (Minn.) at Baxter Arena. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m., and Gary Sharp and Grant Nieland will have the call on 1180 Zone 2. Fans can stream the audio on their smartphones by downloading NRG Media's app “1620 The Zone,” and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
