Friday, November 24
Niceville, Fla.
11 a.m.
Omaha
vs
Tennessee Tech
Freshman Matt Pile and the Mavericks travel to Florida for the Emerald Coast Classic this weekend.
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
Omaha Heads South to Emerald Coast Classic
Nov 22, 2017 | Men's Basketball
This Week
The Omaha men's basketball team plays the third and championship rounds of the Emerald Coast Classic this weekend at The Arena at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fla. The Mavericks open with Tennessee Tech on Friday, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. With a win, they advance to Saturday's championship game at 12:30 p.m. against the winner of Maryland-Eastern Shore vs. Jackson State; with a loss, they play in the consolation final at 10 a.m.
Gary Sharp will have the radio call for both games, with Friday's matchup on 1620 The Zone and Saturday's contest on 1180 Zone 2. Links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
• Omaha last played in the state of Florida at the Disney Tip-Off Classic, Nov. 11-13, 2005. The Mavericks defeated Presbyterian, 89-75, before falling to Southern Indiana, 76-71, and Alaska-Anchorage, 79-66.
• Zach Jackson is the only player to score in double figures in all five games this season.
• Three Mavericks are averaging double-figure scoring: Jackson (16.8 ppg), Daniel Norl (14.8 ppg) and Mitch Hahn (13.7 ppg).
• Omaha ranks sixth nationally for total steals (46) and 40th for steals per game (9.2).
• Omaha came a shot shy of its first NCAA Tournament bid in the Division I era last season, falling 79-77 to South Dakota State in the Summit League Championship. The Mavericks were 18-14 (9-7 Summit League) en route to their second straight third-place finish in the regular-season standings.
• Omaha returns seven letterwinners from its 2016-17 squad, including a Summit League All-Newcomer pick in Hahn.
• Head coach Derrin Hansen is in his 13th year at Omaha in 2017-18 and needs three wins to reach 200 career victories.
• Omaha went 7-6 in non-conference play in 2016-17, marking its fourth straight season finishing .500 or better against non-conference opponents.
Scouting the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
Tennessee Tech is 4-1 (0-0 OVC) entering the weekend after a 104-96 win at New Mexico Tuesday night. Tech overcame a double-digit first-half deficit and were led by 31 points from Aleksa Jugovic and another 23 from Curtis Phillips.
The Golden Eagles were picked fifth in the OVC Preseason Poll, with Jugovic named Preseason All-OVC. Head coach Steve Payne is in his seventh season at TTU with a career record of 95-98.
Monday's game marks the first meeting all-time between Omaha and Tennessee Tech.
Last Time Out: TCU Tops Mavericks, 99-66
Omaha visited its second Big 12 opponent of the season Monday night, falling 99-66 to TCU at Schollmaier Arena. Junior Zach Jackson registered his fifth straight double-figure scoring performance with team highs of 17 points and five rebounds. Sophomore KJ Robinson joined him in double figures with 11 points and career highs of four rebounds and eight assists.
TCU shot .529 (36-of-68) to Omaha's .509 (27-of-53) and made 11 threes in the game. The Horned Frogs also hit at an .800 (16-of-20) clip at the free throw line and had a 33-28 rebounding advantage. TCU forced 26 Maverick turnovers while committing just 12 themselves, scoring 36 points off miscues.
Road Warriors
Omaha plays 18 of its 30 games on the road in 2017-18, including seven straight to open the season while its home facility, Baxter Arena, played host to the U.S. Olympic Curling Trials. The Mavericks began with three games in one continuous seven-day trip at Montana State (Nov. 10), Oklahoma (Nov. 12) and New Mexico (Nov. 14). Following a short return home, they set out again for Louisville (Nov. 17), and after another short trip back to Omaha, visited TCU (Nov. 20). A Thanksgiving trip to Niceville, Fla., caps it off with two games in the Emerald Coast Classic, Nov. 24-25.
Final Four Foes
Omaha faces three teams with NCAA Final Four appearances on their resumes in the last decade. Oklahoma last made the Final Four in 2016, while Kansas went in 2012 and 2008, and Louisville earned a trip in 2012 and 2013.
Six of the Mavericks' 2017-18 opponents have earned at least one NCAA Tournament berth over the last four years: Kansas (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Louisville (2014, 2015, 2017), Oklahoma (2014, 2015, 2016), North Dakota State (2014, 2015), South Dakota State (2016, 2017) and New Mexico (2014).
Feelin' Hahn, Hahn, Hahn
Junior Mitch Hahn has scored in double figures in all three games in which he has played, last tallying a season-high 16 points Nov. 14 at New Mexico. In his season debut Nov. 10 at Montana State, Hahn posted his second career double-double on 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Hahn averaged 11.6 points per game in his sophomore season in 2016-17, appearing in 31 games before earning his first start in the Summit League Championship Game. For the year, he had 20 double-figure scoring games, including two with 20 or more points, and canned at least five 3-pointers three times. The Fremont, Neb., native ranked sixth in the league for free throw percentage (.838) and 10th for 3-point percentage (.420) and blocks (22), and he capped the year with Summit League All-Newcomer Team recognition.
Hahn scored in double figures in seven straight games from Jan. 7 to Feb. 1 and had 12 games of 15+ points last year. In games when he scores in double figures, Omaha is 12-10.
Action Jackson
Junior Zach Jackson is in his third year as a starter, averaging a team-leading 16.8 points per game with 5.8 rebounds per contest. The Wichita, Kan., native has scored in double figures in five straight games, including a career-high 24 points Nov. 12 at Oklahoma.
Jackson had 10.8 points per game last season and scored in double figures in 21 games, including two 20-point performances. He was instrumental in Omaha's road upset of Iowa, posting a then-career-high 21 points and a career-high-tying eight rebounds. Jackson strung together six straight double-figure scoring games from Nov. 19 to Dec. 3, 2016, then had another six-game stretch from Feb. 11 to March 6, 2017.
Norl Off to a Strong Start
Senior Daniel Norl has had a strong start to his senior season, pacing Omaha with 6.6 rebounds alongside 14.8 points per game over the first five contests. The Clarksville, Tenn., native earned his first career start at Montana State on Nov. 10, exploding for career highs of 29 points, nine rebounds and two steals while shooting 13-of-18. He collected 11 points, six boards, two assists and two steals at Oklahoma (Nov. 12), then followed with 10 points and seven caroms at New Mexico (Nov. 14). On Nov. 17 at No. 18 Louisville, Norl led the Mavericks with 16 points and added eight rebounds.
Norl made his Maverick debut in 2016-17, appearing in 29 contests and averaging 5.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 15.6 minutes per game. He had eight double-figure scoring performances as a junior, including a season-high 14 points with four 3-pointers in Omaha's quarterfinal win over Fort Wayne in the Summit League Tournament. He accounted for 10 performances with at least two 3-pointers.
Gibson Back at Full Strength
Sophomore JT Gibson was one of two Mavericks to achieve a career high in scoring Nov. 12 at Oklahoma. The Brooklyn Park, Minn., native tallied 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting with three 3-pointers, adding four rebounds, and career bests of four assists and three steals. Gibson has two double-figure scoring efforts this year and has twice led the Mavericks in assists.
Gibson had a second go at his freshman campaign in 2016-17. In 2015-16, he appeared in eight games off the bench before suffering a season-ending elbow injury that led to a medical redshirt.
Robinson's Ready
Sophomore KJ Robinson appeared in all but one game last season, averaging 2.5 points and 0.7 assists over 8.8 minutes per contest off the bench. He has now assumed a starting role in 2017-18 season.
A native of Blue Springs, Mo., Robinson had a standout performance vs. No. 18 Louisville on Nov. 17, with a career-high 14 points, three rebounds, five assists and three steals. He followed by dishing out a career-best eight assists at TCU on Nov. 20 while adding 11 points, four rebounds and a steal. Robinson ranks third in the Summit League for assists (20) and sixth for steals (seven).
Wofford-Humphrey's Breakout Night
Senior Lamar Wofford-Humphrey had a standout effort at No. 18 Louisville on Nov. 17, tallying his first double-double as a Maverick with 14 points, a team-high 12 rebounds, three steals, a block and an assist.
The transfer from Eastern Michigan has two double-figure scoring games to his credit, and he sits tied with Daniel Norl for the team lead in offensive rebounds (10), propelled by seven against the Cardinals alone.
Piling On
Freshman Matt Pile has seen increased time on the floor in the last two games, totaling 22 minutes at No. 18 Louisville (Nov. 17) and 20 at TCU (Nov. 20). Over the first five games of his career, Pile has averaged 4.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and a team-leading 0.8 blocks per game off the bench. The Wichita, Kan., native scored a career-high eight points at TCU, adding three rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
2017-18 Slate = Tough Test for Mavericks
Omaha's 2017-18 schedule includes 30 games, and the team will play in 16 states against schools from 11 other Division I conferences. The schedule has three opponents from the Big 12 and one each from the ACC, Pac-12, Mountain West, MVC, Big West, Sun Belt, Big Sky, OVC, SWAC and MEAC. Three opponents – Kansas, Louisville and defending Summit League champion South Dakota State – played in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, with the Jayhawks reaching the Elite Eight.
Up Next
Omaha plays Jackson State or Maryland-Eastern Shore on Saturday, Nov. 25 at a time to be determined at the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Fla. Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2, and links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.
The Omaha men's basketball team plays the third and championship rounds of the Emerald Coast Classic this weekend at The Arena at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fla. The Mavericks open with Tennessee Tech on Friday, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. With a win, they advance to Saturday's championship game at 12:30 p.m. against the winner of Maryland-Eastern Shore vs. Jackson State; with a loss, they play in the consolation final at 10 a.m.
Gary Sharp will have the radio call for both games, with Friday's matchup on 1620 The Zone and Saturday's contest on 1180 Zone 2. Links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
• Omaha last played in the state of Florida at the Disney Tip-Off Classic, Nov. 11-13, 2005. The Mavericks defeated Presbyterian, 89-75, before falling to Southern Indiana, 76-71, and Alaska-Anchorage, 79-66.
• Zach Jackson is the only player to score in double figures in all five games this season.
• Three Mavericks are averaging double-figure scoring: Jackson (16.8 ppg), Daniel Norl (14.8 ppg) and Mitch Hahn (13.7 ppg).
• Omaha ranks sixth nationally for total steals (46) and 40th for steals per game (9.2).
• Omaha came a shot shy of its first NCAA Tournament bid in the Division I era last season, falling 79-77 to South Dakota State in the Summit League Championship. The Mavericks were 18-14 (9-7 Summit League) en route to their second straight third-place finish in the regular-season standings.
• Omaha returns seven letterwinners from its 2016-17 squad, including a Summit League All-Newcomer pick in Hahn.
• Head coach Derrin Hansen is in his 13th year at Omaha in 2017-18 and needs three wins to reach 200 career victories.
• Omaha went 7-6 in non-conference play in 2016-17, marking its fourth straight season finishing .500 or better against non-conference opponents.
Scouting the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
Tennessee Tech is 4-1 (0-0 OVC) entering the weekend after a 104-96 win at New Mexico Tuesday night. Tech overcame a double-digit first-half deficit and were led by 31 points from Aleksa Jugovic and another 23 from Curtis Phillips.
The Golden Eagles were picked fifth in the OVC Preseason Poll, with Jugovic named Preseason All-OVC. Head coach Steve Payne is in his seventh season at TTU with a career record of 95-98.
Monday's game marks the first meeting all-time between Omaha and Tennessee Tech.
Last Time Out: TCU Tops Mavericks, 99-66
Omaha visited its second Big 12 opponent of the season Monday night, falling 99-66 to TCU at Schollmaier Arena. Junior Zach Jackson registered his fifth straight double-figure scoring performance with team highs of 17 points and five rebounds. Sophomore KJ Robinson joined him in double figures with 11 points and career highs of four rebounds and eight assists.
TCU shot .529 (36-of-68) to Omaha's .509 (27-of-53) and made 11 threes in the game. The Horned Frogs also hit at an .800 (16-of-20) clip at the free throw line and had a 33-28 rebounding advantage. TCU forced 26 Maverick turnovers while committing just 12 themselves, scoring 36 points off miscues.
Road Warriors
Omaha plays 18 of its 30 games on the road in 2017-18, including seven straight to open the season while its home facility, Baxter Arena, played host to the U.S. Olympic Curling Trials. The Mavericks began with three games in one continuous seven-day trip at Montana State (Nov. 10), Oklahoma (Nov. 12) and New Mexico (Nov. 14). Following a short return home, they set out again for Louisville (Nov. 17), and after another short trip back to Omaha, visited TCU (Nov. 20). A Thanksgiving trip to Niceville, Fla., caps it off with two games in the Emerald Coast Classic, Nov. 24-25.
Final Four Foes
Omaha faces three teams with NCAA Final Four appearances on their resumes in the last decade. Oklahoma last made the Final Four in 2016, while Kansas went in 2012 and 2008, and Louisville earned a trip in 2012 and 2013.
Six of the Mavericks' 2017-18 opponents have earned at least one NCAA Tournament berth over the last four years: Kansas (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Louisville (2014, 2015, 2017), Oklahoma (2014, 2015, 2016), North Dakota State (2014, 2015), South Dakota State (2016, 2017) and New Mexico (2014).
Feelin' Hahn, Hahn, Hahn
Junior Mitch Hahn has scored in double figures in all three games in which he has played, last tallying a season-high 16 points Nov. 14 at New Mexico. In his season debut Nov. 10 at Montana State, Hahn posted his second career double-double on 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Hahn averaged 11.6 points per game in his sophomore season in 2016-17, appearing in 31 games before earning his first start in the Summit League Championship Game. For the year, he had 20 double-figure scoring games, including two with 20 or more points, and canned at least five 3-pointers three times. The Fremont, Neb., native ranked sixth in the league for free throw percentage (.838) and 10th for 3-point percentage (.420) and blocks (22), and he capped the year with Summit League All-Newcomer Team recognition.
Hahn scored in double figures in seven straight games from Jan. 7 to Feb. 1 and had 12 games of 15+ points last year. In games when he scores in double figures, Omaha is 12-10.
Action Jackson
Junior Zach Jackson is in his third year as a starter, averaging a team-leading 16.8 points per game with 5.8 rebounds per contest. The Wichita, Kan., native has scored in double figures in five straight games, including a career-high 24 points Nov. 12 at Oklahoma.
Jackson had 10.8 points per game last season and scored in double figures in 21 games, including two 20-point performances. He was instrumental in Omaha's road upset of Iowa, posting a then-career-high 21 points and a career-high-tying eight rebounds. Jackson strung together six straight double-figure scoring games from Nov. 19 to Dec. 3, 2016, then had another six-game stretch from Feb. 11 to March 6, 2017.
Norl Off to a Strong Start
Senior Daniel Norl has had a strong start to his senior season, pacing Omaha with 6.6 rebounds alongside 14.8 points per game over the first five contests. The Clarksville, Tenn., native earned his first career start at Montana State on Nov. 10, exploding for career highs of 29 points, nine rebounds and two steals while shooting 13-of-18. He collected 11 points, six boards, two assists and two steals at Oklahoma (Nov. 12), then followed with 10 points and seven caroms at New Mexico (Nov. 14). On Nov. 17 at No. 18 Louisville, Norl led the Mavericks with 16 points and added eight rebounds.
Norl made his Maverick debut in 2016-17, appearing in 29 contests and averaging 5.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 15.6 minutes per game. He had eight double-figure scoring performances as a junior, including a season-high 14 points with four 3-pointers in Omaha's quarterfinal win over Fort Wayne in the Summit League Tournament. He accounted for 10 performances with at least two 3-pointers.
Gibson Back at Full Strength
Sophomore JT Gibson was one of two Mavericks to achieve a career high in scoring Nov. 12 at Oklahoma. The Brooklyn Park, Minn., native tallied 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting with three 3-pointers, adding four rebounds, and career bests of four assists and three steals. Gibson has two double-figure scoring efforts this year and has twice led the Mavericks in assists.
Gibson had a second go at his freshman campaign in 2016-17. In 2015-16, he appeared in eight games off the bench before suffering a season-ending elbow injury that led to a medical redshirt.
Robinson's Ready
Sophomore KJ Robinson appeared in all but one game last season, averaging 2.5 points and 0.7 assists over 8.8 minutes per contest off the bench. He has now assumed a starting role in 2017-18 season.
A native of Blue Springs, Mo., Robinson had a standout performance vs. No. 18 Louisville on Nov. 17, with a career-high 14 points, three rebounds, five assists and three steals. He followed by dishing out a career-best eight assists at TCU on Nov. 20 while adding 11 points, four rebounds and a steal. Robinson ranks third in the Summit League for assists (20) and sixth for steals (seven).
Wofford-Humphrey's Breakout Night
Senior Lamar Wofford-Humphrey had a standout effort at No. 18 Louisville on Nov. 17, tallying his first double-double as a Maverick with 14 points, a team-high 12 rebounds, three steals, a block and an assist.
The transfer from Eastern Michigan has two double-figure scoring games to his credit, and he sits tied with Daniel Norl for the team lead in offensive rebounds (10), propelled by seven against the Cardinals alone.
Piling On
Freshman Matt Pile has seen increased time on the floor in the last two games, totaling 22 minutes at No. 18 Louisville (Nov. 17) and 20 at TCU (Nov. 20). Over the first five games of his career, Pile has averaged 4.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and a team-leading 0.8 blocks per game off the bench. The Wichita, Kan., native scored a career-high eight points at TCU, adding three rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
2017-18 Slate = Tough Test for Mavericks
Omaha's 2017-18 schedule includes 30 games, and the team will play in 16 states against schools from 11 other Division I conferences. The schedule has three opponents from the Big 12 and one each from the ACC, Pac-12, Mountain West, MVC, Big West, Sun Belt, Big Sky, OVC, SWAC and MEAC. Three opponents – Kansas, Louisville and defending Summit League champion South Dakota State – played in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, with the Jayhawks reaching the Elite Eight.
Up Next
Omaha plays Jackson State or Maryland-Eastern Shore on Saturday, Nov. 25 at a time to be determined at the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Fla. Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2, and links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.
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