Saturday, November 25
Niceville, Fla.
10 a.m.
Omaha
vs
Jackson State
Omaha faces Jackson State in the Mavericks' final game of the Emerald Coast Classic Saturday morning.
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
Omaha Closes Tournament With Jackson State
Nov 24, 2017 | Men's Basketball
This Weekend
The Omaha men's basketball team plays its final game the Emerald Coast Classic this Saturday, Nov. 25, facing Jackson State. Tipoff is set for 10 a.m. at The Arena at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fla. Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2, and links to live video, audio and stats 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.
• KJ Robinson led the Mavericks with 25 points on seven 3-pointers Friday vs. Tennessee Tech, the most of any Maverick since Marcus Tyus had eight at South Dakota State on Jan. 7, 2017.
• Five Mavericks are averaging double-figure scoring six games in: Zach Jackson (15.2 ppg), Daniel Norl (14.2 ppg), Mitch Hahn (13.7 ppg), Robinson (11.3 ppg) and JT Gibson (10.0 ppg).
• Entering the week, Omaha ranked sixth nationally for total steals and 40th for steals per game.
• 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 Jackson State Tigers
Jackson State is 1-4 (0-0 SWAC) after a 66-63 loss to Maryland-Eastern Shore Friday afternoon -- their fourth straight defeat since a season-opening win over Millsaps. The Tigers were led by a 20-point scoring effort from Jeremiah Jefferson on Friday.
Jackson State was picked third in the SWAC Preseason Poll, with Paris Collins and Treshawn Bolden named Preseason All-SWAC. Head coach Wayne Brent is in his fifth season at JSU with a career record of 57-79.
Saturday's game marks the first meeting all-time between Omaha and Jackson State.
Last Time Out: Mavericks Falter Against Tennessee Tech, 86-85
A win was in reach but slipped away in the final minute for Omaha Friday afternoon, as the Mavericks fell 86-85 to Tennessee Tech at the Emerald Coast Classic. Sophomore KJ Robinson went off for a career-high 25 points, shooting 9-of-14 from the field with seven 3-pointers. He added a career-high five rebounds, five assists and a block for the day. Three other Mavericks tallied in double figures on the day: sophomore JT Gibson (15) and seniors Lamar Wofford-Humphrey (14) and Daniel Norl (11). Wofford-Humphrey also pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds.
Omaha shot a season-high .518 (29-of-56) to TTU's .571 (32-of-56) and hit at a season-best .565 (13-of-23) from long range. The Golden Eagles had a 32-24 rebounding advantage and outscored Omaha 48-24 in the paint.
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.
Action Jackson
Junior Zach Jackson is in his third year as a starter, averaging a team-leading 15.2 points per game with 5.5 rebounds per contest. The Wichita, Kan., native scored in double figures in five straight games to start the year, 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 6.9 rebounds alongside 14.2 points per game over the first six 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 three 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 then-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. Friday vs. Tennessee Tech, Robinson went off for a career-high 25 points while hitting seven 3-pointers and adding five rebounds, five assists and a block. It was the most threes in a game by any Maverick since Marcus Tyus had eight at South Dakota State (Jan, 7, 2017).
Entering the week, Robinson ranked third in the Summit League for assists and sixth for steals.
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 three double-figure scoring games to his credit, and he has the team lead in offensive rebounds (14).
Piling On
Freshman Matt Pile averaged 6.3 minutes per game over the first three contest this season but has seen his court time increase to 17.3 minutes per game over the last three. In that stretch, Pile has boosted his scoring average to 6.7 points per game, tallying a season-best eight points in the last two games at TCU (Nov. 20) and vs. Tennessee Tech (Nov. 24).
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 makes its home debut on Wednesday, Nov. 29, welcoming Drake to Baxter Arena at 7 p.m. The game will be televised regionally on YurView, and Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
The Omaha men's basketball team plays its final game the Emerald Coast Classic this Saturday, Nov. 25, facing Jackson State. Tipoff is set for 10 a.m. at The Arena at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fla. Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2, and links to live video, audio and stats 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.
• KJ Robinson led the Mavericks with 25 points on seven 3-pointers Friday vs. Tennessee Tech, the most of any Maverick since Marcus Tyus had eight at South Dakota State on Jan. 7, 2017.
• Five Mavericks are averaging double-figure scoring six games in: Zach Jackson (15.2 ppg), Daniel Norl (14.2 ppg), Mitch Hahn (13.7 ppg), Robinson (11.3 ppg) and JT Gibson (10.0 ppg).
• Entering the week, Omaha ranked sixth nationally for total steals and 40th for steals per game.
• 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 Jackson State Tigers
Jackson State is 1-4 (0-0 SWAC) after a 66-63 loss to Maryland-Eastern Shore Friday afternoon -- their fourth straight defeat since a season-opening win over Millsaps. The Tigers were led by a 20-point scoring effort from Jeremiah Jefferson on Friday.
Jackson State was picked third in the SWAC Preseason Poll, with Paris Collins and Treshawn Bolden named Preseason All-SWAC. Head coach Wayne Brent is in his fifth season at JSU with a career record of 57-79.
Saturday's game marks the first meeting all-time between Omaha and Jackson State.
Last Time Out: Mavericks Falter Against Tennessee Tech, 86-85
A win was in reach but slipped away in the final minute for Omaha Friday afternoon, as the Mavericks fell 86-85 to Tennessee Tech at the Emerald Coast Classic. Sophomore KJ Robinson went off for a career-high 25 points, shooting 9-of-14 from the field with seven 3-pointers. He added a career-high five rebounds, five assists and a block for the day. Three other Mavericks tallied in double figures on the day: sophomore JT Gibson (15) and seniors Lamar Wofford-Humphrey (14) and Daniel Norl (11). Wofford-Humphrey also pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds.
Omaha shot a season-high .518 (29-of-56) to TTU's .571 (32-of-56) and hit at a season-best .565 (13-of-23) from long range. The Golden Eagles had a 32-24 rebounding advantage and outscored Omaha 48-24 in the paint.
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.
Action Jackson
Junior Zach Jackson is in his third year as a starter, averaging a team-leading 15.2 points per game with 5.5 rebounds per contest. The Wichita, Kan., native scored in double figures in five straight games to start the year, 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 6.9 rebounds alongside 14.2 points per game over the first six 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 three 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 then-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. Friday vs. Tennessee Tech, Robinson went off for a career-high 25 points while hitting seven 3-pointers and adding five rebounds, five assists and a block. It was the most threes in a game by any Maverick since Marcus Tyus had eight at South Dakota State (Jan, 7, 2017).
Entering the week, Robinson ranked third in the Summit League for assists and sixth for steals.
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 three double-figure scoring games to his credit, and he has the team lead in offensive rebounds (14).
Piling On
Freshman Matt Pile averaged 6.3 minutes per game over the first three contest this season but has seen his court time increase to 17.3 minutes per game over the last three. In that stretch, Pile has boosted his scoring average to 6.7 points per game, tallying a season-best eight points in the last two games at TCU (Nov. 20) and vs. Tennessee Tech (Nov. 24).
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 makes its home debut on Wednesday, Nov. 29, welcoming Drake to Baxter Arena at 7 p.m. The game will be televised regionally on YurView, and Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
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