Tuesday, December 5
Santa Barbara, Calif.
9 p.m.
Omaha
at
UC Santa Barbara
Junior Mitch Hahn and the Omaha men's basketball team visit UC Santa Barbara Tuesday night.
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
Omaha Set for Tuesday Tilt at UCSB
Dec 4, 2017 | Men's Basketball
This Week
The Omaha men's basketball team makes its second stop on a three-game road swing this Tuesday, Dec. 5, visiting UC Santa Barbara. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. CT in Santa Barbara, Calif., 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.
Â
Quick Hits
• Tuesday marks the third meeting in as many years between Omaha and UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos visited Baxter Arena and won 60-59 on Nov. 13, 2015, followed by an Omaha win in Santa Barbara, 74-60 on Nov. 12, 2016.
• After Sunday's game in Seattle, the Mavericks have played in all four time zones in the contiguous United States.
• Omaha is 3-2 all-time against teams from the Big West.
• Four Mavericks are averaging double-figure scoring nine games in: Zach Jackson (17.6 ppg), Daniel Norl (13.1 ppg), Mitch Hahn (12.0 ppg) and KJ Robinson (10.9 ppg).
• Jackson ranks in the top five in the Summit League in multiple categories: third for points (158), fourth for points per game (17.6) and free throws made (37) and fifth for field goals made (53).
• The Mavericks have had at least eight steals in five games this season, including two games with 10 or more.
• The Mavericks shot .500 or better in four straight games from Nov. 20-29.
• 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 two 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.
Â
Scouting the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
UC Santa Barbara is 6-2 (0-0 Big West) with a five-game win streak after a 67-57 win over San Diego on Saturday. The Gauchos were led by 21 points from Max Heidegger and Leland King II's third consecutive double-double on 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Â
UCSB was picked sixth in the Big West Preseason Poll, and Gabe Vincent was named Preseason All-Big West. Head coach Joe Pasternack is in his first season at UCSB with a record of 6-2 and a career mark of 60-62 over five years.
Â
Tuesday's game marks the third meeting all-time between Omaha and UCSB, with the series tied at 1-1.
Â
Last Time Out: Jackson Notches Career High As Omaha Falls 86-73 at Washington
Omaha erased Washington's nine-point second-half lead Sunday afternoon but fell short after a late surge by the Huskies, 86-73 at Alaska Airlines Arena. Junior Zach Jackson paced the Mavericks in scoring for the second straight game, collecting a career-high 28 points to lead all scorers. The Wichita, Kan., native shot 10-of-17 from the field with three 3-pointers and a perfect 5-of-5 at the free throw line.
Â
Junior Mitch Hahn tallied his second double-double of the year with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, and senior Lamar Wofford-Humphrey narrowly missed one of his own with 12 points and nine boards. Senior Daniel Norl and sophomore JT Gibson each dished out a team-leading five assists for the day.
Â
Washington shot .500 (30-of-60) to Omaha's .412 (28-of-68) and hit at a .792 clip (19-of-24) at the line. The Mavericks had the edge on the boards, 41-34.
Â
Action Jackson
Junior Zach Jackson is in his third year as a starter, averaging a team-leading 17.6 points per game with 4.9 rebounds per contest and a .525 shooting percentage. The Wichita, Kan., native has scored in double figures in all but one game to start the year, including three 20-point scoring performances: 24 at Oklahoma (Nov. 12), 22 vs. Jackson State (Nov. 25) and a career-high 28 at Washington (Dec. 3).
Â
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.
Â
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.
Â
A native of Blue Springs, Mo., Robinson had a standout performance vs. No. 18 Louisville (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 (Nov. 20) while adding 11 points, four rebounds and a steal. Against Tennessee Tech (Nov. 24), 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).
Â
Robinson had four straight double-figure scoring performances from Nov. 17-25. He ranks third in the Summit League for assists (36) and 3-point percentage (.476).
Â
Norl Off to a Strong Start
Senior Daniel Norl has had a strong start to his senior season, ranking second on the team for scoring with 13.1 points per game and third for rebounding with 5.2 boards per game. The Clarksville, Tenn., native earned his first career start at Montana State (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.
Â
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.
Â
Wofford-Humphrey Making a Difference
Senior Lamar Wofford-Humphrey had a standout effort at No. 18 Louisville (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.
Â
The transfer from Eastern Michigan has four double-figure scoring games to his credit. He has the team lead and ranks fifth in the Summit League for offensive rebounds (21).
Â
Piling On
Freshman Matt Pile averaged 6.3 minutes per game over the first three contests this season but has seen his court time increase to 15.7 minutes per game over the last five. In that stretch, Pile has boosted his averages to 5.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He tallied season bests of nine points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal with a block vs. Drake (Nov. 29).
Â
Feelin' Hahn, Hahn, Hahn
Junior Mitch Hahn scored in double figures in three straight games to start the season with 12 at Montana State (Nov. 10), 13 at Oklahoma (Nov. 12) and a season-high 16 at New Mexico (Nov. 14). After missing three games from Nov. 17-25, Hahn returned to the lineup vs. Drake (Nov. 29), posting four points, five rebounds and two assists. He followed up with a double-double on 15 points and 10 rebounds at Washington (Dec. 3).
Â
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.
Â
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.
Â
More on Meyer
Senior Daniel Meyer made his second collegiate appearance in his home state Nov. 10 with Omaha's season opener at Montana State. Meyer and the Mavericks previously visited MSU on Dec. 6, 2015, when they won 100-97 on a buzzer beater in Bozeman.
Â
Meyer has been mainstay for Omaha over the last few seasons. He appeared in every game in 2015-16 and 2016-17, making 11 starts as a junior and finishing the year with 2.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. He had one of his best performances in league play, pulling down a season-high nine rebounds with two blocks vs. Oral Roberts.
Â
Meyer is Omaha's active career leader for offensive rebounds (82), blocks (27) and games played (94).
Â
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 and SWAC. 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.
Â
Up Next
Omaha makes a return trip to Drake on Saturday, Dec. 9, with tipoff set for 5 p.m. at the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3, 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 makes its second stop on a three-game road swing this Tuesday, Dec. 5, visiting UC Santa Barbara. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. CT in Santa Barbara, Calif., 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.
Â
Quick Hits
• Tuesday marks the third meeting in as many years between Omaha and UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos visited Baxter Arena and won 60-59 on Nov. 13, 2015, followed by an Omaha win in Santa Barbara, 74-60 on Nov. 12, 2016.
• After Sunday's game in Seattle, the Mavericks have played in all four time zones in the contiguous United States.
• Omaha is 3-2 all-time against teams from the Big West.
• Four Mavericks are averaging double-figure scoring nine games in: Zach Jackson (17.6 ppg), Daniel Norl (13.1 ppg), Mitch Hahn (12.0 ppg) and KJ Robinson (10.9 ppg).
• Jackson ranks in the top five in the Summit League in multiple categories: third for points (158), fourth for points per game (17.6) and free throws made (37) and fifth for field goals made (53).
• The Mavericks have had at least eight steals in five games this season, including two games with 10 or more.
• The Mavericks shot .500 or better in four straight games from Nov. 20-29.
• 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 two 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.
Â
Scouting the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
UC Santa Barbara is 6-2 (0-0 Big West) with a five-game win streak after a 67-57 win over San Diego on Saturday. The Gauchos were led by 21 points from Max Heidegger and Leland King II's third consecutive double-double on 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Â
UCSB was picked sixth in the Big West Preseason Poll, and Gabe Vincent was named Preseason All-Big West. Head coach Joe Pasternack is in his first season at UCSB with a record of 6-2 and a career mark of 60-62 over five years.
Â
Tuesday's game marks the third meeting all-time between Omaha and UCSB, with the series tied at 1-1.
Â
Last Time Out: Jackson Notches Career High As Omaha Falls 86-73 at Washington
Omaha erased Washington's nine-point second-half lead Sunday afternoon but fell short after a late surge by the Huskies, 86-73 at Alaska Airlines Arena. Junior Zach Jackson paced the Mavericks in scoring for the second straight game, collecting a career-high 28 points to lead all scorers. The Wichita, Kan., native shot 10-of-17 from the field with three 3-pointers and a perfect 5-of-5 at the free throw line.
Â
Junior Mitch Hahn tallied his second double-double of the year with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, and senior Lamar Wofford-Humphrey narrowly missed one of his own with 12 points and nine boards. Senior Daniel Norl and sophomore JT Gibson each dished out a team-leading five assists for the day.
Â
Washington shot .500 (30-of-60) to Omaha's .412 (28-of-68) and hit at a .792 clip (19-of-24) at the line. The Mavericks had the edge on the boards, 41-34.
Â
Action Jackson
Junior Zach Jackson is in his third year as a starter, averaging a team-leading 17.6 points per game with 4.9 rebounds per contest and a .525 shooting percentage. The Wichita, Kan., native has scored in double figures in all but one game to start the year, including three 20-point scoring performances: 24 at Oklahoma (Nov. 12), 22 vs. Jackson State (Nov. 25) and a career-high 28 at Washington (Dec. 3).
Â
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.
Â
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.
Â
A native of Blue Springs, Mo., Robinson had a standout performance vs. No. 18 Louisville (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 (Nov. 20) while adding 11 points, four rebounds and a steal. Against Tennessee Tech (Nov. 24), 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).
Â
Robinson had four straight double-figure scoring performances from Nov. 17-25. He ranks third in the Summit League for assists (36) and 3-point percentage (.476).
Â
Norl Off to a Strong Start
Senior Daniel Norl has had a strong start to his senior season, ranking second on the team for scoring with 13.1 points per game and third for rebounding with 5.2 boards per game. The Clarksville, Tenn., native earned his first career start at Montana State (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.
Â
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.
Â
Wofford-Humphrey Making a Difference
Senior Lamar Wofford-Humphrey had a standout effort at No. 18 Louisville (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.
Â
The transfer from Eastern Michigan has four double-figure scoring games to his credit. He has the team lead and ranks fifth in the Summit League for offensive rebounds (21).
Â
Piling On
Freshman Matt Pile averaged 6.3 minutes per game over the first three contests this season but has seen his court time increase to 15.7 minutes per game over the last five. In that stretch, Pile has boosted his averages to 5.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He tallied season bests of nine points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal with a block vs. Drake (Nov. 29).
Â
Feelin' Hahn, Hahn, Hahn
Junior Mitch Hahn scored in double figures in three straight games to start the season with 12 at Montana State (Nov. 10), 13 at Oklahoma (Nov. 12) and a season-high 16 at New Mexico (Nov. 14). After missing three games from Nov. 17-25, Hahn returned to the lineup vs. Drake (Nov. 29), posting four points, five rebounds and two assists. He followed up with a double-double on 15 points and 10 rebounds at Washington (Dec. 3).
Â
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.
Â
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.
Â
More on Meyer
Senior Daniel Meyer made his second collegiate appearance in his home state Nov. 10 with Omaha's season opener at Montana State. Meyer and the Mavericks previously visited MSU on Dec. 6, 2015, when they won 100-97 on a buzzer beater in Bozeman.
Â
Meyer has been mainstay for Omaha over the last few seasons. He appeared in every game in 2015-16 and 2016-17, making 11 starts as a junior and finishing the year with 2.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. He had one of his best performances in league play, pulling down a season-high nine rebounds with two blocks vs. Oral Roberts.
Â
Meyer is Omaha's active career leader for offensive rebounds (82), blocks (27) and games played (94).
Â
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 and SWAC. 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.
Â
Up Next
Omaha makes a return trip to Drake on Saturday, Dec. 9, with tipoff set for 5 p.m. at the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3, 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.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballMonday, October 05
Tuesday, September 01
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
