Wednesday, February 20
Omaha, Neb.
7 p.m.
Omaha
vs
Western Illinois
Omaha carries a five-game win streak into Saturday's visit to North Dakota State.
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
Omaha Seeks Sixth Straight Win at North Dakota State
Feb 22, 2019 | Men's Basketball
Leading Off
The Omaha men's basketball team begins its final road swing of the regular season this Saturday, Feb. 23, visiting North Dakota State. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. at the Scheels Center in Fargo, N.D., and the game will be broadcast on YurView Cox Channel 1013, ESPN3 and Midco. Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1290 KOIL, and links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
• Omaha sits in second place in the Summit League standings, only a half-game behind South Dakota State.
• Omaha's 11 league wins are a Division I program record. The only other Maverick squad with double-digit league wins was the 2015-16 team (10).
• A win Saturday at NDSU would be Omaha's sixth straight, which would tie for its longest Division I win streak.
• Omaha received votes in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll for the first time since 2015-16, when they received votes six straight weeks from Jan. 11 to Feb. 15.
• Omaha has won 14 of its last 16 games. It won five straight decisions on the road from Dec. 15 - Jan. 24 and carries another five-game streak into Saturday.
• Zach Jackson is 21 points away from becoming just the second player in program history to reach 1,500 points and 500 rebounds. The other is Dennis Forrest (1973-77), who had 1,660 points and 557 boards.
• The Mavericks have outrebounded nine of their last 11 opponents.
• Omaha is the only team in the league to have all five starters averaging double figures: Jackson (18.7 ppg), JT Gibson (13.7 ppg), Mitch Hahn (12.8 ppg), KJ Robinson (11.9 ppg) and Matt Pile (10.9 ppg).
• The Mavericks rank sixth nationally for fewest total turnovers and seventh for fewest turnovers per game. They have had single-digit turnovers in 14 of the last 18 games, including five straight since Feb. 3.
• Robinson has limited himself to 24 turnovers in 23 games. In league play, Gibson and Ayo Akinwole have nine miscues in 13 contests. Akinwole has committed just three turnovers in the last 10 games.
• Omaha hit two century marks Feb. 14: its 100th win since gaining membership in the Summit League in 2012-13 and Derrin Hansen's 100th career conference win since taking the reins of the Maverick program in 2005-06.
• The Mavericks were picked eighth in the 2018-19 Summit League's Preseason Poll, and Jackson was a first-team Preseason All-Summit selection.
• Jackson collected second-team All-Summit accolades as a junior. Since Omaha joined the Summit League in 2012-13, 10 Mavericks have combined for 12 All-Summit awards.
• Jackson and Hahn are both team captains for the second straight year.
Scouting the North Dakota State Bison
North Dakota State is 14-13 (8-5 Summit League) after a 78-77 home loss to South Dakota State snapped NDSU's five-game win streak last Saturday. The Bison led by as many as 17 in the second half, but SDSU erased the advantage before a half-court heave at the buzzer by David Jenkins put it away. Vinnie Shahid finished with a team-leading 19 points as five Bison scored in double figures. Tyson Ward (14 points), Tyree Eady (11), Jared Samuelson (10) and Rocky Kreuser (10) rounded it out.
NDSU, which finished 15-17 (5-9 Summit League) a year ago, was voted fifth in the conference's preseason poll. Ward was a Preseason All-Summit Second Team selection. Head coach David Richman holds a career record of 91-64 in five seasons at North Dakota State.
All-Time Against North Dakota State
Saturday marks the 75th meeting between Omaha and North Dakota State, with the Bison leading the all-time series, 44-30, including 10-4 in the Mavericks' Division I era. The Bison lead 6-1 when games are set in Fargo, N.D., and have two straight wins over Omaha there.
Omaha and NDSU last played on Jan. 2 at Baxter Arena, where the Mavericks won 90-77.
Last Time Out: Mavericks Move Into Tie for League Lead With 77-63 Win Over WIU
Omaha took down Western Illinois in its home finale Wednesday night, 77-63 at Baxter Arena. The Mavericks' fifth straight win temporarily moved them into a tie for first place in the Summit League standings.
All five starters scored in double figures for the ninth time this season, led by Zach Jackson's game-high 21-point performance on 9-of-15 shooting with two 3-pointers. The senior grabbed three rebounds, dished out a game-best four assists and had two steals.
KJ Robinson shot 7-of-12 with a trio of threes, finishing with 17 points. JT Gibson chipped in 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting with three treys and pulled down four boards.
Matt Pile and Mitch Hahn each notched 12 points. Pile had a team-leading eight caroms with three assists and a steal, and Hahn had five boards and two assists.
Omaha shot .508 (32-of-63) as a team, bolstered by .579 (11-of-19) 3-point shooting. WIU finished at .433 (26-of-60) and .286 (6-of-21) from deep.
The Mavericks outrebounded the Leathernecks 33-31 and had a 17-0 advantage on fastbreak points. Omaha committed just six turnovers on the night, marking its fifth straight game with single-digit miscues and its 14th such performance this season.
Scoring Notables
• Over the last nine games, Zach Jackson has averaged 20.6 points per game and has at least 20 points in seven of them: 22 at Western Illinois (Jan. 17), 21 vs. South Dakota (Jan. 20), 25 at Purdue Fort Wayne (Jan. 24), 22 vs. North Dakota (Feb. 3), 27 at South Dakota (Feb. 7), 27 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (Feb. 16) and 21 vs. Western Illinois (Feb. 20).
• Over the last five games, JT Gibson (11), Zach Jackson (10), Mitch Hahn (10) and KJ Robinson (nine) have combined for 40 of Omaha's 43 threes.
• Hahn (.588, 10-of-17) and Jackson (.556, 10-of-18) have both shot over 50 percent from deep in the last five games.
• Five Mavericks have made at least four triples in a single game this season: Gibson (eight times), Hahn and Jackson (four times each), Robinson (twice) and Ayo Akinwole (once).
• Omaha has had at least five double-figure scorers nine times, most recently vs. Western Illinois (Feb. 20). All five starters have scored in double figures simultaneously on five occasions this year.
• The Mavericks counted six double-figure scorers on the same night once this season -- at South Dakota (Feb. 7). Six Mavericks have finished in double figures seven times in the Division I era and 12 times in the Derrin Hansen era.
• The Mavericks have shot .500 or better as a team 12 times, including 10 of the last 14 games. They are undefeated when shooting at least .500.
• The Mavericks' 107-102 overtime win at South Dakota (Feb. 7) marked their first 100-point scoring output.
Threes, Please
Omaha ranks seventh nationally with a .398 shooting percentage from distance and 61st as a team with 239 3-pointers made. JT Gibson has been a major factor from long range, and the junior is 62nd in the country for 3-point percentage (.400). The Mavericks have 12 games with double-digit triples this season.
League Leaders
Omaha ranks in the top third of the Summit League for scoring (third at 80.5), field goal percentage (third at .482), field goals made per game (second at 30.2), 3-point percentage (second at .398) and fewest turnovers per game (first at 9.9).
Pile Named Academic All-District
Matt Pile was named to the 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-District 7 Men's Basketball First Team on Thursday, it was announced by CoSIDA. It marks the first career inclusion on an Academic All-District team for Pile, who now advances to the Academic All-America ballot and will be considered for national accolades next month.
Pile is Omaha's sixth Academic All-District selection in men's basketball program history. The Mavericks have had two all-district picks in the Division I era.
Pile carries a 3.90 grade-point average with a major in medicinal chemistry. He is a member of the UNO Dean's List and the Summit League Academic Honor Roll.
Action Jackson
Over 26 games in his senior campaign, Zach Jackson has a team-best 18.7 points with 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game. He ranks 76th nationally for scoring and 81st for total points (487), is the fourth-best scorer in the Summit League and also ranks fourth among league players for free throws made (97) and fifth for field goals made (170). Jackson's 1,479 points are 87th among the NCAA's Division I active career leaders for scoring.
Jackson had 10 straight games in double figures from Nov. 6 to Dec. 8, and he had another nine-game streak from Dec. 19 to Jan. 24.
JT's Junior Year
JT Gibson has scored in double figures in all but three games this season, and had an 11-game streak from Dec. 21 to Feb. 7. He has scored 15 or more points in a night on nine occasions, highlighted by a career-high 22 points with three rebounds, three assists and a steal vs. Denver (Dec. 28), followed by 21 points, three boards, a career-high eight assists and three steals vs. Oral Roberts (Dec. 30).
Gibson has eight games with four or more 3-pointers, led by a five-triple efforts at Oregon (Dec. 8) and vs. Denver (Dec. 28). He ranks sixth in the Summit League for 3-pointers made (66) and fifth for steals (32). In league play, he has averaged 14.0 points per game.
Gibson, who has scored in 58 straight contests, is Omaha's active career leader for threes made.
JT for Three
JT Gibson is the only Omaha player to hit a three in all 26 games this season. The streak is the longest of his career, surpassing his previous best of 19 straight games from Nov. 20, 2017 to Jan. 25, 2018. Dating back to last season, Gibson has a make from distance in 28 straight games, which is the 17th-longest streak in the country among Division I players.
With a team-high 66 treys, he ranks sixth among Summit League players. The Brooklyn Park, Minn., native broke into Omaha's top 15 for career triples Dec. 6 at Seattle and now ranks 10th (158).
Milestones in the Making for Jackson
Zach Jackson came into his final season on the brink of major milestones in scoring and rebounding. Nov. 9 at Minnesota, he became the 39th 1,000-point scorer in program history and sits in sixth all-time for scoring with 1,479 points. He needs 24 points to pass CJ Carter (2011-15), whose 1,502 points occupy the fifth spot.
Jackson also has 505 rebounds over his career, and he ranks 20th all-time for career caroms.
Jackson is the 12th player in school history with at least 1,000 points and 500 boards, and he is 21 points away from becoming just the second player in program history to reach 1,500 points and 500 rebounds.
Additionally, Jackson joined the top 20 in school history for career field goals on Jan. 2 and is now ninth with 502 made. He moved into 20th for career steals on Feb. 3 and has since moved up to 19th with 103.
Feelin' Hahn, Hahn, Hahn
Mitch Hahn has been a major factor in Omaha's success of late, as the senior has averaged 16.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game with .529 shooting over the last 16 games. He has scored in double figures in each one, marking the longest double-figure streak of any Maverick this season. The numbers are up from his previous 10 games, during which he had 7.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game and shot .308 from the floor and .229 from three.
The Fremont, Neb., native also owns six games with at least three 3-pointers, hitting three apiece against Minnesota (Nov. 6) and Northern Arizona (Nov. 14) and a season-best four at Idaho (Dec. 15), vs. North Dakota State (Jan. 2) and vs. South Dakota State (Feb. 14). He has four double-doubles on the year: at Rice (Dec. 21) with 18 points/11 rebounds, at North Dakota (Jan. 10) with 17 points and 11 rebounds, at Purdue Fort Wayne (Jan. 24) with 23 points/15 rebounds and at South Dakota State (Jan. 26) with 14 points/15 rebounds.
The Pile Driver
Matt Pile is shooting at a .605 clip in his sophomore campaign, ranking second among Summit League players. He is the league leader for offensive rebounds (76) and also ranks fourth for total rebounds (193) and fifth for rebounds per game (7.4). In league-only games, he is first for offensive boards (50).
The Goddard, Kan., native has scored in double digits 17 times this year, including five straight since Feb. 3. He delivered back-to-back double-doubles vs. North Dakota State (Jan. 2) with 19 points/12 rebounds and at North Dakota (Jan. 10) with a career-best 20 points/10 rebounds. Over the last 17 games, Pile has six double-doubles and has averaged 11.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest.
Just a year and a half into his career, Pile's is Omaha's active career leader in for blocks (53). He joined the top 15 in school history with a season-best four-block performance Jan. 20 vs. South Dakota.
Here's to You, Mr. Robinson
KJ Robinson returned to the Mavericks' starting five Dec. 6 at Seattle, playing his first game since Nov. 20. He hit five 3-pointers en route to 17 points that night and has since averaged 12.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the 18-game stretch. Robinson put up a season-best 23-point performance Jan. 26 at South Dakota State, canning four triples and adding five rebounds and four steals.
Robinson's 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 17th nationally. He is Omaha's active career leader for assists (172).
The Evolution of Zach Jackson
Zach Jackson has been a four-year starter, averaging 12.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for his career. The Wichita, Kan., native has scored in 73 straight contests dating back to Jan. 7, 2017 and has 75 consecutive starts since Dec. 29, 2016.
From his freshman campaign to his junior year, Jackson evolved into an all-league player and last year became the sixth Maverick in the Division I era to score 500+ points in a single season.
Compared to the Opposition
Over its 26 contests this season, Omaha has:
•More or equal field goals made compared to its opponent 17 times
•More or equal 3-point field goals made compared to its opponent 14 times
•More or equal free throws made compared to its opponent 11 times
•More or equal rebounds compared to its opponent 13 times
•More or equal assists compared to its opponent 12 times
•More or equal steals compared to its opponent 19 times
•Fewer or equal turnovers compared to its opponent 20 times
•More or equal blocks compared to its opponent 11 times
Up Next
Omaha continues its final road swing on Thursday, Feb. 28, visiting Oral Roberts. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Mabee Center in Tulsa, Okla., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3. 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.
The Omaha men's basketball team begins its final road swing of the regular season this Saturday, Feb. 23, visiting North Dakota State. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. at the Scheels Center in Fargo, N.D., and the game will be broadcast on YurView Cox Channel 1013, ESPN3 and Midco. Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1290 KOIL, and links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
• Omaha sits in second place in the Summit League standings, only a half-game behind South Dakota State.
• Omaha's 11 league wins are a Division I program record. The only other Maverick squad with double-digit league wins was the 2015-16 team (10).
• A win Saturday at NDSU would be Omaha's sixth straight, which would tie for its longest Division I win streak.
• Omaha received votes in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll for the first time since 2015-16, when they received votes six straight weeks from Jan. 11 to Feb. 15.
• Omaha has won 14 of its last 16 games. It won five straight decisions on the road from Dec. 15 - Jan. 24 and carries another five-game streak into Saturday.
• Zach Jackson is 21 points away from becoming just the second player in program history to reach 1,500 points and 500 rebounds. The other is Dennis Forrest (1973-77), who had 1,660 points and 557 boards.
• The Mavericks have outrebounded nine of their last 11 opponents.
• Omaha is the only team in the league to have all five starters averaging double figures: Jackson (18.7 ppg), JT Gibson (13.7 ppg), Mitch Hahn (12.8 ppg), KJ Robinson (11.9 ppg) and Matt Pile (10.9 ppg).
• The Mavericks rank sixth nationally for fewest total turnovers and seventh for fewest turnovers per game. They have had single-digit turnovers in 14 of the last 18 games, including five straight since Feb. 3.
• Robinson has limited himself to 24 turnovers in 23 games. In league play, Gibson and Ayo Akinwole have nine miscues in 13 contests. Akinwole has committed just three turnovers in the last 10 games.
• Omaha hit two century marks Feb. 14: its 100th win since gaining membership in the Summit League in 2012-13 and Derrin Hansen's 100th career conference win since taking the reins of the Maverick program in 2005-06.
• The Mavericks were picked eighth in the 2018-19 Summit League's Preseason Poll, and Jackson was a first-team Preseason All-Summit selection.
• Jackson collected second-team All-Summit accolades as a junior. Since Omaha joined the Summit League in 2012-13, 10 Mavericks have combined for 12 All-Summit awards.
• Jackson and Hahn are both team captains for the second straight year.
Scouting the North Dakota State Bison
North Dakota State is 14-13 (8-5 Summit League) after a 78-77 home loss to South Dakota State snapped NDSU's five-game win streak last Saturday. The Bison led by as many as 17 in the second half, but SDSU erased the advantage before a half-court heave at the buzzer by David Jenkins put it away. Vinnie Shahid finished with a team-leading 19 points as five Bison scored in double figures. Tyson Ward (14 points), Tyree Eady (11), Jared Samuelson (10) and Rocky Kreuser (10) rounded it out.
NDSU, which finished 15-17 (5-9 Summit League) a year ago, was voted fifth in the conference's preseason poll. Ward was a Preseason All-Summit Second Team selection. Head coach David Richman holds a career record of 91-64 in five seasons at North Dakota State.
All-Time Against North Dakota State
Saturday marks the 75th meeting between Omaha and North Dakota State, with the Bison leading the all-time series, 44-30, including 10-4 in the Mavericks' Division I era. The Bison lead 6-1 when games are set in Fargo, N.D., and have two straight wins over Omaha there.
Omaha and NDSU last played on Jan. 2 at Baxter Arena, where the Mavericks won 90-77.
Last Time Out: Mavericks Move Into Tie for League Lead With 77-63 Win Over WIU
Omaha took down Western Illinois in its home finale Wednesday night, 77-63 at Baxter Arena. The Mavericks' fifth straight win temporarily moved them into a tie for first place in the Summit League standings.
All five starters scored in double figures for the ninth time this season, led by Zach Jackson's game-high 21-point performance on 9-of-15 shooting with two 3-pointers. The senior grabbed three rebounds, dished out a game-best four assists and had two steals.
KJ Robinson shot 7-of-12 with a trio of threes, finishing with 17 points. JT Gibson chipped in 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting with three treys and pulled down four boards.
Matt Pile and Mitch Hahn each notched 12 points. Pile had a team-leading eight caroms with three assists and a steal, and Hahn had five boards and two assists.
Omaha shot .508 (32-of-63) as a team, bolstered by .579 (11-of-19) 3-point shooting. WIU finished at .433 (26-of-60) and .286 (6-of-21) from deep.
The Mavericks outrebounded the Leathernecks 33-31 and had a 17-0 advantage on fastbreak points. Omaha committed just six turnovers on the night, marking its fifth straight game with single-digit miscues and its 14th such performance this season.
Scoring Notables
• Over the last nine games, Zach Jackson has averaged 20.6 points per game and has at least 20 points in seven of them: 22 at Western Illinois (Jan. 17), 21 vs. South Dakota (Jan. 20), 25 at Purdue Fort Wayne (Jan. 24), 22 vs. North Dakota (Feb. 3), 27 at South Dakota (Feb. 7), 27 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (Feb. 16) and 21 vs. Western Illinois (Feb. 20).
• Over the last five games, JT Gibson (11), Zach Jackson (10), Mitch Hahn (10) and KJ Robinson (nine) have combined for 40 of Omaha's 43 threes.
• Hahn (.588, 10-of-17) and Jackson (.556, 10-of-18) have both shot over 50 percent from deep in the last five games.
• Five Mavericks have made at least four triples in a single game this season: Gibson (eight times), Hahn and Jackson (four times each), Robinson (twice) and Ayo Akinwole (once).
• Omaha has had at least five double-figure scorers nine times, most recently vs. Western Illinois (Feb. 20). All five starters have scored in double figures simultaneously on five occasions this year.
• The Mavericks counted six double-figure scorers on the same night once this season -- at South Dakota (Feb. 7). Six Mavericks have finished in double figures seven times in the Division I era and 12 times in the Derrin Hansen era.
• The Mavericks have shot .500 or better as a team 12 times, including 10 of the last 14 games. They are undefeated when shooting at least .500.
• The Mavericks' 107-102 overtime win at South Dakota (Feb. 7) marked their first 100-point scoring output.
Threes, Please
Omaha ranks seventh nationally with a .398 shooting percentage from distance and 61st as a team with 239 3-pointers made. JT Gibson has been a major factor from long range, and the junior is 62nd in the country for 3-point percentage (.400). The Mavericks have 12 games with double-digit triples this season.
League Leaders
Omaha ranks in the top third of the Summit League for scoring (third at 80.5), field goal percentage (third at .482), field goals made per game (second at 30.2), 3-point percentage (second at .398) and fewest turnovers per game (first at 9.9).
Pile Named Academic All-District
Matt Pile was named to the 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-District 7 Men's Basketball First Team on Thursday, it was announced by CoSIDA. It marks the first career inclusion on an Academic All-District team for Pile, who now advances to the Academic All-America ballot and will be considered for national accolades next month.
Pile is Omaha's sixth Academic All-District selection in men's basketball program history. The Mavericks have had two all-district picks in the Division I era.
Pile carries a 3.90 grade-point average with a major in medicinal chemistry. He is a member of the UNO Dean's List and the Summit League Academic Honor Roll.
Action Jackson
Over 26 games in his senior campaign, Zach Jackson has a team-best 18.7 points with 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game. He ranks 76th nationally for scoring and 81st for total points (487), is the fourth-best scorer in the Summit League and also ranks fourth among league players for free throws made (97) and fifth for field goals made (170). Jackson's 1,479 points are 87th among the NCAA's Division I active career leaders for scoring.
Jackson had 10 straight games in double figures from Nov. 6 to Dec. 8, and he had another nine-game streak from Dec. 19 to Jan. 24.
JT's Junior Year
JT Gibson has scored in double figures in all but three games this season, and had an 11-game streak from Dec. 21 to Feb. 7. He has scored 15 or more points in a night on nine occasions, highlighted by a career-high 22 points with three rebounds, three assists and a steal vs. Denver (Dec. 28), followed by 21 points, three boards, a career-high eight assists and three steals vs. Oral Roberts (Dec. 30).
Gibson has eight games with four or more 3-pointers, led by a five-triple efforts at Oregon (Dec. 8) and vs. Denver (Dec. 28). He ranks sixth in the Summit League for 3-pointers made (66) and fifth for steals (32). In league play, he has averaged 14.0 points per game.
Gibson, who has scored in 58 straight contests, is Omaha's active career leader for threes made.
JT for Three
JT Gibson is the only Omaha player to hit a three in all 26 games this season. The streak is the longest of his career, surpassing his previous best of 19 straight games from Nov. 20, 2017 to Jan. 25, 2018. Dating back to last season, Gibson has a make from distance in 28 straight games, which is the 17th-longest streak in the country among Division I players.
With a team-high 66 treys, he ranks sixth among Summit League players. The Brooklyn Park, Minn., native broke into Omaha's top 15 for career triples Dec. 6 at Seattle and now ranks 10th (158).
Milestones in the Making for Jackson
Zach Jackson came into his final season on the brink of major milestones in scoring and rebounding. Nov. 9 at Minnesota, he became the 39th 1,000-point scorer in program history and sits in sixth all-time for scoring with 1,479 points. He needs 24 points to pass CJ Carter (2011-15), whose 1,502 points occupy the fifth spot.
Jackson also has 505 rebounds over his career, and he ranks 20th all-time for career caroms.
Jackson is the 12th player in school history with at least 1,000 points and 500 boards, and he is 21 points away from becoming just the second player in program history to reach 1,500 points and 500 rebounds.
Additionally, Jackson joined the top 20 in school history for career field goals on Jan. 2 and is now ninth with 502 made. He moved into 20th for career steals on Feb. 3 and has since moved up to 19th with 103.
Feelin' Hahn, Hahn, Hahn
Mitch Hahn has been a major factor in Omaha's success of late, as the senior has averaged 16.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game with .529 shooting over the last 16 games. He has scored in double figures in each one, marking the longest double-figure streak of any Maverick this season. The numbers are up from his previous 10 games, during which he had 7.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game and shot .308 from the floor and .229 from three.
The Fremont, Neb., native also owns six games with at least three 3-pointers, hitting three apiece against Minnesota (Nov. 6) and Northern Arizona (Nov. 14) and a season-best four at Idaho (Dec. 15), vs. North Dakota State (Jan. 2) and vs. South Dakota State (Feb. 14). He has four double-doubles on the year: at Rice (Dec. 21) with 18 points/11 rebounds, at North Dakota (Jan. 10) with 17 points and 11 rebounds, at Purdue Fort Wayne (Jan. 24) with 23 points/15 rebounds and at South Dakota State (Jan. 26) with 14 points/15 rebounds.
The Pile Driver
Matt Pile is shooting at a .605 clip in his sophomore campaign, ranking second among Summit League players. He is the league leader for offensive rebounds (76) and also ranks fourth for total rebounds (193) and fifth for rebounds per game (7.4). In league-only games, he is first for offensive boards (50).
The Goddard, Kan., native has scored in double digits 17 times this year, including five straight since Feb. 3. He delivered back-to-back double-doubles vs. North Dakota State (Jan. 2) with 19 points/12 rebounds and at North Dakota (Jan. 10) with a career-best 20 points/10 rebounds. Over the last 17 games, Pile has six double-doubles and has averaged 11.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest.
Just a year and a half into his career, Pile's is Omaha's active career leader in for blocks (53). He joined the top 15 in school history with a season-best four-block performance Jan. 20 vs. South Dakota.
Here's to You, Mr. Robinson
KJ Robinson returned to the Mavericks' starting five Dec. 6 at Seattle, playing his first game since Nov. 20. He hit five 3-pointers en route to 17 points that night and has since averaged 12.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the 18-game stretch. Robinson put up a season-best 23-point performance Jan. 26 at South Dakota State, canning four triples and adding five rebounds and four steals.
Robinson's 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 17th nationally. He is Omaha's active career leader for assists (172).
The Evolution of Zach Jackson
Zach Jackson has been a four-year starter, averaging 12.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for his career. The Wichita, Kan., native has scored in 73 straight contests dating back to Jan. 7, 2017 and has 75 consecutive starts since Dec. 29, 2016.
From his freshman campaign to his junior year, Jackson evolved into an all-league player and last year became the sixth Maverick in the Division I era to score 500+ points in a single season.
Compared to the Opposition
Over its 26 contests this season, Omaha has:
•More or equal field goals made compared to its opponent 17 times
•More or equal 3-point field goals made compared to its opponent 14 times
•More or equal free throws made compared to its opponent 11 times
•More or equal rebounds compared to its opponent 13 times
•More or equal assists compared to its opponent 12 times
•More or equal steals compared to its opponent 19 times
•Fewer or equal turnovers compared to its opponent 20 times
•More or equal blocks compared to its opponent 11 times
Up Next
Omaha continues its final road swing on Thursday, Feb. 28, visiting Oral Roberts. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Mabee Center in Tulsa, Okla., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3. 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.
Players Mentioned
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