Omaha
Mid-America Christian
Nov 1, 2026 | Men's Basketball
OMAHA - The Omaha men's basketball team opens the 2026-27 campaign on Monday night as it welcomes Mid-America Christian University (MACU) to Baxter Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on the Summit League Network. Fans can also listen for free on the Varsity Network app.
MAVERICKS BEGIN REGULAR SEASON AT HOME AGAINST MACU
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The 2026-27 season will commence for the Mavs on Monday night as they host Mid-America Christian (MACU) at Baxter Arena.
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MACU is an NAIA school in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Last season, the Evangels were 19-10 and 13-9 in SAC play.
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Monday's game will count toward the Mavs' official record but will serve as an exhibition for the Evangels.
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Omaha finished last season 16-17 overall and 8-8 in Summit League play.
SERIES HISTORY
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The Mavericks and Evangels have met three previous times in regular-season play, with Omaha winning all three matchups.
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The teams have met in each of the previous three seasons, with the Mavs winning by an average of 18 points.
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Aidan Skradis and Brock Scholl were the only two current players to play in last year's matchup against the Evangels. Both Scholl and Skradis had eight points for the Mavs.
SCOUTING THE EVANGELS
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MACU was picked fourth in the SAC after finishing 19-10 and 13-9 in the conference last season.
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The Evangels return their top two scorers, including First Team All-SAC selection Morris Williams. Williams averaged 16.4 ppg and shot 44% from three-point range last season while also averaging 4.9 rebounds per game.
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The Evangels also return Corey Skillman, who averaged 10.5 ppg and 3.2 rpg.
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The Evangels are led by Josh Gamblin, who is in his 12th season at the helm. Gamblin has led the Evangels to 20-plus wins seven times, including a NAIA National Championship in 2016, when he also earned NAIA Coach of the Year honors.
CRUTCHFIELD WELCOMES NEW FACES FOR 2026-27
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Coach Crutchfield brings back just one player from last season's team, but plenty of new faces will join the Mavericks for the 2026-27 campaign.
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Deke Thompson is a sophomore guard who redshirted his freshman season at Texas State. Thompson led the Mavericks in scoring during a scrimmage against Creighton earlier this fall.
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Justin Bolis joins Omaha after spending two seasons at Nebraska. During the Huskers' historic 2025-26 campaign, Bolis appeared in 17 games, including Nebraska's first-round NCAA Tournament victory over Troy. Bolis is expected to contribute across the stat sheet for the Mavericks this season.
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Cahmai Crosby is a sharpshooting guard who spent last season at North Texas after playing his first two collegiate seasons at Kilgore College. Crosby made 25 3-pointers at North Texas last season, which ranked second on the team. During his second season at Kilgore, he averaged 15.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, earning recognition as one of the top 50 junior college recruits in the country.
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The Mavericks also expect significant contributions from transfers Chris Dockery, Dace Pleasant and Heri Bukinga.
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Dockery spent last season at Kansas City, averaging 7.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while making 20 starts for the Roos.
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Pleasant is a versatile forward who can contribute in several areas. At Howard College, he averaged double figures in scoring and helped the team win the 2026 NJCAA Division I men's basketball championship.
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At 6-foot-11, Bukinga is Omaha's tallest player and will provide a significant presence in the middle. He redshirted last season at Drake but is expected to see valuable minutes for the Mavericks this season.
STUBBLEFIELD TO LEAD THE MAVS IN THE BACKCOURT
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A familiar face returns to Omaha as Grant Stubblefield begins his fourth season with the Mavericks.
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Stubblefield started 22 games at point guard last season, averaging 9.3 points, 3.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game.
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The Overland Park, Kansas, native was named to the Preseason All-Summit League Second Team heading into the 2026-27 season.
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Stubblefield shot 52.1% from the field last season.
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He ranked fifth in the Summit League with a 2.10 assist-to-turnover ratio.
ONDEKANE RETURNS HEALTHY FOR HIS FINAL SEASON
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Coaches and fans were excited to see what Isaac Ondekane could accomplish in the 2025-26 season after he made significant physical improvements during the offseason. However, a lower-leg injury prevented him from reaching the court as anticipated.
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The center from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, returns healthy for his final season, renewing the excitement surrounding his potential impact.
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Ondekane is Omaha's most experienced player from the Mavericks' 2025 NCAA Tournament run, having started all but one game during the 2024-25 season.
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That year, Ondekane averaged 5.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
MAVS EXPECTED TO USE SIZE AND LENGTH AS A STRENGTH
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Coach Crutchfield expects this year's squad to be one of the biggest and most athletic teams of his tenure at Omaha.
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The Mavs have eight players over 6-foot-6, and the average height of their projected starting lineup is 6-foot-5.
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The size and length have proven valuable in the exhibitions so far, as Omaha outrebounded both Creighton and Minnesota.
THE NEBRASKA BOYS
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Coach Crutchfield's roster has a strong Nebraska connection, with five players hailing from the state.
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Gavin Baker, Justin Bolis, Brandon Orgibold, Brock Scholl and Aidan Skradis are all from within 50 miles of Omaha's campus.
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The five Nebraska natives represent the second-most under Crutchfield and the largest group since his first season, when seven Nebraska natives were on the roster.
THE THREE FRESHMEN
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Omaha welcomes three true freshmen this season: Gavin Baker, Jonny Jordan Jr. and Ethan Sheats.
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Baker, a Fremont, Nebraska, native, helped Bergan Catholic win three consecutive state championships. He averaged 21.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, earning Class C2 Player of the Year honors.
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Jordan Jr. was a top-10 high school prospect in Missouri. He averaged 22.5 points per game and led Chaminade with 119 assists during his senior season, earning Metro Catholic Conference Player of the Year honors.
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Sheats averaged 12.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game at Denton High School and earned Class 5A All-State honors.
HOME SWEET HOME
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Baxter Arena has been a friendly home for the Mavericks over the past three seasons.
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Omaha has defended its home court well, compiling a 32-9 record at Baxter Arena over that span.
MAVERICKS FACE CHALLENGING NONCONFERENCE SLATE
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Omaha will challenge itself early and often during the 2026-27 season.
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In addition to the exhibition at Minnesota, the Mavericks will travel to face NCAA Tournament participants BYU and Utah State during the second week of the regular season.
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Omaha will also visit Texas Tech and Kansas State during nonconference play.
STAFF CHEMISTRY
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In a landscape of constant change, Coach Crutchfield has maintained a consistent core of staff members.
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Associate head coach Kyan Brown has been with Crutchfield for all five seasons, while assistant coach Brandt Danals has also spent five years on his staff.
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Crutchfield's son, Josh, and Keenan Holdman are entering their third seasons on staff.
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J.R. Reynolds is the newest member of Crutchfield's staff, entering his second season at Omaha.
