OMAHAomaha MEN'Smen's BASKETBALLbasketball 2020-21 GAME NOTES For Immediate Release: Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020 • Contact: Bonnie Ryan • Email: [email protected] • Office: (402) 554-3267 • Cell: (402) 679-2912 /OmahaMBB @OmahaMBB @OmahaMBB OMavs.com 2020-21 SCHEDULE & RESULTS OMAHA CAPS NON-CONFERENCE SLATE AT K-STATE Date Opponent Time (CT) Nov. 25 vs. Austin Peay ^ L, 72-66 OMAHA MAVERICKS Statistical Leaders Nov. 26 vs. Middle Tennessee ^ W, 60-59 Record: 2-7 (0-0 Summit League) Scoring: Marlon Ruffin -- 11.4 ppg Nov. 28 vs. Abilene Christian ^ L, 70-58 Head Coach: Derrin Hansen Rebounding: Matt Pile -- 9.0 rpg Dec. 1 at Creighton L, 94-67 Record at School: 245-222 (16th Year) Assists: Ayo Akinwole -- 2.4 apg Dec. 3 at Drake L, 87-66 Career Record: Same Steals: A. Akinwole/M. Ruffin -- 1.4 spg Last Game: L, 82-78 at Wyoming (12/17) Blocks: Matt Pile -- 1.0 bpg Dec. 5 at SIUE W, 65-63 Dec. 11 at Kansas L, 95-50 KANSAS STATE WILDCATS All-Time Series: K-State leads 2-0 Dec. 16 at Colorado L, 91-49 Record: 4-5 (1-1 Big 12) Last Meeting: Dec. 17 at Wyoming L, 82-78 Head Coach: Bruce Weber K-State won 81-68 in Manhattan, Kan. (11/15/16) Dec. 29 at Kansas State 7 p.m. Record at School: 165-115 (9th Year) Jan. 2 Oral Roberts* 7 p.m. Career Record: 478-270 (23rd Year) Jan. 3 Oral Roberts* 7 p.m. Last Game: W, 70-46 vs. Jacksonville (12/21) Jan. 8 at North Dakota State* 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 at North Dakota State* 7:30 p.m. THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE Jan. 15 South Dakota State* 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29 • OMAHA at KANSAS STATE • 7 p.m. • Bramlage Coliseum -- Manhattan, Kan. Jan. 16 South Dakota State* 7 p.m. Stats: OMavs.com • Video: OMavs.com • Audio: OMavs.com • TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ • Radio: 1180 Zone 2 Jan. 29 at South Dakota* 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2 • OMAHA vs. ORAL ROBERTS • 7 p.m. • Baxter Arena -- Omaha, Neb. Jan. 30 at South Dakota* 7 p.m. Stats: OMavs.com • Video: OMavs.com • Audio: OMavs.com • TV: None • Radio: 1180 Zone 2 Feb. 6 Western Illinois* 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 3 • OMAHA vs. ORAL ROBERTS • 7 p.m. • Baxter Arena -- Omaha, Neb. Feb. 7 Western Illinois* 8 p.m. Stats: OMavs.com • Video: OMavs.com • Audio: OMavs.com • TV: None • Radio: 1180 Zone 2 Feb. 12 at Kansas City* 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at Kansas City* 7 p.m. The Basics Feb. 19 North Dakota* 7 p.m. The Omaha men's basketball team closes out non-conference play this Tuesday, Dec. 29, traveling to Kansas State. Feb. 20 North Dakota* 7 p.m. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan. Feb. 26 at Denver* 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Ben Boyle and Stan Weber on the call, and Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2. Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com. Feb. 27 at Denver* 7 p.m. March 2-6 at Summit League Championship TBA Quick Hits * - Summit League game • ^ #BeachBubble at the Gulf • The 2020-21 season is the 108th overall in program history and the 10th of the Mavericks' Division I era. All-time, the Coast Showcase • All home games listed in bold italics program is 1,199-1,209. and played at Baxter Arena • Matt Pile became the 42nd 1,000-point scorer in Maverick history in Omaha's last time out, Dec. 17 at Wyoming. • Pile owns the 15th-most total rebounds nationally. His 785 career rebounds are the seventh-most of any active player in NCAA Division I, and his 22 career double-doubles are the 14th-most. • Pile's 11 boards at Colorado on Dec. 16 moved him into third all-time at Omaha for career rebounds. • Pile has started 81 consecutive games, the longest streak of any active Maverick. • The Mavericks have a 10-game non-conference slate, all on the road from Nov. 25 to Dec. 29. During that time, their home facility, Baxter Arena, served as the host site for the NCHC Pod, with 38 hockey games held Dec. 1-21. MEDIA AVAILABILITY • Omaha plays 18 of its 26 games away from Baxter Arena this season. • Omaha was picked fourth in the Summit League's preseason poll. Pile was a first-team Preseason All-Summit Student-athletes and coaches are available for interviews selection, and Marlon Ruffin was a second-team pick. after practice or by arrangement through the Omaha athletic communications office. All men’s basketball interview requests must be arranged through Bonnie OMAHA PROBABLE STARTERS Ryan of the athletic communications staff at least one No. Player Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt. PPG RPG APG SPG BPG day in advance. 10 Ayo Akinwole G Sr. 6-0 165 8.6 3.4 2.4 1.1 0.0 0 Sam'i Roe G Jr. 6-1 180 3.3 2.6 0.8 0.3 0.0 23 Marlon Ruffin G/F Jr. 6-5 195 11.4 3.1 1.1 1.1 0.1 13 Wanjang Tut F Jr. 6-8 205 10.2 4.7 0.2 0.6 0.7 40 Matt Pile F Sr. 6-8 240 10.1 9.0 0.9 0.4 1.0 2 / / / 2020-21 OMAHA MEN’S BASKETBALL WHEN REFERRING TO THE MAVERICKS 2020-21 OMAHA MEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER As part of a university-wide rebranding effort that began # Name Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School/Previous School) in 2011, host institutions, media and fans are reminded 0 Sam’i Roe Jr. G 6-1 180 Atlantic City, N.J. (Hopkins Academy/Independence CC) to refer to the school as the “University of Nebraska 1 Nick Ferrarini Jr. G 6-5 190 Omaha, Neb. (Millard North/Wayne State College) Omaha,” “Omaha” or “UNO.” “Nebraska Omaha” and 2 Darrius Hughes So. G/F 6-7 230 Kansas City, Mo. (Rockhurst) “Nebraska-Omaha” are no longer acceptable references. 3 Kyle Luedtke So. G 6-5 190 Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep) 5 Zach Thornhill Jr. G 6-4 185 Lenexa, Kan. (St. James Academy) 10 Ayo Akinwole Sr. G 6-0 165 Papillion, Neb. (Papillion-La Vista) 11 La’Mel Robinson RFr. G 6-0 160 Riverside, Mo. (Park Hill South) 13 Wanjang Tut Jr. F 6-8 205 Omaha, Neb. (Omaha Burke/The Skill Factory Prep) 14 Dylan Brougham Fr. C 6-9 195 Riverside, Mo. (Park Hill South) Primary Logo Secondary Logo 15 Grant Frickenstein RFr. G 6-3 170 Fremont, Neb. (Archbishop Bergan) 20 Jadin Booth Fr. G 6-2 175 Omaha, Neb. (Westside) USA TODAY COACHES TOP 25 POLL 21 Devin Evans So. F 6-9 200 Conyers, Ga. (Duluth/Southwest Mississippi CC) 22 Marco Smith Jr. G 6-2 175 Kansas City, Kan. (Washington/UMKC) Released Dec. 20, 2020 23 Marlon Ruffin Jr. G/F 6-5 195 Madison, Wis. (Sun Prairie/Highland CC) School Record Last Week 24 Nathan Brusseau So. C 6-11 225 New Prague, Minn. (New Prague) 1. Gonzaga ..............................4-0 ................................ 1 40 Matt Pile Sr. F 6-8 240 Wichita, Kan. (Eisenhower) 2. Baylor ..................................5-0 ................................ 2 Head Coach: Derrin Hansen (16th Year) • Assistant Coaches: Pat Eberhart (10th Year), Tyler Erwin (12th Year), 3. Kansas .............................7-1 ..............................5 Jake Koch (1st Year) • Director of Men’s Basketball Operations: Kevin Jewell (1st Year) 4. Iowa ....................................6-1 ................................ 3 5. Villanova .............................7-1 ................................ 7 PRONUNCIATION GUIDE 6. Houston...............................5-0 ................................ 6 Ayo Akinwole: EYE-oh AH-kin-WOH-lay • Dylan Brougham: BRAUM • Nathan Brusseau: broo-SOH 7. West Virginia .......................7-1 ................................ 8 Pat Eberhart: EBB-er-heart • Nick Ferrarini: FAIR-uh-REE-knee • Darrius Hughes: DAIR-ee-us 8. Tennessee ............................4-0 .............................. 10 Kyle Luedtke: LOOT-key • La’Mel Robinson: luh-MEL • Wanjang Tut: wan-YANG 9. Wisconsin ............................6-1 .............................. 12 10. Texas .................................7-1 .............................. 11 11. Rutgers ..............................6-0 .............................. 19 • Pile and Ayo Akinwole are serving as team captains for the second straight season. 12. Michigan State ..................6-1 ................................ 4 13. Creighton .......................6-2 ..............................9 Scouting the Kansas State Wildcats 14. Missouri ............................5-0 .............................. 16 Kansas State enters Tuesday's game with a record of 4-5 (1-1 Big 12) after defeating Jacksonville 70-46 at home 15. Texas Tech ..........................6-2 .............................. 14 on Dec. 21 -- KSU's third in win four games. Nijel Pack led three Wildcats in double figures, finishing with 16 points on 16. Virginia ...............................3- ............................... 17 6-of-9 shooting with four 3-pointers, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. DaJuan Gordon had a double-double on 17. North Carolina ...................5-2 .............................. 22 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Mike McGuirl added 12 points. 18. Illinois ...............................5-3 .............................. 13 K-State finished the 2019-20 campaign at 11-21 (3-15 Big 12) and was picked 10th in the Big 12's 2020-21 19. Michigan ...........................6-0 .............................. 25 preseason poll. 20. Duke ..................................3-2 .............................. 21 Head coach Bruce Weber is in his ninth season in Manhattan with a record of 165-115 and carries a career mark of 21. Florida State ......................4-1 .............................. 15 478-270 over 23 years. 22. Xavier ................................8-0 ..............................NR 23. Ohio State..........................6-1 .............................. 20 All-Time Against K-State 24. Virginia Tech ......................6-1 ..............................NR Kansas State holds a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series with Omaha.