OMAHAomaha MEN'Smen's BASKETBALLbasketball 2019-20 GAME NOTES For Immediate Release: Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 • Contact: Bonnie Ryan • Email: [email protected] • Office: (402) 554-3267 • Cell: (402) 679-2912 /OmahaMBB @OmahaMBB @OmahaMBB OMavs.com 2019-20 SCHEDULE & RESULTS OMAHA HEADS WEST TO WASHINGTON STATE Date Opponent Time (CT) Nov. 5 at Wichita State L, 68-54 OMAHA MAVERICKS Statistical Leaders Nov. 7 Midland W, 72-53 Record: 2-3 (0-0 Summit League) Scoring: JT Gibson -- 16.8 ppg Nov. 11 Bethune-Cookman W, 90-61 Head Coach: Derrin Hansen Rebounding: Matt Pile -- 9.4 rpg Nov. 13 at Colorado State L, 80-65 Record at School: 229-202 (15th Year) Assists: Ayo Akinwole -- 4.8 apg Nov. 19 at Dayton L, 93-68 Career Record: Same Steals: JT Gibson -- 1.4 spg Last Game: L, 93-68 at Dayton (11/19) Blocks: Matt Pile -- 1.8 bpg Nov. 21 at Washington State 6 p.m. Nov. 25 Southern 7 p.m. WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS All-Time Series: 0-0 Nov. 26 IUPUI or Loyola (Md.) 7 p.m. Record: 2-1 (0-0 Pac-12) Last Meeting: --- Dec. 1 at Saint Mary’s 4 p.m. Head Coach: Kyle Smith Dec. 3 at Arkansas State 7 p.m. Record at School: 2-1 (1st Year) Dec. 8 at Northern Arizona 4 p.m. Career Record: 166-123 (10th Year) Dec. 11 at Arizona 7 p.m. Last Game: W, 72-61 vs. Idaho State (11/17) Dec. 15 UTRGV 12:30 p.m. Dec. 17 at Eastern Washington 8:05 p.m. THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE Dec. 21 Montana Noon Thursday, Nov. 21 • OMAHA at WASHINGTON STATE • 6 p.m. CT • Beasley Coliseum -- Pullman, Wash. Dec. 29 South Dakota State* 4:30 p.m. Stats: OMavs.com • Video: OMavs.com • Audio: OMavs.com • TV: Pac-12 Networks • Radio: 1180 Zone 2 Jan. 4 Oral Roberts* 7 p.m. Jan. 8 at North Dakota* 7 p.m. The Basics Jan. 11 at South Dakota* 3:30 p.m. The Omaha men's basketball visits Washington State this Thursday, Nov. 21, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. CT at Beasley Jan. 18 at Denver* 2 p.m. Coliseum in Pullman, Wash. Jan. 23 Western Illinois 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks with Greg Heister and Dan Dickau on the call. Gary Sharp will Jan. 25 Purdue Fort Wayne* 7 p.m. have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2, and links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com. Feb. 2 South Dakota* Noon Feb. 5 North Dakota State* 7 p.m. Quick Hits Feb. 8 at South Dakota State* 4:15 p.m. • Omaha is in the midst of a three-game road stretch at Colorado State (Nov. 13), Dayton (Nov. 19) and Washington Feb. 12 at Oral Roberts* 7 p.m. State (Nov. 21). • Matt Pile needs one blocked shot to enter the top 10 in school history for career blocks. Bryan Muellner (1985-89) Feb. 16 Denver* 4:30 p.m. currently sits in the 10th spot with 68 blocks to his credit. Feb. 20 at Purdue Fort Wayne* 6 p.m. • Pile ranks 27th nationally for total rebounds (47). Feb. 22 at Western Illinois* 2 p.m. • JT Gibson took sole possession of fifth in school history for career 3-pointers (182) Tuesday night at Dayton. Feb. 26 North Dakota* 7 p.m. • The 2019-20 season is the 107th overall in program history and the ninth of the Mavericks' Division I era. All-time, Feb. 29 at North Dakota State* 4 p.m. the program is 1,183-1,189. March 7-10 at Summit League Championship TBA • The Mavericks have shot 50.0% as a team twice this year and have 15 straight wins when shooting 50.0% or better. * - Summit League game • All home games listed in bold • JT Gibson, KJ Robinson, Ayo Akinwole and Matt Pile will serve as first-time team captains this season. italics and played at Baxter Arena Scouting the Washington State Cougars Washington State is 2-1 (0-0 Pac-12) on the season after a 72-61 win over Idaho State on Sunday. CJ Elleby scored a game-high 23 points with eight rebounds and seven steals to lead the Cougars, while Isaac Bonton (15) and Jeff Pollard (11) also scored in double figures. Elleby, who was a first-team Preseason All-Pac-12 pick, averages a team-leading 20.0 points per game. WSU was MEDIA AVAILABILITY OMAHA PROBABLE STARTERS Student-athletes and coaches are available for interviews No. Player Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt. PPG RPG APG SPG BPG after practice or by arrangement through the Omaha 10 Ayo Akinwole G Jr. 6-0 165 11.6 6.2 4.8 0.8 0.2 athletic communications office. All men’s basketball 4 Zach Thornhill G So. 6-4 185 8.6 3.2 2.6 0.4 0.2 interview requests must be arranged through Bonnie 0 JT Gibson G Sr. 6-3 195 16.8 3.4 3.2 1.4 0.0 Ryan of the athletic communications staff at least one 13 Wanjang Tut F So. 6-8 205 6.0 4.0 0.6 0.0 1.0 day in advance. 40 Matt Pile F Jr. 6-8 240 11.4 9.4 1.0 1.0 1.8 2 / / / 2019-20 OMAHA MEN’S BASKETBALL WHEN REFERRING TO THE MAVERICKS 2019-20 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(s)) in 2011, host institutions, media and fans are reminded 0 JT Gibson Sr. G 6-3 195 Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Champlin Park) to refer to the school as the “University of Nebraska 2 Darrius Hughes Fr. G/F 6-7 230 Kansas City, Mo. (Rockhurst) Omaha,” “Omaha” or “UNO.” “Nebraska Omaha” and 3 Kyle Luedtke RFr. G 6-5 190 Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep) “Nebraska-Omaha” are no longer acceptable references. 4 Zach Thornhill So. G 6-4 185 Lenexa, Kan. (St. James Academy) 5 KJ Robinson Sr. G 6-0 190 Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs South) 10 Ayo Akinwole Jr. G 6-0 165 Papillion, Neb. (Papillion-La Vista) 11 La’Mel Robinson Fr. G 6-0 160 Riverside, Mo. (Park Hill South) 13 Wanjang Tut So. F 6-8 205 Omaha, Neb. (Omaha Burke/The Skill Factory Prep) 15 Grant Frickenstein Fr. G 6-3 170 Fremont, Neb. (Archbishop Bergan) Primary Logo Secondary Logo 20 Hayden Miller So. G 6-1 180 Nebraska City, Neb. (Lourdes Central Catholic) 22 Marco Smith So G 6-2 175 Kansas City, Kan. (Washington/UMKC) USA TODAY COACHES TOP 25 POLL 23 Marlon Ruffin So. G/F 6-5 195 Madison, Wis. (Sun Prairie/Highland CC) 24 Nathan Brusseau Fr. C 6-11 225 New Prague, Minn. (New Prague) Released Nov. 18, 2019 40 Matt Pile Jr. F 6-8 240 Wichita, Kan. (Eisenhower) School Record Last Week Head Coach: Derrin Hansen (15th Year) • Assistant Coaches: Pat Eberhart (9th Year), Tyler Erwin (11th Year), 1. Duke ....................................4-0 ................................ 4 Tyler Bullock (4th Year) • Director of Men’s Basketball Operations: Jake Koch (2nd Year) 2. Louisville .............................4-0 ................................ 5 3. Michigan State ....................2-1 ................................ 1 PRONUNCIATION GUIDE 4. North Carolina .....................3-0 .............................. 11 Ayo Akinwole: EYE-oh AH-kin-WOH-lay • Nathan Brusseau: broo-SOH • Pat Eberhart: EBB-er-heart 5. Kansas .................................2-1 ................................ 3 Darrius Hughes: DAIR-ee-us • Kyle Luedtke: LOOT-key • Lamel Robinson: luh-MEL • Marlon Ruffin: RUFF-in 6. Virginia ................................3-0 ................................ 9 Wanjang Tut: WAN-yang TUT 7. Maryland .............................3-0 ................................ 8 8. Gonzaga ..............................4-0 ................................ 7 9. Ohio State ...........................3-0 .............................. 16 picked 11th in the Pac-12 Preseason Poll released last month. 10. Kentucky ...........................2-1 ................................ 2 Head coach Kyle Smith has a record of 2-1 in his first season at WSU and a 166-123 career mark over 10 years. 11. Oregon ..............................4-0 .............................. 14 12. Texas Tech ..........................3-0 .............................. 12 All-Time Against Washington State 13. Seton Hall ..........................3-1 .............................. 13 Tuesday marks the first meeting between Omaha and Washington State. 14. Arizona ..........................4-0 ............................17 15. Villanova ...........................2-1 .............................. 10 Against the Pac-12 16. Utah State .........................4-0 .............................. 19 Thursday's meeting at Washington State marks the first of two Pac-12 matchups on Omaha's schedule this year, as 17. Tennessee ..........................3-0 .............................. 25 the Mavericks will also visit Arizona on Dec. 11. All-time, Omaha is 0-6 against members of the conference after having 18. Auburn ..............................4-0 .............................. 23 faced Colorado, Arizona State and Oregon last season. 19. VCU....................................4-0 ..............................NR 20. Memphis ...........................3-1 .............................. 15 Date Opponent Result 21. Xavier ................................4-0 .............................. 21 Nov. 22, 2015 at Colorado L, 87-82 22. Texas .................................4-0 ..............................NR Nov. 13, 2016 at USC L, 82-72 23. Baylor ................................2-1 .............................. 18 Dec. 3, 2017 at Washington L, 86-73 24. Washington .......................2-1 ..............................NR Nov. 16, 2018 at Colorado L, 79-75 25. Colorado ............................2-0 ..............................NR Nov. 28, 2018 at Arizona State L, 89-71 Receiving Votes: Oklahoma, Saint Mary's, Florida, Dec. 8, 2018 at Oregon L, 84-61 Marquette, Florida State, LSU, Purdue, Michigan, Kansas State, Butler, Vermont, Penn State, Arkansas, Evansville, Last Time Out: Mavericks Falter at Dayton, 93-68 Wisconsin, Dayton, Utah, Creighton, Syracuse, San Diego Omaha continued its three-game road swing at Dayton Tuesday night, falling 93-68 at UD Arena.