The Minnesota Men’s Basketball Team opens up its 2018-19 season Tuesday night at Williams Arena against the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks of the Summit League.
Omaha is coming off a 9-22 record and a 4-10 slate in last season’s conference play. This year’s edition is predicted either fifth or sixth out of a nine team league, depending which preseason poll one takes into account.
The Mavericks return three starters, including four out its top five scorers and six out of its top eight. The top three returners all averaged double digit points per game last season.
The Perimeters
The outside play is definitely top heavy in regards to experience and returning output. Four of the top six returning players are either point guards or wings.
Zach Jackson will easily be the Mavericks’ player that Richard Pitino will have to focus on the most. The 6-foot-5 senior is a unanimous selection for the First-Team All Summit Conference. He plays multiple positions, and is a do it all type player.
Last season he was the only player to rank in the league’s top ten in scoring (17.6), rebounding (6.4), field-goal percentage (52.3), free-throw percentage (82.3), and 3-point percentage (42.9). Expect Jackson to play on the wing on the offensive end, but to draw the defensive assignment of guarding Amir Coffey when he plays point, since he is the only guard over 6-foot-3.
J.T. Gipson and K.J. Robinson are two other solid returning perimeter players. They averaged 10.2 and 9.6 points per game respectively. Look for Robinson to assume much of the point guard duties. Both also are good long ball shooters. Gipson converted 38.5 percent of his attempts last season while Robinson knocked down 36 percent.
The trio of Jackson, Gipson, and Robinson return 37.6 points per game to the Mavericks. While Jackson has the ability to do a lot of things, look for the group to put up a lot of 3-pointers, as the lowest percentage among them from last season stood at 36.
6-foot-0 reserve, Ayo Akinwole, rounds out the players with backcourt experience. The reserve point guard averaged 3.4 points per game last season.
The Posts
The inside game doesn’t scream of experience, but if there is indeed strength in numbers, then UNO possesses it.
Mitch Hahn is the only returning inside player. The 6-foot-8 senior went for 11.7 and 7.1 rebounds last season. Matt Pile is another 6-foot-8 banger. He averaged six point per contest in the 2017-18 campaign.
There are plenty of question marks past that surrounding the bigs, but there is a plethora of young players to give it their best shot.
The Mavericks feature two true freshmen, 6-foot-11 Evan Tricker, and 6-foot-9 Brett Barney. There are two more available redshirt freshmen, 6-foot-8 Logan Strom and 6-foot-8 Wanjang Tut.
The Outlook
If one had to choose a recent opponent that Minnesota has had the last couple of seasons that might resemble this Omaha squad, that person might not have to look farther that last year’s Drake team.
They will have trouble matching Jordan Murphy inside. They also won’t be as big or athletic as the Gophers, and the undersized with the exception of Jackson. But what they can do is shoot the ball outside, much like Drake could.
Minnesota will need to execute on both ends of the floor. The matchups should set up nicely for Murphy and Coffey. If the Gophers can stay away from turnovers, they should get looks. But don’t be surprised to see Mavericks pack in the defense and force perimeter jumpers.
What we do know from history is that Omaha will play a fast paced game and will try to get up as many shots as possible. They score a lot of points, but they also give up a ton.
Last season's team averaged 77 points per game, and scored 85 points or more on ten occasions. They have scored a high volume of points in the past against well known programs. One of their highest productions was against Oklahoma last season.
Defensively, they left much to be desired, but it doesn't appear that getting stops is in the game plan. The idea is to try to outscore the opponent. They have up 85 points or more 14 times last season. They gave up 90 or more points seven times, and opponents went over the century mark on them in three games.
Minnesota will have to get back defensively, prepare for shot attempts in transition and early half-court offense, and they will have to hit the defensive boards. Offensively, they will have opportunities galore to put the ball in the bucket.
Omaha can score enough to have a puncher's chance, but this should be a game Minnesota wins handily in a high scoring contest.
Omaha is coming off a 9-22 record and a 4-10 slate in last season’s conference play. This year’s edition is predicted either fifth or sixth out of a nine team league, depending which preseason poll one takes into account.
The Mavericks return three starters, including four out its top five scorers and six out of its top eight. The top three returners all averaged double digit points per game last season.
The Perimeters
The outside play is definitely top heavy in regards to experience and returning output. Four of the top six returning players are either point guards or wings.
Zach Jackson will easily be the Mavericks’ player that Richard Pitino will have to focus on the most. The 6-foot-5 senior is a unanimous selection for the First-Team All Summit Conference. He plays multiple positions, and is a do it all type player.
Last season he was the only player to rank in the league’s top ten in scoring (17.6), rebounding (6.4), field-goal percentage (52.3), free-throw percentage (82.3), and 3-point percentage (42.9). Expect Jackson to play on the wing on the offensive end, but to draw the defensive assignment of guarding Amir Coffey when he plays point, since he is the only guard over 6-foot-3.
J.T. Gipson and K.J. Robinson are two other solid returning perimeter players. They averaged 10.2 and 9.6 points per game respectively. Look for Robinson to assume much of the point guard duties. Both also are good long ball shooters. Gipson converted 38.5 percent of his attempts last season while Robinson knocked down 36 percent.
The trio of Jackson, Gipson, and Robinson return 37.6 points per game to the Mavericks. While Jackson has the ability to do a lot of things, look for the group to put up a lot of 3-pointers, as the lowest percentage among them from last season stood at 36.
6-foot-0 reserve, Ayo Akinwole, rounds out the players with backcourt experience. The reserve point guard averaged 3.4 points per game last season.
The Posts
The inside game doesn’t scream of experience, but if there is indeed strength in numbers, then UNO possesses it.
Mitch Hahn is the only returning inside player. The 6-foot-8 senior went for 11.7 and 7.1 rebounds last season. Matt Pile is another 6-foot-8 banger. He averaged six point per contest in the 2017-18 campaign.
There are plenty of question marks past that surrounding the bigs, but there is a plethora of young players to give it their best shot.
The Mavericks feature two true freshmen, 6-foot-11 Evan Tricker, and 6-foot-9 Brett Barney. There are two more available redshirt freshmen, 6-foot-8 Logan Strom and 6-foot-8 Wanjang Tut.
The Outlook
If one had to choose a recent opponent that Minnesota has had the last couple of seasons that might resemble this Omaha squad, that person might not have to look farther that last year’s Drake team.
They will have trouble matching Jordan Murphy inside. They also won’t be as big or athletic as the Gophers, and the undersized with the exception of Jackson. But what they can do is shoot the ball outside, much like Drake could.
Minnesota will need to execute on both ends of the floor. The matchups should set up nicely for Murphy and Coffey. If the Gophers can stay away from turnovers, they should get looks. But don’t be surprised to see Mavericks pack in the defense and force perimeter jumpers.
What we do know from history is that Omaha will play a fast paced game and will try to get up as many shots as possible. They score a lot of points, but they also give up a ton.
Last season's team averaged 77 points per game, and scored 85 points or more on ten occasions. They have scored a high volume of points in the past against well known programs. One of their highest productions was against Oklahoma last season.
Defensively, they left much to be desired, but it doesn't appear that getting stops is in the game plan. The idea is to try to outscore the opponent. They have up 85 points or more 14 times last season. They gave up 90 or more points seven times, and opponents went over the century mark on them in three games.
Minnesota will have to get back defensively, prepare for shot attempts in transition and early half-court offense, and they will have to hit the defensive boards. Offensively, they will have opportunities galore to put the ball in the bucket.
Omaha can score enough to have a puncher's chance, but this should be a game Minnesota wins handily in a high scoring contest.
