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Omaha Wins Summit League, Clinches First-Ever March Madness Bid

The Mavericks are headed to the NCAA Tournament.

Gavin Dorsey

Dec 15, 2024; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Nate Heise (0) watches Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks forward Kamryn Thomas (22) dunk the basketball during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Dec 15, 2024; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Nate Heise (0) watches Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks forward Kamryn Thomas (22) dunk the basketball during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images / Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

For the first time in program history, the Omaha Mavericks are headed to the Big Dance.

In the Summit League Tournament Championship on Sunday, the top-seeded Mavericks took down St. Thomas-Minnesota, 85-75. Omaha held the Tommies to lengthy scoring droughts at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second, allowing the Mavericks to build a lead that grew to as much as 15.

Over 13 seasons in Division I, Omaha holds just a 178-227 record. But since hiring Chris Crutchfield as their head coach in 2022, the Mavericks have improved their win total each year. Omaha was 5-25 the season before Crutchfield's arrival, 9-23 in his first year and 15-28 in 2023-24.

The team finally broke through in 2024-25, going 22-12 (13-3 in Summit League play) and finishing with the best record in the conference. Since February 19, the Mavericks have won six consecutive games by at least nine points. Omaha's average margin of victory in the Summit League Tournament was 14.7 points per game.

Omaha was picked to finish eighth in the Summit League preseason poll.

The Mavericks are led by Summit League Player of the Year Marquel Sutton, who was second in the conference in both scoring (19.1 points per game) and rebounding (8.0 rebounds per game). Sutton and guard JJ White were both selected to the All-Summit League First Team while guard Ja'Sean Glover made the All-Defensive Team.

Prior to moving to Division I, Omaha made the Division II NCAA Tournament 12 times between 1975 and 2010, including Sweet 16 berths in 1975 and 1982.

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Gavin Dorsey
GAVIN DORSEY

Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and covers a handful of other teams in the On SI network, including the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Guardians, Houston Texans and Ohio State Buckeyes. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.

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