Improving on Defense Was a Focus for Omaha Basketball During the Offseason

By: Mitchell Cutcher, Reporter

OMAHA, Neb.- When Chris Crutchfield arrived in Omaha as the Men’s basketball coach, he took over a team that was facing a large amount of turnover. The Mavericks ranked 353^rd in Kenpom’s defensive rankings last season, and this was something that Crutchfield has focused on improving, 

One of the reasons that Omaha struggled last year was due to their lack of size down low and smaller guards. The Mavericks last season lacked a true center, and this issue only grew when Wanjang Tut and Isiah Poor Bear-Chandler left the team due to personal reasons. On top of this Omaha regularly played lineups that featured only one player who was 6-7 or taller. 

“Coach Crutch coming in one of the first things he wanted to establish on this team was he wanted to be a defensive team,” said junior forward Akol Arop. “From day one that has been our goal for the team. Every time we step on the floor we are going to guard, we’re going to compete, we’re going to do everything we can.”

            Coach Crutchfield not only established a new culture in Omaha, but he brought in new types of players to fix the issues from last season. The Mavericks not only added four players to the roster who are 6-7 or taller, but every player has something in common, they are athletic players who are versatile. This is a philosophy that Crutchfield took from his days working with Eric Mussleman at Arkansas. 

“We got different personnel and guys that want to defend,” said Coach Crutchfield. “Our team realized that the only way we are going to be a good basketball team is we got to become better defensively. We have been working on it and spending a lot of time on it.”

            At the Mavericks’ practice the coaches all share the same sentiment, the team must be better on defense, and they must play more aggressive. Assistant Coach Kenya Crandell echoed this during a drill working on defensive communication and rotation. Coach Crandell made it a point to tell his players that they had to keep their hands up and work towards disrupting the offense for the chance at getting a turnover and a break away score. 

            Omaha will be able to learn just how far they have come on their improvements on defense on Nov. 7^th when the Mavericks take on Kansas. There is no better judgement for how far your team has come than when you take on the defending national champion Jayhawks.