The Post breaks down the Omaha Mavericks, which face St. John’s in the Red Storm’s opening game of March Madness 2025:
Location
Omaha, Neb.
Enrollment
14,972
Coach
Chris Crutchfield (3rd season)
NCAA Tournament history
First appearance
Chris Crutchfield coaches during Omaha’s game against Iowa State on Dec. 15, 2024. AP
How they got here
Since hiring Crutchfield as head coach ahead of the 2022-23 season, Omaha has steadily improved.
From just nine wins in Crutchfield’s first season to 15 in the next, the Mavericks’ improvements culminated in this year’s 22-12 campaign and Crutchfield’s Summit League Coach of the Year honor.
JJ White attempts a shot for Omaha during the Summit League Tournament championship game March 9. APOmaha was winless across seven Quad 1 and Quad 2 games, but the Mavericks won the Summit League’s regular-season title with a 13-3 conference record, then earned an automatic NCAA Tournament bid by winning the conference tournament.
Starters
G JJ White — 13.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4 apg
G Tony Osburn — 12.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.4 apg
Tony Osburn dribbles the ball during Omaha’s game against Iowa State on Dec. 15, 2024. Imagn ImagesF Kamryn Thomas — 6.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.3 apg
F Marquel Sutton — 19.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.2 apg
C Isaac Ondekane — 5.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 58.3 FG%
Key reserves
G Lance Waddles — 9.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.9 apg
G Ja’Sean Glover — 7.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.8 apg
F Joshua Streit — 2.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 59.3 FG%
Player to watch
Marquel Sutton has been the driving force behind Omaha’s success this season.
He has tallied 651 points, the 18th-most in the country.
Marquel Sutton fights for possession during Omaha’s game against Iowa State on Dec. 15. Imagn ImagesSutton was named Summit League Player of the Year and Summit League Tournament MVP.
Key numbers
11: No. 15 seeds to upset No. 2 seeds in NCAA Tournament history — posting an all-time record of 11-145.
The Post breaks down the four March Madness regions with sleeper picks and predictions.
14: Years since Omaha made its transition from Division II to Division I before making its first NCAA Tournament this season.
18: Wins in its last 21 games since starting the season 4-9.
