Browsing: Men’s Basketball

JJ White is a strong passer and finisher, leading the Summit League with 4.0 assists per game and shooting 53.9% from inside the arc, the highest mark among Omaha’s top six scorers. He’ll likely play a similar off-ball offensive role to Jayden Nunn, but with much stronger playmaking chops. He can navigate both pick-and-roll and set play settings.

The fourth-seeded Bears (27-7) will open their tournament run against No. 13 seed Grand Canyon, a squad riding a 30-game winning streak, at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Foster Pavilion. Friday will mark the first matchup between the two teams with the longest active winning streak in Division I on the line for the Antelopes (32-2).

Heading into the Big Dance, Wright leads the team in assists per game (4.3) and is third on the team in points per game (11.3). Wright holds the program record for assists as a freshman with 143 and counting. He also set the freshman record for most assists in a single game, dishing out 13 in a 94-69 win over Norfolk State on Dec. 11.

Head coach Scott Drew and the Bears (18-13, 10-10 Big 12) led for 17 1/2 minutes before the Cougars (27-4, 19-1 Big 12) stumbled upon a 20-4 run in the second half to build its only double-digit lead of the night. The green and gold rallied back to bring the game within two but couldn’t overcome a 34% shooting night.