Mid-America Christian vs Omaha prediction: Omaha's shaky defense gets a tune-up after Minnesota exhibition rout
Picked fourth in the Summit, the Mavericks open at home against NAIA-level Mid-America Christian needing answers to the defensive holes Minnesota exposed.
- Omaha should control this at Baxter Arena, as it did last season; the real question is how its defense looks.
- Watch Omaha's perimeter defense: last season opponents took threes at the 15th-highest rate nationally, and Minnesota hit 12 in the exhibition.
- No spread or total is posted yet. The best reference is Omaha's 84-62 home win over the Evangels last November.
The defense still has questions
Omaha's last outing went badly. In an exhibition at Minnesota on Oct. 15, the Gophers made 12 3-pointers, led by as many as 31 and won 72-52. That fit a pattern from last season, when Omaha finished 273rd of 365 in adjusted defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions, adjusted for opponents).
The weak spots were specific. Opponents took threes at the 15th-highest rate in the country against the Mavericks. They made twos at a rate that ranked 326th, meaning near the bottom of Division I. Omaha also rarely created extra possessions: its forced turnover rate ranked 332nd. A non-Division I visitor won't prove much about any of that. It is still the first chance in a real game to see whether Chris Crutchfield, now in his fifth season, has tightened things up.
New scoring around Stubblefield
The offense was the steadier side of the floor last season. Omaha's effective field goal percentage (threes count 1.5 times) was 53.7%, 91st nationally. The Mavericks went 16-17.
Grant Stubblefield, a Preseason All-Summit League Second Team guard, leads the returners. The newcomer to watch is Cory Curtis Jr., a 6-foot-4 guard who averaged 23.2 points per game as a sophomore at Independence Community College. Against a smaller-program opponent, Curtis's first regular-season minutes and how Crutchfield splits shots between his guards matter more than the final margin. Conference coaches picked Omaha fourth, and the Mavericks drew one first-place vote.
A rebuilt visitor
Mid-America Christian, coached by Josh Gamblin, is not a team we hold Division I data for. Its listed roster leans on transfers, including Mike Carter Jr. from Oklahoma Panhandle State, Corey Skillman from Central Missouri and Gabe Seat from Oklahoma Christian. That means a lot of players who haven't played together yet.
The programs played last season at Baxter Arena on Nov. 29, 2025, and Omaha won 84-62. Possessions should tilt toward the hosts too. Omaha ranked 78th in defensive rebound percentage last season, so the Evangels shouldn't count on many second chances.
Key players
- Cory Curtis Jr. (Omaha): The 6-foot-4 transfer averaged 23.2 points and 3.3 assists per game as a sophomore at Independence Community College.
- Grant Stubblefield (Omaha): He was named to the Preseason All-Summit League Second Team after Omaha's 16-17 season last year.
Numbers that matter
| Opponent 3PA rate rank, last season | 15th | Omaha let opponents take threes at one of the highest rates in Division I, and Minnesota made 12 in the exhibition. |
|---|---|---|
| Forced turnover rate rank, last season | 332nd | The Mavericks rarely took the ball away, which limits their margin against anyone who handles it cleanly. |
| Effective FG%, last season | 53.7% | A 91st-ranked shooting offense was Omaha's best asset. |
| Last meeting | 84-62 | Omaha's home win over Mid-America Christian on Nov. 29, 2025. |
Mid-America Christian vs Omaha: quick answers
When is Mid-America Christian vs Omaha?
Monday, November 2, 2026 at 8:00 PM ET.