There is no question that if Nebraska had a "state sport", it would be football. However, with the wealth of local talent in Nebraska high school basketball, mixed with the success of local college teams, the popularity of basketball has skyrocketed over the past decade.
Creighton's basketball team has always done a phenomenal job of recruiting talent from Omaha's high school ranks and developing them into quality college basketball players. Just look at the development of players such as Justin Patton, an Omaha North graduate, and Kyhri Thomas, a Benson graduate.
However, the Jays are not the only team reaping the benefits of local talent. While it may not have garnered the national attention that Creighton has, the UNO basketball team has built a quality team with a core of Omaha-native players.
"I think it's important from the standpoint that I think local guys want to come here and play, and we can provide them with an opportunity," UNO basketball head coach Derrin Hansen said. "Then to have guys like Tre'Shawn (Thurman) and Tra-Deon (Hollins) to come here and have the success that they've had has been really important for us."
UNO senior point guard Tra-Deon Hollins and junior forward Tre'Shawn Thurman both hail from Omaha Central, a Class A basketball powerhouse. Hollins was a member of Omaha Central's state championship team as a freshman and won three more state titles with Thurman at his side.
Hollins said it's an honor to be able to inspire local kids while still representing the city he grew up playing in.
"I know that playing here, there's a lot of kids that look up to us when they see us play," Hollins said. "It means that just because we're doing it, I know that they see that they can. It means a lot, just because this is the city that we grew up in."
After transferring to UNO from Chipola College, Hollins racked up a number of awards his junior season, including Summit League Defensive Player of the Year, Transfer of the Year and was named to the First Team All-Summit and Summit League All-Newcomer teams.
Hollins also led the nation in steals during the 2015-16 season and is on pace to do the same this season.
"He plays great defense, he can pass the ball, he can rebound, he can do everything," Thurman said. "He's bringing a great dimension to our team, but then again, he's my brother. It's been great playing with him for seven years."
Thurman has had his own success in the Mavericks basketball program. Thurman surpassed the 1,000 point milestone in UNO's matchup with South Dakota State Saturday after tallying 19 points and five rebounds. Thurman has also tallied over 500 rebounds in his time with the Mavericks.
"It shows people in Omaha that Omaha kids can have success at the Division I level right here in Midtown," Hansen said. "By them being able to do the things that they've done, it shows that a lot of other kids can come here and hopefully accomplish those same things."
UNO currently sits at the middle of the Summit League standings, but is just four games out of first place. Should the Mavericks make a run in the conference tournament, an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament would await.
"Getting to the NCAA Tournament is the biggest thing," Thurman said. "That's going to prove to a lot of guys that Omaha belongs. Creighton's on pace to do it, Nebraska has a good shot to do it as well, so if we can get three teams there from one state, that's hard to do."
With Hollins in the middle of his senior season and Thurman in his junior season, Thurman said the legacy the pair wants to leave behind is a winning one.
"It's a sense of pride," Thurman said. "We've always been winners. We just want to bring a winning tradition here. Doing it here, doing it in front of our friends and family, it's a great thing. I know these other guys want to win too, but I feel like it's more on our backs, putting on for our city."
