Tony Osburn was getting ready for practice with Omaha teammate Marquel Sutton on Monday morning when the subject came up.
For those around UNO's campus, it's a subject that's been hard to avoid this week.
"I told Marquel I don't know if I've ever been this excited for a game and he said I was thinking the same thing," Osburn said. "It's super exciting that we're looking forward to playing in an undefeated matchup at Baxter with the top two teams in the conference right now."
It's been a while -- since the 2018-19 season when the Mavs won 21 games and finished second in the league standings -- that UNO has been involved in a regular-season game that will be followed so closely by everyone around the Summit League.
Omaha and St. Thomas each are off to 5-0 starts in league play -- every other Summit team has at least two conference losses. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Baxter Arena.
UNO has already beaten the top three teams in the league's preseason poll. St. Thomas was No. 4 in that poll, while Omaha was eighth.
Sutton, though, said the Mavs can't put too much weight on a game in January.
"It's just another game in the Summit League. There's a lot of great teams in the league," said Sutton, who leads the Mavs in scoring and rebounding. "No game is easy, so we need to play this one like we've been playing the others."
A more consistent offense has been an important element in UNO's bolt to the top of the Summit. The Mavs had been prone to scoring droughts early in the season, which allowed opponents to piece together game-changing runs.
That was part of the reason the Mavs started this season 4-9.
"At the beginning of the year, we kind of envisioned this. Then when you get to 4-9, it's really just us believing in ourselves," said Osburn, who is second on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg). "Work made that seven in a row happen."
That seven in a row is UNO's overall winning streak, the program's longest since joining Division I. Omaha is averaging 84.4 points during the winning streak, and now four Mavs are averaging double figures -- Sutton, Osburn, JJ White and Lance Waddles.
"In the past, we had Frankie (Fidler) as the No. 1 guy and teams would lock in on him. We struggled if someone locked him down," Sutton said. "Now we have a lot more options. You can't lock in on one guy because we have more options on the floor."
Defensively, UNO won't be to lock in on anyone in particular for St. Thomas, either. Four Tommies average at least 11 points a game, with Miles Barnstable leading the way at 14.9 ppg.
St. Thomas (15-5) hits 11 3s per game and leads the Summit in scoring (86.0) and field-goal percentage (49.8). The Tommies' wins include a 119-104 victory over South Dakota.
"They've got five dudes who can score the basketball at all times. But it comes down to every possession trying to win your matchup, whether that's off the ball or on the ball," Osburn said. "We can't get roped into their fast style of play."
Omaha has had some time to heal any bumps and bruises as the Mavs see game action for the first time since winning at Denver last Wednesday.
The St. Thomas game starts a busy stretch for UNO. After Thursday's game, Omaha plays at Oral Roberts on Saturday and at South Dakota next Wednesday.
UNO is 5-6 on the road this season, including a 3-0 mark in Summit play. The Mavs had struggled for years to win true road games. They won a total of three road games the previous three seasons when they had a combined road record of 3-43.
"We're staying connected, not separating from each other. Playing hard together," Sutton said of the road success.
The Mavs know that would help Thursday at Baxter, too.
Omaha vs. St. Thomas
St. Thomas (15-5, 5-0)
G: Nolan Minessale 6-5 fr. 11.0
G: Miles Barnstable 6-2 jr. 14.9
G: Drake Dobbs 6-2 sr. 11.9
G: Kendall Blue 6-6 jr. 11.7
F: Rich Byhre 6-8 sr. 4.4
Omaha (11-9, 5-0)
G: JJ White 6-2 sr. 10.5
G: Tony Osburn 6-2 jr. 11.7
F: Kam Thomas 6-8 jr. 7.7
F: Marquel Sutton 6-9 sr. 16.4
C: Isaac Ondekane 6-8 sr. 4.7