Men's Hoops Welcomes SIU Edwardsville To Municipal On Sunday Afternoon
12/26/2008 3:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Setting
The UMKC men's basketball team will return to action on Sunday afternoon against SIU Edwardsville. The Kangaroos and Cougars will square off at Municipal Auditorium beginning at 2:05 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast live on Metro Sports.
On The Tube
Sunday's game will be broadcast live on Metro Sports. Neil Harwell will call the play-by-play, while Doug Elstun will serve as the color commentator.
On The Air
Sunday's game will be aired on 810 AM WHB with the “Voice of the Kangaroos” Steven Davis calling the play-by-play with Steven St. John serving as the color commentator. Davis is the son of long-time Kansas and Royals play-by-play announcer Bob Davis, while St. John is the host of the “Border Patrol” on 810 AM.
Last Game
The Kangaroos dropped a 76-72 decision to UTSA on Dec. 22 in Kansas City. The Roadrunners led by eight points with three minutes to play before UMKC battled back to within a point with 1:17 remaining. UTSA, however, forced a pair of turnovers in the final 40 seconds, while hitting three-of-four free throws to run out four point winners.
Game Notes
- The Roadrunners grabbed 21 offensive rebounds in the game, which led to a 23-2 advantage in second chance points in the contest. UTSA also scored 40 points in the paint to 28 for the Kangaroos.
- UTSA finished with 20 more shot attempts in the contest than UMKC. The Roadrunners had 73 attempts to 53 for the Kangaroos.
- The Roadrunners had a balanced scoring attack with four players finishing in double digits. UMKC, meanwhile, had just one player in double figures in the game.
Scouting SIU Edwardsville
The Cougars, who are currently 2-10 on the season, will play at Missouri on Saturday before traveling to Kansas City for Sunday's contest. SIUE dropped a 67-61 decision at Bradley on Dec. 23 despite a 23-point scoring output by guard Aamir McCleary.
SIU Edwardsville has a pair of players averaging in double figures on the season with Mark Yelovich leading the way with a 13.6 scoring average. The forward is shooting .426 from the floor and .436 from long range. Guard Barry Wellington, meanwhile, is averaging 10.8 points per game for the squad. Three Cougar players are pulling down five or more rebounds per game with John Edmison leading the way with 5.1 a night.
The Cougars are averaging 64.2 points per game, while surrendering 73.5 points a night. SIUE is shooting .410 from the floor and .335 from three-point range. The squad is also -9.5 on the glass (41.7-32.2).
SIUE Game Notes
- The Cougars and Kangaroos have played two common opponents this season in Loyola (Ill.) and Bradley. UMKC defeated Bradley, 73-61, on Nov. 24 in Fort Meyers, Fla., before dropping a 52-47 decision at Loyola on Dec. 13.
- SIUE has dropped six straight games heading into Saturday's game at Missouri. The squad's only two wins came on a neutral floor over Western Michigan (83-72) and a 106-53 victory at home over Blackburn.
UMKC vs. Ohio Valley Conference
UMKC has an 11-14 overall record against opponents from the Ohio Valley Conference. The Kangaroos are 4-0 vs. Morehead State, 4-3 vs. Tennessee State, 1-3 vs. Tennessee Tech, 1-5 vs. Eastern Illinois, 1-1 vs. Eastern Kentucky and 0-2 vs. Southeast Missouri State.
Johnson Named Summit League Player of the Week
Sophomore Spencer Johnson was named The Summit League Player of the Week on Dec. 22 after posting a pair of double-doubles last week in games at Northwestern and at Eastern Washington. The forward opened the week with a 22-point, 12-rebound performance at Northwestern. Three nights later, Johnson posted a career-high 23 points to go along with 11 rebounds in the road win at Eastern Washington.
Johnson's Double-Double Streak Comes To An End
Foul trouble contributed to the end of Spencer Johnson's double-double streak, as he finished with six points and five rebounds in the four-point loss to UTSA. Entering the game, the Illinois native had posted a UMKC record five-consecutive double-doubles.
During the five-game stretch, Johnson averaged 18.2 points on .493 (34-69) shooting to go along with 12.0 rebounds per game. The forward hit the 20-point mark in three of the five games. He also set a career high three times during the streak, and reached a career best in rebounds on a pair of occasions.
On the year, the Illinois native is third on the team with an 11.8 scoring average to go along with a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game, which ranks fourth in the league. Johnson has reached double digits in scoring in a total of seven games on the year.
UMKC's 2008-09 Double-Doubles
Spencer Johnson - 20 points/13 rebounds - vs. Oakland (12/4)
Dane Brumagin - 29 points/10 rebounds - vs. Oakland (12/4)
Spencer Johnson - 12 points/10 rebounds - vs. IPFW (12/6)
Spencer Johnson - 14 points/14 rebounds - at Loyola (Ill.) - 12/13
Spencer Johnson - 22 points/12 rebounds - at Northwestern - 12/15
Spencer Johnson - 23 points/11 rebounds - at Eastern Washington - 12/18
Brumagin Notches 20th Career 20-Point Game
Senior Dane Brumagin notched his fourth 20-point game and the 20th such game of his career when he finished with 26 points on 9-of-19 shooting against UTSA on Dec. 22. The forward also made 3-of-8 three-point attempts and 5-of-7 free throws in the game.
The Montgomery City, Mo., native has scored in double figures in eight of the last nine games and in 12-of-14 games this season. He has also scored in double figures in a total of 50 games in Blue and Gold.
Brumagin is leading the team with a 17.2 scoring average on .432 shooting from the floor. He has also made a team-best 36 three-pointers this season.
Lewis Steps Into Starting Backcourt
Sophomore Bakari Lewis has been among the starting five in two of the three games that he's competed in since becoming eligible on Dec. 13. The guard scored 14 points to go along with eight assists in his second career game at Eastern Washington before finishing with nine points, three assists and two blocks against UTSA.
The Nicholls State transfer is averaging 7.7 points and 4.0 assists per game this season, while shooting .421 (8-19) from the floor.
Master Thief
Senior Dane Brumagin has tallied at least two steals in six of the last eight games for the Kangaroos. The Missouri native has a total of 25 steals or 1.8 per game on the season.
Brumagin Named A Semifinalist For The Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Dane Brumagin has been named to the initial list of 30 candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. The award, given annually to senior student-athletes across nine NCAA Division I sports, has become one of the most prestigious honors in college athletics and is sponsored by Lowe's, an Official Corporate Partner of the NCAA. Based on criteria focusing on the “Four C's” of classroom, character, community and competition, the award winners will be selected by national balloting of head basketball coaches, national media and college basketball fans.
The 2008 candidates on the men's sides includes student-athletes from 27 different schools from around the country representing 14 conferences. Brumagin is the lone representative from The Summit League.
UMKC Surpasses 2007-08 Road Win Total
The Kangaroos surpassed their 2007-08 road win total when they defeated Eastern Washington on Dec. 18 in Cheney. The squad is 3-4 on the road this season. Last year, UMKC went 2-13 in games away from Kansas City.
The Kangaroos picked up their first road victory at Wichita State on Nov. 19. The win was the program's first win in Wichita and the first road victory against a Missouri Valley Conference opponent. The win over WSU was also the largest crowd (10,282) that UMKC has won in front of since the squad topped Oral Roberts in from of 10,331 fans at the Mabee Center during the 2004-05 season.
Closing Out On The 3's
UMKC has been contesting the three-point shots through the early portion of the schedule. The Kangaroos are third in the league in allowing its opposition to shoot 29.5 percent (76-258) from three-point range. UMKC has held its opponents under 30 percent from three-point land in a total of nine games on the year. In the NCAA statistical rankings on Dec. 15, the Kangaroos ranked 35th in the nation in three-point field goal defense (.285).
Etching Their Name In The Record Books
Sophomores Reggie Hamilton and James Humphrey have both etched their names in the single game record books this season. Hamilton finished with five steals against Florida on Nov. 30, which are tied for the third most in a single game in school history. Humphrey, meanwhile, swatted five shots in the win over IPFW. The five blocks are also tied for the third most in a single game in school history.
Getting Others Involved
Sophomore Reggie Hamilton registered his third game this season with seven or more assists when he tallied eight in the loss at Northwestern on Dec. 15. The guard has six games this season with five or more assists, which included a career-best nine helpers against Oakland on Dec 4. Hamilton currently ranks third in The Summit League with 4.6 assists per game.
Hamilton Shines In Florida
Sophomore Reggie Hamilton had a superb five-game stretch during UMKC's trip to the state of Florida from Nov. 22-30. The guard hit the 20-point mark in four of the team's five games, and he averaged 19.4 points on .493 (34-69) shooting from the floor and .483 (14-29) from long range. Hamilton also averaged 5.6 assists and 2.6 steals for the Kangaroos.
Hamilton is the first Kangaroo player since Michael Watson to score 20 or more points in four straight games. Watson had two different six-game streaks during the 2003-04 season.
On the year, Hamilton is second on the team with a 14.4 scoring average. The Harvey, Ill., native has reached double figures in 11-of-14 games this season, and in five of those contests, the guard finished with at least 20 points.
Brumagin Moves In To Seventh On Career Scoring Charts
Senior Dane Brumagin moved into seventh place on the UMKC career scoring charts with his 29 point performance against Oakland on Dec. 4. The forward now has 1,188 career points, which is 22 points behind David Robinson (1,211) for sixth place all-time.
Brumagin became just the ninth player in school history to reach the 1,000-point milestone on Nov. 24 against Bradley. The forward hit the mark on a fast break dunk at the 1:46 mark of the first half.
Reggie Halfway To Milestone
Sophomore Reggie Hamilton scored his 500th career point when he finished with 10 points in the game against nationally-ranked Florida on Nov. 30. The guard now has 564 points in Blue and Gold, which puts him in 29th place in the record books.
Crashing The Boards
The Kangaroos finished with a season-high 22 offensive rebounds on Dec. 4 against Oakland. This season, the Kangaroos rank third in the league in offensive rebounds with 12.3 per game. Sophomore Spencer Johnson grabbed nearly half of the boards, as he finished with 10 offensive rebounds on the night.
Mushatt Hitting The Glass
Freshman Latreze Mushatt has been one of UMKC's top rebounders this season. The Michigan native is second on the team with 5.9 boards per game, and he has grabbed at least eight rebounds in a total of six games. In his second career game at nationally-ranked Kansas, Mushatt finished with a career-best 10 rebounds.
Offensively, the forward is fourth on the team with a 8.4 per game scoring average, and he's scored in double figures in five games this season.
Switch-A-Roo
Head Coach Matt Brown has used nine different starting line-ups over the first 14 games this season. Last season, UMKC used a total of 17 different starting line-ups on the year.
Returners Carry The Load
Through 14 games, the four returning players on the UMKC roster have been carrying the scoring load. Dane Brumagin, Reggie Hamilton, Spencer Johnson and James Humphrey have accounted for 71.5 percent of the team's scoring. The four players have scored 647 of the team's 919 points on the season. In the season opener against North Dakota, the group scored 50 of the squad's 56 points, and in the Dec. 13 game at Loyola (Ill.), the foursome scored 44 of the team's 47 points.
Raining Threes
UMKC has made at least one three-point basket in 259 consecutive regular season or tournament games dating back to January 22, 2000.
Brumagin In The Career Record Books
Free Throw Percentage - 1st - .855 (201-235)
40-point scoring games - t3rd - 1
30-point scoring games - t4th - 3
Three-Point Field Goals Made - 4th - 203
Three-Point Field Goal Attempts - 4th - 518
Field Goals Attempted - 6th - 949
20-point scoring games - 7th - 20
Points - 7th - 1188
3-Point Field Goal Percentage - t7th - .392 (203-518)
Field Goals Made - 7th - 392
Double Figure Scoring Games - 8th - 50
Free Throws Made - 10th - 201
Games Played - 10th - 104
Steals - 10th - 105
Rebounds - 13th - 359
