Kangaroos Welcome League-Leading North Dakota State To Municipal On Saturday Night
1/16/2009 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Setting
The UMKC men's basketball team will round out its three-game home stand against league-leading North Dakota State on Saturday night at Municipal Auditorium. Game time between the Kangaroos and Bison is set for 7:05 p.m.
On The Air
Saturday's game will be joined in progress on 810 AM 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 WHB.
Brown Going Shoeless For a Good Cause
Head Coach Matt Brown will coach Saturday's game barefoot in an effort to collect shoes for the non-profit organization Samaritan's Feet. The second year coach will be one of over 300 coaches from across the country teaming up to support the initiative.
Fans are encouraged to bring new, youth sized pairs of shoes (infant through youth size 11) to the game. Those supporting the cause will receive a lower level reserved ticket for only $5. All donations will go to Samaritan's Feet to be distributed in American and across the world.
Last Game
The Kangaroos snapped their five-game losing streak with a tight 69-67 victory over South Dakota State on Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium. The Kangaroos led by nine points (65-56) with 6:46 remaining before they went more than four and a half minutes without a point. As a result, the Jackrabbits managed to pull to within two three times in the closing minutes, but they couldn't get over the hump, as UMKC pulled out the two-point victory.
Game Notes
- SDSU's Clint Sargent had a three-point attempt with seven seconds remaining that would have won the game, but it was off the mark. The Jacks' Kai Williams kept his team's hopes alive by skying for the offensive rebound, but the forward missed a point blank lay-up with a second to play to allow UMKC to escape with the victory.
- The Kangaroos had three players score in double figures in the game, and the squad shot 50 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from long range.
- UMKC finished with 10 steals in the game with Dane Brumagin and Latreze Mushatt swiping four apiece.
- The ?Roos tied a season-low with 13 three-point field goal attempts.
Scouting North Dakota State
The Bison enter Saturday's contest with an 11-5 overall record and a 6-1 league mark, which puts them atop The Summit League standings. NDSU has won its last three contests, and nine of its last 12 after starting the season 2-2. On Thursday, the Bison beat Southern Utah, 76-53, behind 24 points from guard Ben Woodside.
Woodside leads a group of three NDSU players in double figures on the year with 23.4 points to go along with 7.1 assists per game. Both figures are tops in The Summit League this season. Fellow senior Brett Winkelman is second on the team and in the league with 18.6 points and 7.4 rebounds, while senior guard Mike Nelson is averaging 12.0 per contest.
The Bison are averaging a league-high 81.7 points per game on the season, while shooting .489 from the floor and .417 from three-point range. The squad is +5.9 on the glass (35.9-29.9), and it has 248 assists to 195 turnovers on the year.
NDSU Game Notes
- Guard Ben Woodside broke former Kangaroo Michael Watson's Summit League scoring record of 54 points with his 60-point outburst against Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 12 in Des Moines, Iowa. The senior made 14-of-32 field goal attempts and 3o-of-35 free throws in the contest. Woodside scored 49 of his 60 points in the final 8:51 of regulation and overtime. The 30 free throws tied LSU's Pete Maravich for the NCAA single game record.
- The Bison are leading the league in points (81.7), field goal percentage (.489), scoring margin (+11.2), three-point field goal percentage (.417), three-point field goals made (7.6), rebounding margin (+5.9), assists (15.5), turnover margin (+2.8), assist/turnover ratio (1.3) and defensive rebounds (24.3). The squad is also second in free throw percentage (.739) on the year.
- Senior Brett Winkelman is pacing the league with six double-doubles on the year, which is one more than UMKC's Spencer Johnson.
Former AIA Teammates To Meet At Muni
When UMKC and North Dakota State square off at Municipal Auditorium on Saturday night, three players - Dane Brumagin, Ben Woodside and Brett Winkelman - will face off for the first time since being teammates on the Athletes In Action squad last summer. The three players helped lead the U.S. team to a 7-2 overall record and a runner-up finish at the William Jones Cup Tournament in Taiwan.
This season, the three players are the class of The Summit League, as they boast the top three scoring averages in the league. Woodside leads the league with a 23.4 average, followed by Winkelman (18.6) and Brumagin (18.5).
UMKC In Close Contests
After dropping their last four close ball games, the Kangaroos came out on the other side of the equation in the tight 69-67 win over South Dakota State on Thursday. Overall this season, UMKC has posted a 4-7 record in games decided by seven points or less.
Brumagin Leads Team In Scoring In Six Straight
Senior Dane Brumagin has led or tied for the team lead in scoring in each of the past six games. On Thursday, the forward finished with 19 points on a 5-of-12 night from the floor with 15 of his final point total coming in the first half.
The Montgomery City, Mo., native has hit the 20-point mark in four of his last six games to give him a total of seven 20-point contests this season. The senior finished with a season-high 34 points against SIU-Edwardsville on Dec. 28 in Kansas City.
Since finishing with nine points at Eastern Washington on Dec. 18, Brumagin has finished in double figures in six straight contests. During this streak, the forward is averaging 22.8 points per game with four 20-point games. He is shoot 52.3 (46-88) from the floor and 38.7 (12-31) from long range.
Brumagin is leading the team with an 18.5 scoring average, while shooting .459 from the floor and .375 from three-point range. He has reached double digits in 17-of-19 games on the year. For his career, he has scored in double digits in 55 games and in 23 of those contests he has hit the 20-point mark.
Hitting At 50 Percent
The Kangaroos finished with a 50 percent field goal percentage (25-50) on Thursday against South Dakota State. It was just the third game this season that the squad has finished at 50 percent or better. UMKC is 3-0 when hitting at least 50 percent of its shot attempts with wins over Wichita State, Bradley and SDSU.
UMKC is....
- 0-10 when allowing 70 or more points this season.
- 6-3 when allowing 69 or fewer points this season.
- 3-1 when it goes into the half with a lead.
- 5-3 when it has a higher field goal percentage than its opponent.
Dane Quickies
- Senior Dane Brumagin ended his two-game three-point field goal drought by making 2-of-4 attempts on Thursday against South Dakota State. The forward has made at least one long ball in 17-of-19 games this season and in 85-of-109 games in his career.
- Brumagin is the only Kangaroo player to start every game this season. The Missouri native has started 21 straight games dating back to last season.
- In Summit League games, Brumagin is leading the league with a 22.3 scoring average. The forward has hit the 20-point mark in 4-of-6 Summit League games this season.
Brumagin Sixth All-Time In UMKC History In Career Scoring
Senior Dane Brumagin moved past David Robinson into sixth place in the UMKC record books in career scoring with his 34-point performance against SIU-Edwardsville on Dec. 28. The forward, who is just the ninth player in school history to reach the 1,000-point milestone, currently has 1,299 career points, which is 105 points behind Quinton Day (1,404) for fifth place all-time.
Trez Grabs Career-High In Rebounds
Freshman Latreze Mushatt grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds at Western Illinois on Jan. 2. It was the Michigan native's second career game with 10 or more rebounds.
Mushatt has been one of UMKC's top rebounders this season, as he is second on the team with 6.2 boards per game, which ranks 10th in The Summit League. The forward has grabbed at least eight rebounds in a total of seven contests on the year.
Offensively, Mushatt is fifth on the team with an 7.6 per game scoring average, and he's scored in double figures in five games this season.
Spence A Beast On The Boards
Sophomore Spencer Johnson has been a beast on the boards for the Kangaroos this season despite regularly facing taller players at the five position throughout the year. The 6-6 forward has a Summit League-leading seven games this season where he has grabbed double-digit rebounding totals. The Illinois native is leading the team with 7.5 rebounds per game, which is second in the league. He is also pacing the league with 3.0 offensive rebounds per contest. Additionally, the forward has been UMKC's top rebounder in 15-of-19 games on the year.
R-E-G-G-I-E
Sophomore Reggie Hamilton finished with 15 points on a 4-of-9 performance from the field in the win over South Dakota State. The guard has scored in double figures in three of four games after finishing in single digits in three straight games from Dec. 18 to Dec. 28.
The Illinois native is second on the team and 16th in The Summit League with a 13.0 scoring average. He has scored in double figures in 14-of-19 games for the squad this season and in five of those contests, the guard has finished with 20 points.
Improving His All Around Game
Sophomore Spencer Johnson returned to double digits for the first time in four games when he finished with 16 points on a 7-of-9 effort from the floor against South Dakota State. Johnson's .778 field goal percentage in the game is the highest for a UMKC player this season with a minimum of seven attempts.
The Champaign Ill., native has been UMKC's most consistent post player this season, as he's scored in double digits in a total of nine contests. Among the nine games is three contests with at least 20 points.
Johnson is third on the team with an 11.5 scoring average this season, while shooting .458 (82-179) from the floor. The offensive production is staggering, as the forward scored a total of 54 points as a true freshman, where he averaged 1.8 points per contest.
UMKC's 2008-09 Double-Doubles
Dane Brumagin
29 points/10 rebounds - vs. Oakland (12/4)
Spencer Johnson
20 points/13 rebounds - vs. Oakland (12/4)
12 points/10 rebounds - vs. IPFW (12/6)
14 points/14 rebounds - at Loyola (Ill.) - 12/13
22 points/12 rebounds - at Northwestern - 12/15
23 points/11 rebounds - at Eastern Washington - 12/18
Lewis Has Been Solid For UMKC Since Becoming Eligible
Sophomore Bakari Lewis has provided UMKC with another solid option in the backcourt since becoming eligible on Dec. 15. The guard has scored in double figures in a pair of contests for the ?Roos, which included an 18-point performance at IUPUI on Dec. 31. In the game, Lewis made 7-of-11 shot attempts, which included a perfect 4-of-4 day from long range.
The Ohio native has started five games for the team, where he has averaged 8.1 points with a .429 field goal percentage and a .467 mark from long range. He has also done a good job distributing the basketball, as evident by his 25 assists to 14 turnovers.
Master Thief
Senior Dane Brumagin tied a season-high with four steals on Jan. 15 against South Dakota State. It was the forward's 13th game with at least two steals this season. Brumagin has a total of 35 steals or 1.8 per game, which ranks third in The Summit League this season.
As a team, UMKC finished with 10 steals against the Jackrabbits. It was the fourth game this season that the team has had at least 10 steals.
Closing Out On The 3's
UMKC has been contesting the three-point shots well through the first half of the season. The Kangaroos are third in the league in allowing its opposition to shoot 31.4 percent (99-315) from three-point range, which is the third lowest total in The Summit League. UMKC has held its opponents under 30 percent from three-point land in a total of 10 games on the year.
Spence's December To Remember
Sophomore Spencer Johnson had an outstanding month of December for the Kangaroos, as he averaged a double-double with 14.9 points and 10.4 rebounds. The Illinois native posted five straight double-doubles to lead the nation from Dec. 4 to Dec. 18. He posted career-highs in points three times during the month and in rebounds on a pair of occasions.
Summit League Player of the Week Honorees
The Kangaroos have had a pair of student-athletes earn Summit League Player of the Week honors this season after having just one honoree in 2007-08.
Sophomore Spencer Johnson earned the team's first POW honor on Dec. 22 after posting back-to-back double-doubles at Northwestern and Eastern Washington on Dec. 15 and Dec. 18. The forward had 22 points and 12 boards against NU before finishing with a career-best 23 points and 11 boards at EWU.
Senior Dane Brumagin became the second straight Kangaroo to earn the Player of the Week accolade on Dec. 28 after averaging 30 points, six rebounds, two steals and two assists in a pair of contests. The forward scored 26 points against UTSA before following it up with a season-high 34 points against SIU Edwardsville.
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 3-6 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.
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 fourth in The Summit League with 3.9 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 was 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.
Switch-A-Roo
Head Coach Matt Brown has used 11 different starting line-ups over the first 18 games this season. Last season, UMKC used a total of 17 different starting line-ups on the year.
Returners Carry The Load
Through 19 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 69.3 percent of the team's scoring. The four players have scored 863 of the team's 1246 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 264 consecutive regular season or tournament games dating back to January 22, 2000.
Brumagin In The Career Record Books
Free Throw Percentage - 1st - .851 (229-269)
Three-Point Field Goals Made - 3rd - 212
Three-Point Field Goal Attempts - 3rd - 541
40-point scoring games - t3rd - 1
30-point scoring games - 4th - 4
20-point scoring games - 5th - 23
Field Goals Attempted - 6th - 1018
Points - 6th - 1299
3-Point Field Goal Percentage - 7th - .392 (212-541)
Field Goals Made - 7th - 429
Double Figure Scoring Games - 7th - 55
Games Played - 8th - 109
Minutes - 8th - 2673
Free Throws Made - 9th - 229
Steals - 9th - 115
Rebounds - 10th - 383
The UMKC men's basketball team will round out its three-game home stand against league-leading North Dakota State on Saturday night at Municipal Auditorium. Game time between the Kangaroos and Bison is set for 7:05 p.m.
On The Air
Saturday's game will be joined in progress on 810 AM 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 WHB.
Brown Going Shoeless For a Good Cause
Head Coach Matt Brown will coach Saturday's game barefoot in an effort to collect shoes for the non-profit organization Samaritan's Feet. The second year coach will be one of over 300 coaches from across the country teaming up to support the initiative.
Fans are encouraged to bring new, youth sized pairs of shoes (infant through youth size 11) to the game. Those supporting the cause will receive a lower level reserved ticket for only $5. All donations will go to Samaritan's Feet to be distributed in American and across the world.
Last Game
The Kangaroos snapped their five-game losing streak with a tight 69-67 victory over South Dakota State on Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium. The Kangaroos led by nine points (65-56) with 6:46 remaining before they went more than four and a half minutes without a point. As a result, the Jackrabbits managed to pull to within two three times in the closing minutes, but they couldn't get over the hump, as UMKC pulled out the two-point victory.
Game Notes
- SDSU's Clint Sargent had a three-point attempt with seven seconds remaining that would have won the game, but it was off the mark. The Jacks' Kai Williams kept his team's hopes alive by skying for the offensive rebound, but the forward missed a point blank lay-up with a second to play to allow UMKC to escape with the victory.
- The Kangaroos had three players score in double figures in the game, and the squad shot 50 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from long range.
- UMKC finished with 10 steals in the game with Dane Brumagin and Latreze Mushatt swiping four apiece.
- The ?Roos tied a season-low with 13 three-point field goal attempts.
Scouting North Dakota State
The Bison enter Saturday's contest with an 11-5 overall record and a 6-1 league mark, which puts them atop The Summit League standings. NDSU has won its last three contests, and nine of its last 12 after starting the season 2-2. On Thursday, the Bison beat Southern Utah, 76-53, behind 24 points from guard Ben Woodside.
Woodside leads a group of three NDSU players in double figures on the year with 23.4 points to go along with 7.1 assists per game. Both figures are tops in The Summit League this season. Fellow senior Brett Winkelman is second on the team and in the league with 18.6 points and 7.4 rebounds, while senior guard Mike Nelson is averaging 12.0 per contest.
The Bison are averaging a league-high 81.7 points per game on the season, while shooting .489 from the floor and .417 from three-point range. The squad is +5.9 on the glass (35.9-29.9), and it has 248 assists to 195 turnovers on the year.
NDSU Game Notes
- Guard Ben Woodside broke former Kangaroo Michael Watson's Summit League scoring record of 54 points with his 60-point outburst against Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 12 in Des Moines, Iowa. The senior made 14-of-32 field goal attempts and 3o-of-35 free throws in the contest. Woodside scored 49 of his 60 points in the final 8:51 of regulation and overtime. The 30 free throws tied LSU's Pete Maravich for the NCAA single game record.
- The Bison are leading the league in points (81.7), field goal percentage (.489), scoring margin (+11.2), three-point field goal percentage (.417), three-point field goals made (7.6), rebounding margin (+5.9), assists (15.5), turnover margin (+2.8), assist/turnover ratio (1.3) and defensive rebounds (24.3). The squad is also second in free throw percentage (.739) on the year.
- Senior Brett Winkelman is pacing the league with six double-doubles on the year, which is one more than UMKC's Spencer Johnson.
Former AIA Teammates To Meet At Muni
When UMKC and North Dakota State square off at Municipal Auditorium on Saturday night, three players - Dane Brumagin, Ben Woodside and Brett Winkelman - will face off for the first time since being teammates on the Athletes In Action squad last summer. The three players helped lead the U.S. team to a 7-2 overall record and a runner-up finish at the William Jones Cup Tournament in Taiwan.
This season, the three players are the class of The Summit League, as they boast the top three scoring averages in the league. Woodside leads the league with a 23.4 average, followed by Winkelman (18.6) and Brumagin (18.5).
UMKC In Close Contests
After dropping their last four close ball games, the Kangaroos came out on the other side of the equation in the tight 69-67 win over South Dakota State on Thursday. Overall this season, UMKC has posted a 4-7 record in games decided by seven points or less.
Brumagin Leads Team In Scoring In Six Straight
Senior Dane Brumagin has led or tied for the team lead in scoring in each of the past six games. On Thursday, the forward finished with 19 points on a 5-of-12 night from the floor with 15 of his final point total coming in the first half.
The Montgomery City, Mo., native has hit the 20-point mark in four of his last six games to give him a total of seven 20-point contests this season. The senior finished with a season-high 34 points against SIU-Edwardsville on Dec. 28 in Kansas City.
Since finishing with nine points at Eastern Washington on Dec. 18, Brumagin has finished in double figures in six straight contests. During this streak, the forward is averaging 22.8 points per game with four 20-point games. He is shoot 52.3 (46-88) from the floor and 38.7 (12-31) from long range.
Brumagin is leading the team with an 18.5 scoring average, while shooting .459 from the floor and .375 from three-point range. He has reached double digits in 17-of-19 games on the year. For his career, he has scored in double digits in 55 games and in 23 of those contests he has hit the 20-point mark.
Hitting At 50 Percent
The Kangaroos finished with a 50 percent field goal percentage (25-50) on Thursday against South Dakota State. It was just the third game this season that the squad has finished at 50 percent or better. UMKC is 3-0 when hitting at least 50 percent of its shot attempts with wins over Wichita State, Bradley and SDSU.
UMKC is....
- 0-10 when allowing 70 or more points this season.
- 6-3 when allowing 69 or fewer points this season.
- 3-1 when it goes into the half with a lead.
- 5-3 when it has a higher field goal percentage than its opponent.
Dane Quickies
- Senior Dane Brumagin ended his two-game three-point field goal drought by making 2-of-4 attempts on Thursday against South Dakota State. The forward has made at least one long ball in 17-of-19 games this season and in 85-of-109 games in his career.
- Brumagin is the only Kangaroo player to start every game this season. The Missouri native has started 21 straight games dating back to last season.
- In Summit League games, Brumagin is leading the league with a 22.3 scoring average. The forward has hit the 20-point mark in 4-of-6 Summit League games this season.
Brumagin Sixth All-Time In UMKC History In Career Scoring
Senior Dane Brumagin moved past David Robinson into sixth place in the UMKC record books in career scoring with his 34-point performance against SIU-Edwardsville on Dec. 28. The forward, who is just the ninth player in school history to reach the 1,000-point milestone, currently has 1,299 career points, which is 105 points behind Quinton Day (1,404) for fifth place all-time.
Trez Grabs Career-High In Rebounds
Freshman Latreze Mushatt grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds at Western Illinois on Jan. 2. It was the Michigan native's second career game with 10 or more rebounds.
Mushatt has been one of UMKC's top rebounders this season, as he is second on the team with 6.2 boards per game, which ranks 10th in The Summit League. The forward has grabbed at least eight rebounds in a total of seven contests on the year.
Offensively, Mushatt is fifth on the team with an 7.6 per game scoring average, and he's scored in double figures in five games this season.
Spence A Beast On The Boards
Sophomore Spencer Johnson has been a beast on the boards for the Kangaroos this season despite regularly facing taller players at the five position throughout the year. The 6-6 forward has a Summit League-leading seven games this season where he has grabbed double-digit rebounding totals. The Illinois native is leading the team with 7.5 rebounds per game, which is second in the league. He is also pacing the league with 3.0 offensive rebounds per contest. Additionally, the forward has been UMKC's top rebounder in 15-of-19 games on the year.
R-E-G-G-I-E
Sophomore Reggie Hamilton finished with 15 points on a 4-of-9 performance from the field in the win over South Dakota State. The guard has scored in double figures in three of four games after finishing in single digits in three straight games from Dec. 18 to Dec. 28.
The Illinois native is second on the team and 16th in The Summit League with a 13.0 scoring average. He has scored in double figures in 14-of-19 games for the squad this season and in five of those contests, the guard has finished with 20 points.
Improving His All Around Game
Sophomore Spencer Johnson returned to double digits for the first time in four games when he finished with 16 points on a 7-of-9 effort from the floor against South Dakota State. Johnson's .778 field goal percentage in the game is the highest for a UMKC player this season with a minimum of seven attempts.
The Champaign Ill., native has been UMKC's most consistent post player this season, as he's scored in double digits in a total of nine contests. Among the nine games is three contests with at least 20 points.
Johnson is third on the team with an 11.5 scoring average this season, while shooting .458 (82-179) from the floor. The offensive production is staggering, as the forward scored a total of 54 points as a true freshman, where he averaged 1.8 points per contest.
UMKC's 2008-09 Double-Doubles
Dane Brumagin
29 points/10 rebounds - vs. Oakland (12/4)
Spencer Johnson
20 points/13 rebounds - vs. Oakland (12/4)
12 points/10 rebounds - vs. IPFW (12/6)
14 points/14 rebounds - at Loyola (Ill.) - 12/13
22 points/12 rebounds - at Northwestern - 12/15
23 points/11 rebounds - at Eastern Washington - 12/18
Lewis Has Been Solid For UMKC Since Becoming Eligible
Sophomore Bakari Lewis has provided UMKC with another solid option in the backcourt since becoming eligible on Dec. 15. The guard has scored in double figures in a pair of contests for the ?Roos, which included an 18-point performance at IUPUI on Dec. 31. In the game, Lewis made 7-of-11 shot attempts, which included a perfect 4-of-4 day from long range.
The Ohio native has started five games for the team, where he has averaged 8.1 points with a .429 field goal percentage and a .467 mark from long range. He has also done a good job distributing the basketball, as evident by his 25 assists to 14 turnovers.
Master Thief
Senior Dane Brumagin tied a season-high with four steals on Jan. 15 against South Dakota State. It was the forward's 13th game with at least two steals this season. Brumagin has a total of 35 steals or 1.8 per game, which ranks third in The Summit League this season.
As a team, UMKC finished with 10 steals against the Jackrabbits. It was the fourth game this season that the team has had at least 10 steals.
Closing Out On The 3's
UMKC has been contesting the three-point shots well through the first half of the season. The Kangaroos are third in the league in allowing its opposition to shoot 31.4 percent (99-315) from three-point range, which is the third lowest total in The Summit League. UMKC has held its opponents under 30 percent from three-point land in a total of 10 games on the year.
Spence's December To Remember
Sophomore Spencer Johnson had an outstanding month of December for the Kangaroos, as he averaged a double-double with 14.9 points and 10.4 rebounds. The Illinois native posted five straight double-doubles to lead the nation from Dec. 4 to Dec. 18. He posted career-highs in points three times during the month and in rebounds on a pair of occasions.
Summit League Player of the Week Honorees
The Kangaroos have had a pair of student-athletes earn Summit League Player of the Week honors this season after having just one honoree in 2007-08.
Sophomore Spencer Johnson earned the team's first POW honor on Dec. 22 after posting back-to-back double-doubles at Northwestern and Eastern Washington on Dec. 15 and Dec. 18. The forward had 22 points and 12 boards against NU before finishing with a career-best 23 points and 11 boards at EWU.
Senior Dane Brumagin became the second straight Kangaroo to earn the Player of the Week accolade on Dec. 28 after averaging 30 points, six rebounds, two steals and two assists in a pair of contests. The forward scored 26 points against UTSA before following it up with a season-high 34 points against SIU Edwardsville.
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 3-6 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.
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 fourth in The Summit League with 3.9 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 was 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.
Switch-A-Roo
Head Coach Matt Brown has used 11 different starting line-ups over the first 18 games this season. Last season, UMKC used a total of 17 different starting line-ups on the year.
Returners Carry The Load
Through 19 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 69.3 percent of the team's scoring. The four players have scored 863 of the team's 1246 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 264 consecutive regular season or tournament games dating back to January 22, 2000.
Brumagin In The Career Record Books
Free Throw Percentage - 1st - .851 (229-269)
Three-Point Field Goals Made - 3rd - 212
Three-Point Field Goal Attempts - 3rd - 541
40-point scoring games - t3rd - 1
30-point scoring games - 4th - 4
20-point scoring games - 5th - 23
Field Goals Attempted - 6th - 1018
Points - 6th - 1299
3-Point Field Goal Percentage - 7th - .392 (212-541)
Field Goals Made - 7th - 429
Double Figure Scoring Games - 7th - 55
Games Played - 8th - 109
Minutes - 8th - 2673
Free Throws Made - 9th - 229
Steals - 9th - 115
Rebounds - 10th - 383
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballMBB Highlights vs. #1 Omaha
Thursday, March 06
MBB Highlights vs. #9 Oral Roberts
Wednesday, March 05
MBB Highlights @ St. Thomas
Saturday, March 01
Postgame Interview: Coach Menzies post-St. Thomas
Saturday, March 01