'Roos To Face Saint Louis On Tuesday Night For The First Time Since 1999
12/21/2009 11:15:00 AM | Men's Basketball
THE SETTING
The UMKC men's basketball team will head east on I-70 for a Tuesday night match-up at Saint Louis. The game, which will be held at Chaifetz Arena beginning at 7 p.m., will be the first meeting between the 'Roos and Billikens since 1999.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 810 AM WHB (Steven Davis - p-b-p; Nick McCabe - color)
Television: None
Web: www.SLUBillikens.com
Live Stats: www.SLUBillikens.com
LAST TIME OUT
UMKC won its second straight game as it downed Central Arkansas, 78-67, on Saturday night at the Swinney Recreation Center. The 'Roos had six players finish in double digits in the victory with sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones leading the squad with a career-high 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 24-49 overall record and has coached three players to all-Summit League recognition. Former forward Dane Brumagin was a second team all-league honoree and Reggie Hamilton was an all-newcomer team selection in 2007-08, while Brumagin earned an honorable mention all-league nod in 2008-09. Last season, Brown guided the 'Roos to a pair of wins over Missouri Valley Conference foes Wichita State and Bradley. It was just the third time in school history for the team to beat two MVC teams in the same season.
Rick Majerus is in his third season as the head coach of the Saint Louis men's basketball program, where he has posted a 41-33 overall record. Majerus, who has never had a losing record in his 22 seasons as a head coach, led Utah to 10 NCAA Tournament, 10 regular season conference titles, four Sweet 16 appearances, two Elite Eights and the 1998 national championship game. Overall, Majerus was the head man for the Utes for 15 seasons.
SCOUTING SAINT LOUIS
The Billikens enter Tuesday's contest with a 7-4 overall record after dropping a 73-63 decision to Missouri State on Saturday night in St. Louis. Entering the game, SLU had won its previous three contests, all at home.
Four SLU players are averaging at least 8.4 points on the year. Forward Willie Reed is leading the squad in points and rebounds, as he is averaging a double-double with 14.8 points and 10.5 rebounds. Reed is also shooting 58.5 percent from the floor. Kwamain Mitchell is second on the squad with a 14.3 average, but the guard is currently sidelined due to injury.
The Billikens are averaging 65.1 points per game on .435 shooting from the floor and .325 from long range. SLU is solid defensively, as it surrenders 58.9 points, while limiting its opponents to a .382 field goal percentage and a .268 mark from long range. The Billikens are also +1.2 on the glass on the year.
SLU GAME NOTES
• The Billikens have four Missourians on their 2009-10 roster, including Kansas City, Mo., native Willie Reed. The forward started his senior year at Milestone Christian Academy before transferring back to and graduating from Bishop Miege High School. Due to transfer regulations, Reed was not eligible to compete during his senior season. As a junior, he was rated the No. 32 prospect in the nation by Scout.com.
• Saint Louis lost for the first time at Chaifetz Arena on Saturday night when it dropped a 73-63 decision to Missouri State. The Billikens are now 7-1 at the venue this season.
• SLU is an extremely young team, as it features 12 underclassmen (eight freshmen, four sophomores) among its 13-player roster. Guard Paul Eckerle is the lone upperclassman for the Billikens.
• Guard Kwamain Mitchell did not play in the 73-63 loss to Missouri State. Mitchell required eye surgery after getting poked in the eye during the game against Belmont on Dec. 16.
THE SERIES
Tuesday's game will be the first meeting between UMKC and SLU since Dec. 19, 1999, and the ninth overall match-up in the series. The Billikens have won seven of the eight previous contests with the 'Roos lone win occurring on Dec. 7, 1996, in St. Louis by the score of 74-53.
UMKC VS. ATLANTIC 10
The 'Roos are 1-8 all-time against schools that currently make up the A-10 Conference. Besides SLU, Richmond is the only other institution that UMKC has faced. The Spiders upended the 'Roos last year, 85-74, in Fort Meyers, Fla., during play in the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic.
'ROO TIDBITS
• Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones is leading The Summit League in field goal percentage this season. The guard has connected on 33-of-53 attempts for a 62.3 shooting clip. As a team, the 'Roos have the second best overall mark in the league (.464).
• UMKC is riding a two-game winning streak as it has improved its record to 6-4 on the year. It is the second winning streak for the squad this season, as it opened the year with a 3-0 record. Last year, the 'Roos didn't win consecutive contests the entire season.
• The 'Roos have attempted 71 free throws over the past two games, where they have knocked down 56 for a .789 percentage. Three players (Couisnard, McKinney-Jones and Johnson) have attempted at least 15 free throws during the two contests.
• Alex Bazzell opened his collegiate career by playing 108 minutes before committing his first turnover. Bazzell now has a 3.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (28-8).
• UMKC matched a season-high with eight long balls vs. Central Arkansas, which included seven treys in the first half alone. The squad has made eight threes in three games this season.
• The 'Roos have the best turnover margin (+4.1) and the second best assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1) in the league this season.
• Junior Spencer Johnson is second on the team with 10 three-point field goals and his .417 three-point field goal percentage is seventh best in the league.
• UMKC shot .533 (8-15) from long range in each of the last two games. Last season, the squad didn't shoot 50 percent in any of the team's 31 games.
• UMKC picked up its third road win of the season when it scored the 102-98 victory at Houston Baptist. The three wins match the 2008-09 road win total.
• The 'Roos scored a season-high 52 points in the first half at HBU and they followed it up with 50 points over the second 20 minutes. The two totals are the top-two scoring outputs for the team in a half this season.
• Junior Bakari Lewis grabbed a career-high seven boards against Wichita State. He is the only player not named Spencer Johnson or LaTreze Mushatt to lead the team in rebounding this season.
• Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones scored a career-high 21 points in the win over Central Arkansas. He is the third 'Roo player to hit the 20-point mark this season.
• Jay Couisnard finished with a career-high seven assists in the win over UCA. The seven assists are a season-high for a UMKC player this season.
• UMKC is a perfect 4-0 on the year when it has four or more players finish in double figures. The squad is also undefeated when scoring 70 or more points.
• The 'Roos are shooting .469 from the floor and .359 from long range at home and .457 from the field and .350 from long range on the road.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has made 33 consecutive starts and has started 40 of the last 41 contests.
BAZZELL HEADS HOME
Freshman Alex Bazzell will return home on Tuesday night when the 'Roos face off against Saint Louis. The guard played prep ball at St. Charles West High School, where he was a Class 4A all-State selection. The 'Roos will also enjoy a little home-cooking on the trip to SLU, as Alex's parents - Rob and Dianne - will host the team for a meal on Monday night.
TMJ STEPPING UP
After reaching double figures just once in the first five games, sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones has stepped up his game over the past five contests by scoring in double digits in 4-of-the-5 games.
The Wisconsin native has set his career-high two times over the past five contests. In the road win at Centenary on Dec. 5, McKinney-Jones made 8-of-9 field goal attempts en route to a 17-point outing. On Saturday against Central Arkansas, the guard hit the 20-point mark for the first time in his career, as he made 6-of-9 shots (2-of-2 3PT) and 7-of-7 free throws en route to a career-high 21 points.
During the five-game stretch, McKinney-Jones is averaging 14.0 points per game, while shooting nearly 70 percent (.688) from the floor and 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from long range.
HOT SHOOTING
The 'Roos have been strong offensively over the past two contests, as they have shot .557 (54-97) from the floor, .533 from long range (16-30) and .789 (56-71) from the charity stripe. UMKC is also averaging 90.0 points per game during the two-game win streak.
OFFENSIVE EXTRAVAGANZA
The Kangaroos finished with season-highs in field goal percentage (.571), three-point field goal percentage (.533) and free throw percentage (.809) in the road win at Houston Baptist on Dec. 12. The squad also tied a season-high with eight three-pointers in the victory, which helped the squad score 102 points.
The 102 point output is the 15th highest point total in school history and it is the second time in the Matt Brown era that the squad has reached the century mark.
SIX'S COMPANY
All five UMKC starters and a total of six 'Roo players finished in double digits in leading the team to a road win at Houston Baptist. It was the first time since Dec. 30, 2003, in the 93-52 blowout win over Kansas State that the squad had six players reach double figures.
'ROOS TIE SCHOOL RECORD
UMKC tied a school record with 38 free throw makes in the road win at Houston Baptist. The squad connected on 38-of-47 attempts, which translated into a season-high .809 free throw percentage. The 38 makes tied the school record that was set on Jan. 4, 1992 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
STEADY TREZ
Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt has provided the 'Roos with a steady scoring option this season, as the forward has reached double figures in 7-of-10 contests on the year. In the road win at Centenary on Dec. 5, the Michigan native tallied his first career double-double, as he finished with 17 points and 10 boards. Mushatt is the first and only 'Roo player to tally a double-double this season.
Mushatt is averaging 11.9 points, while shooting .462 from the floor. He is also leading the team with 6.1 rebounds per game to go along with 20 assists.
BK-LUTCH
Junior Bakari Lewis was clutch when it mattered most in the 84-83 road victory at Centenary on Dec. 5. The guard scored 10 of his team-high 18 points over the final four minutes of the contest. This included seven straight points over the final 52 seconds, which included the game-winner with 3.3 seconds remaining to lead the 'Roos back from a 10-point deficit for the victory.
The 18-point out in Shreveport kick started a strong four-game stretch for Lewis, as he's reached double digits in all four contests. He is averaging 14.5 points on .447 (17-38) shooting from the floor, .447 (6-13) from long range and .800 (18-20) from the free throw line in the four games.
COOZY SCORES BIG IN RETURN TO HOUSTON
With 200 friends and family in attendance, junior Jay Couisnard scored a career and UMKC season-high 24 points in the road win at Houston Baptist. The forward made 6-of-10 shot attempts and 10-of-13 free throws en route to his second 20 point game of the season.
Couisnard then followed it up with a 17-point outing - his fifth game with 15 or more points - on 6-of-10 shooting in leading the 'Roos to an 11-point win over Central Arkansas.
Couisnard has been the team's top offensive weapon this season, as he's scored in double digits in nine of the team's 10 games and he's paced the team in scoring on six occasions. The forward is tops on team with a 14.6 average, which ranks 10th in The Summit League, while shooting 43.5 percent from the field.
The UMKC men's basketball team will head east on I-70 for a Tuesday night match-up at Saint Louis. The game, which will be held at Chaifetz Arena beginning at 7 p.m., will be the first meeting between the 'Roos and Billikens since 1999.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 810 AM WHB (Steven Davis - p-b-p; Nick McCabe - color)
Television: None
Web: www.SLUBillikens.com
Live Stats: www.SLUBillikens.com
LAST TIME OUT
UMKC won its second straight game as it downed Central Arkansas, 78-67, on Saturday night at the Swinney Recreation Center. The 'Roos had six players finish in double digits in the victory with sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones leading the squad with a career-high 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 24-49 overall record and has coached three players to all-Summit League recognition. Former forward Dane Brumagin was a second team all-league honoree and Reggie Hamilton was an all-newcomer team selection in 2007-08, while Brumagin earned an honorable mention all-league nod in 2008-09. Last season, Brown guided the 'Roos to a pair of wins over Missouri Valley Conference foes Wichita State and Bradley. It was just the third time in school history for the team to beat two MVC teams in the same season.
Rick Majerus is in his third season as the head coach of the Saint Louis men's basketball program, where he has posted a 41-33 overall record. Majerus, who has never had a losing record in his 22 seasons as a head coach, led Utah to 10 NCAA Tournament, 10 regular season conference titles, four Sweet 16 appearances, two Elite Eights and the 1998 national championship game. Overall, Majerus was the head man for the Utes for 15 seasons.
SCOUTING SAINT LOUIS
The Billikens enter Tuesday's contest with a 7-4 overall record after dropping a 73-63 decision to Missouri State on Saturday night in St. Louis. Entering the game, SLU had won its previous three contests, all at home.
Four SLU players are averaging at least 8.4 points on the year. Forward Willie Reed is leading the squad in points and rebounds, as he is averaging a double-double with 14.8 points and 10.5 rebounds. Reed is also shooting 58.5 percent from the floor. Kwamain Mitchell is second on the squad with a 14.3 average, but the guard is currently sidelined due to injury.
The Billikens are averaging 65.1 points per game on .435 shooting from the floor and .325 from long range. SLU is solid defensively, as it surrenders 58.9 points, while limiting its opponents to a .382 field goal percentage and a .268 mark from long range. The Billikens are also +1.2 on the glass on the year.
SLU GAME NOTES
• The Billikens have four Missourians on their 2009-10 roster, including Kansas City, Mo., native Willie Reed. The forward started his senior year at Milestone Christian Academy before transferring back to and graduating from Bishop Miege High School. Due to transfer regulations, Reed was not eligible to compete during his senior season. As a junior, he was rated the No. 32 prospect in the nation by Scout.com.
• Saint Louis lost for the first time at Chaifetz Arena on Saturday night when it dropped a 73-63 decision to Missouri State. The Billikens are now 7-1 at the venue this season.
• SLU is an extremely young team, as it features 12 underclassmen (eight freshmen, four sophomores) among its 13-player roster. Guard Paul Eckerle is the lone upperclassman for the Billikens.
• Guard Kwamain Mitchell did not play in the 73-63 loss to Missouri State. Mitchell required eye surgery after getting poked in the eye during the game against Belmont on Dec. 16.
THE SERIES
Tuesday's game will be the first meeting between UMKC and SLU since Dec. 19, 1999, and the ninth overall match-up in the series. The Billikens have won seven of the eight previous contests with the 'Roos lone win occurring on Dec. 7, 1996, in St. Louis by the score of 74-53.
UMKC VS. ATLANTIC 10
The 'Roos are 1-8 all-time against schools that currently make up the A-10 Conference. Besides SLU, Richmond is the only other institution that UMKC has faced. The Spiders upended the 'Roos last year, 85-74, in Fort Meyers, Fla., during play in the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic.
'ROO TIDBITS
• Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones is leading The Summit League in field goal percentage this season. The guard has connected on 33-of-53 attempts for a 62.3 shooting clip. As a team, the 'Roos have the second best overall mark in the league (.464).
• UMKC is riding a two-game winning streak as it has improved its record to 6-4 on the year. It is the second winning streak for the squad this season, as it opened the year with a 3-0 record. Last year, the 'Roos didn't win consecutive contests the entire season.
• The 'Roos have attempted 71 free throws over the past two games, where they have knocked down 56 for a .789 percentage. Three players (Couisnard, McKinney-Jones and Johnson) have attempted at least 15 free throws during the two contests.
• Alex Bazzell opened his collegiate career by playing 108 minutes before committing his first turnover. Bazzell now has a 3.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (28-8).
• UMKC matched a season-high with eight long balls vs. Central Arkansas, which included seven treys in the first half alone. The squad has made eight threes in three games this season.
• The 'Roos have the best turnover margin (+4.1) and the second best assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1) in the league this season.
• Junior Spencer Johnson is second on the team with 10 three-point field goals and his .417 three-point field goal percentage is seventh best in the league.
• UMKC shot .533 (8-15) from long range in each of the last two games. Last season, the squad didn't shoot 50 percent in any of the team's 31 games.
• UMKC picked up its third road win of the season when it scored the 102-98 victory at Houston Baptist. The three wins match the 2008-09 road win total.
• The 'Roos scored a season-high 52 points in the first half at HBU and they followed it up with 50 points over the second 20 minutes. The two totals are the top-two scoring outputs for the team in a half this season.
• Junior Bakari Lewis grabbed a career-high seven boards against Wichita State. He is the only player not named Spencer Johnson or LaTreze Mushatt to lead the team in rebounding this season.
• Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones scored a career-high 21 points in the win over Central Arkansas. He is the third 'Roo player to hit the 20-point mark this season.
• Jay Couisnard finished with a career-high seven assists in the win over UCA. The seven assists are a season-high for a UMKC player this season.
• UMKC is a perfect 4-0 on the year when it has four or more players finish in double figures. The squad is also undefeated when scoring 70 or more points.
• The 'Roos are shooting .469 from the floor and .359 from long range at home and .457 from the field and .350 from long range on the road.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has made 33 consecutive starts and has started 40 of the last 41 contests.
BAZZELL HEADS HOME
Freshman Alex Bazzell will return home on Tuesday night when the 'Roos face off against Saint Louis. The guard played prep ball at St. Charles West High School, where he was a Class 4A all-State selection. The 'Roos will also enjoy a little home-cooking on the trip to SLU, as Alex's parents - Rob and Dianne - will host the team for a meal on Monday night.
TMJ STEPPING UP
After reaching double figures just once in the first five games, sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones has stepped up his game over the past five contests by scoring in double digits in 4-of-the-5 games.
The Wisconsin native has set his career-high two times over the past five contests. In the road win at Centenary on Dec. 5, McKinney-Jones made 8-of-9 field goal attempts en route to a 17-point outing. On Saturday against Central Arkansas, the guard hit the 20-point mark for the first time in his career, as he made 6-of-9 shots (2-of-2 3PT) and 7-of-7 free throws en route to a career-high 21 points.
During the five-game stretch, McKinney-Jones is averaging 14.0 points per game, while shooting nearly 70 percent (.688) from the floor and 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from long range.
HOT SHOOTING
The 'Roos have been strong offensively over the past two contests, as they have shot .557 (54-97) from the floor, .533 from long range (16-30) and .789 (56-71) from the charity stripe. UMKC is also averaging 90.0 points per game during the two-game win streak.
OFFENSIVE EXTRAVAGANZA
The Kangaroos finished with season-highs in field goal percentage (.571), three-point field goal percentage (.533) and free throw percentage (.809) in the road win at Houston Baptist on Dec. 12. The squad also tied a season-high with eight three-pointers in the victory, which helped the squad score 102 points.
The 102 point output is the 15th highest point total in school history and it is the second time in the Matt Brown era that the squad has reached the century mark.
SIX'S COMPANY
All five UMKC starters and a total of six 'Roo players finished in double digits in leading the team to a road win at Houston Baptist. It was the first time since Dec. 30, 2003, in the 93-52 blowout win over Kansas State that the squad had six players reach double figures.
'ROOS TIE SCHOOL RECORD
UMKC tied a school record with 38 free throw makes in the road win at Houston Baptist. The squad connected on 38-of-47 attempts, which translated into a season-high .809 free throw percentage. The 38 makes tied the school record that was set on Jan. 4, 1992 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
STEADY TREZ
Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt has provided the 'Roos with a steady scoring option this season, as the forward has reached double figures in 7-of-10 contests on the year. In the road win at Centenary on Dec. 5, the Michigan native tallied his first career double-double, as he finished with 17 points and 10 boards. Mushatt is the first and only 'Roo player to tally a double-double this season.
Mushatt is averaging 11.9 points, while shooting .462 from the floor. He is also leading the team with 6.1 rebounds per game to go along with 20 assists.
BK-LUTCH
Junior Bakari Lewis was clutch when it mattered most in the 84-83 road victory at Centenary on Dec. 5. The guard scored 10 of his team-high 18 points over the final four minutes of the contest. This included seven straight points over the final 52 seconds, which included the game-winner with 3.3 seconds remaining to lead the 'Roos back from a 10-point deficit for the victory.
The 18-point out in Shreveport kick started a strong four-game stretch for Lewis, as he's reached double digits in all four contests. He is averaging 14.5 points on .447 (17-38) shooting from the floor, .447 (6-13) from long range and .800 (18-20) from the free throw line in the four games.
COOZY SCORES BIG IN RETURN TO HOUSTON
With 200 friends and family in attendance, junior Jay Couisnard scored a career and UMKC season-high 24 points in the road win at Houston Baptist. The forward made 6-of-10 shot attempts and 10-of-13 free throws en route to his second 20 point game of the season.
Couisnard then followed it up with a 17-point outing - his fifth game with 15 or more points - on 6-of-10 shooting in leading the 'Roos to an 11-point win over Central Arkansas.
Couisnard has been the team's top offensive weapon this season, as he's scored in double digits in nine of the team's 10 games and he's paced the team in scoring on six occasions. The forward is tops on team with a 14.6 average, which ranks 10th in The Summit League, while shooting 43.5 percent from the field.
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