Men's Hoops To Meet SIUE On Monday Night
12/26/2009 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
THE SETTING
The UMKC men's basketball team will play the second of three straight road games on Monday when it squares off against SIU Edwardsville. The game between the 'Roos and Cougars will be held at Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Ill., beginning at 7 p.m.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 810 AM WHB (Steven Davis - p-b-p; Nick McCabe - color)
Television: Charter Communications (Channel 3) in St. Louis
Web: None
Live Stats: www.siuecougars.com
LAST TIME OUT
The 'Roos dropped a hard fought 61-54 road decision at Saint Louis on Dec. 22. UMKC led 41-35 with 12:30 remaining, but the Billikens took control of the game with a 16-2 run to build an eight point advantage before going on to the seven point victory. Trey McKinney-Jones led a group of three 'Roo players in double digits as he finished with a team-high 18 points.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 24-50 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.
Lennox Forrester is in his third season as the head coach of the SIU Edwardsville men's basketball program, where he has compiled a 29-41 overall record. Before joining the Cougars, Forrester spent 15 years in the Missouri Valley Conference, five as an assistant coach at Bradley and 10 as an assistant/administrative assistant at Evansville.
SCOUTING SIU EDWARDSVILLE
The Cougars enter Monday's game having lost each of their last four contests to drop their overall record to 2-10. SIUE's last victory came on Dec. 5 vs. UT-Arlington.
A pair of Cougar players are averaging in double digits on the season with Mark Yelovich leading the way with 15.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest. Aamir McCleary is second on the squad with 10.3 points to go along with a team-high 51 assists.
SIUE is shooting .420 from the floor, .330 from long range and .690 from the charity stripe en route to 61.4 points per game. The squad is -8.4 on the boards and has 54 more turnovers than assists on the season.
SIUE GAME NOTES
• The Cougars have dropped their last four contests by a combined 90 points or 22.5 points per contest. The squad fell at Lipscomb and Middle Tennessee State, at home against Loyola Chicago and at Purdue.
• SIUE's lone two victories came at the Drake/HyVee Tournament, where it defeated the host Bulldogs (60-58) and vs. UT-Arlington (71-67).
• SIUE is in its third year in its transition to NCAA Division I. The Cougars joined the Ohio Valley Conference in 2008 and will being OVC regular season competition in 2011-12. It will then be eligible for post season competition in 2012-13.
THE SERIES
Monday's game will be the second meeting in the all-time series between UMKC and SIUE. Last season, the Cougars upended the 'Roos in Kansas City, winning 77-71 at Municipal Auditorium.
UMKC VS. OHIO VALLEY
The 'Roos are 11-15 all-time against schools that make up the Ohio Valley Conference. UMKC has posted four wins apiece over Morehead State and Tennessee State, while also notching one victory against Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech.
'ROO TIDBITS
• UMKC will close out non-conference play on Wednesday when it faces Big 12 foe Missouri in Columbia.
• Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones is leading The Summit League in field goal percentage this season. The guard has connected on 41-of-68 attempts for a 60.3 shooting clip. As a team, the 'Roos have the second best overall mark in the league (.460).
• 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).
• After making a season-high eight long balls in back-to-back games at Houston Baptist and vs. Central Arkansas, the 'Roos made a season-low one three-pointer at Saint Louis.
• UMKC attempted 71 free throws (56 makes) in the wins at HBU and vs. UCA. Against the Billikens, the 'Roos were just 11-of-17 from the charity stripe, while SLU went 21-of-37.
• The 'Roos have the best turnover margin (+3.9) and the second best assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1) in the league this season.
• UMKC shot .533 (8-15) from long range in back-to-back games at Houston Baptist and vs. Central Arkansas on Dec. 12 and Dec. 19. 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.
• 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 has 13 assists over the past two contests, finishing with a career-high seven assists in the win over UCA before dishing out six helpers at Saint Louis. The seven assists are a season-high for a UMKC player this season. Couisnard is now leading the team with 29 assists on the season.
• The 'Roos have 20 more offensive rebounds than their opponents this season (100-80). Overall, however, UMKC is -0.6 (29.9-30.5) on the glass on the year.
• UMKC is undefeated when scoring 70 or more points.
• The 'Roos are shooting .469 from the floor and .359 from long range at home and .452 from the field and .319 from long range on the road.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has made 34 consecutive starts and has started 41 of the last 42 contests.
BALANCED SCORING
The 'Roos have five players averaging over 8.7 points per game this season and a total of three players in double figures. UMKC is a perfect 4-0 on the year when it has four or more players finish in double digits.
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 six contests by scoring in double digits in 5-of-the-6 games.
The Wisconsin native has set his career-high two times over the past six 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 six-game stretch, McKinney-Jones is averaging 14.7 points per game, while shooting 63.8 percent from the floor and 50 percent from long range.
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 8-of-11 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 11.8 points, while shooting .469 from the floor. He is also leading the team with 5.9 rebounds per game to go along with 22 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.
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 has been the team's top offensive weapon this season, as he's scored in double digits in all but one of the team's 11 contests. The forward is tops on team with a 14.2 average, which ranks 10th in The Summit League, while shooting 42.7 percent from the field.
THE SIXTH MAN
Junior Bakari Lewis has been the ultimate sixth man through the early portion of the team's season, as the guard is averaging 8.7 points in a reserve role. The Ohio native has come off the bench in all but two games, and he's reached double digits in five contests.
The UMKC men's basketball team will play the second of three straight road games on Monday when it squares off against SIU Edwardsville. The game between the 'Roos and Cougars will be held at Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Ill., beginning at 7 p.m.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 810 AM WHB (Steven Davis - p-b-p; Nick McCabe - color)
Television: Charter Communications (Channel 3) in St. Louis
Web: None
Live Stats: www.siuecougars.com
LAST TIME OUT
The 'Roos dropped a hard fought 61-54 road decision at Saint Louis on Dec. 22. UMKC led 41-35 with 12:30 remaining, but the Billikens took control of the game with a 16-2 run to build an eight point advantage before going on to the seven point victory. Trey McKinney-Jones led a group of three 'Roo players in double digits as he finished with a team-high 18 points.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 24-50 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.
Lennox Forrester is in his third season as the head coach of the SIU Edwardsville men's basketball program, where he has compiled a 29-41 overall record. Before joining the Cougars, Forrester spent 15 years in the Missouri Valley Conference, five as an assistant coach at Bradley and 10 as an assistant/administrative assistant at Evansville.
SCOUTING SIU EDWARDSVILLE
The Cougars enter Monday's game having lost each of their last four contests to drop their overall record to 2-10. SIUE's last victory came on Dec. 5 vs. UT-Arlington.
A pair of Cougar players are averaging in double digits on the season with Mark Yelovich leading the way with 15.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest. Aamir McCleary is second on the squad with 10.3 points to go along with a team-high 51 assists.
SIUE is shooting .420 from the floor, .330 from long range and .690 from the charity stripe en route to 61.4 points per game. The squad is -8.4 on the boards and has 54 more turnovers than assists on the season.
SIUE GAME NOTES
• The Cougars have dropped their last four contests by a combined 90 points or 22.5 points per contest. The squad fell at Lipscomb and Middle Tennessee State, at home against Loyola Chicago and at Purdue.
• SIUE's lone two victories came at the Drake/HyVee Tournament, where it defeated the host Bulldogs (60-58) and vs. UT-Arlington (71-67).
• SIUE is in its third year in its transition to NCAA Division I. The Cougars joined the Ohio Valley Conference in 2008 and will being OVC regular season competition in 2011-12. It will then be eligible for post season competition in 2012-13.
THE SERIES
Monday's game will be the second meeting in the all-time series between UMKC and SIUE. Last season, the Cougars upended the 'Roos in Kansas City, winning 77-71 at Municipal Auditorium.
UMKC VS. OHIO VALLEY
The 'Roos are 11-15 all-time against schools that make up the Ohio Valley Conference. UMKC has posted four wins apiece over Morehead State and Tennessee State, while also notching one victory against Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech.
'ROO TIDBITS
• UMKC will close out non-conference play on Wednesday when it faces Big 12 foe Missouri in Columbia.
• Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones is leading The Summit League in field goal percentage this season. The guard has connected on 41-of-68 attempts for a 60.3 shooting clip. As a team, the 'Roos have the second best overall mark in the league (.460).
• 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).
• After making a season-high eight long balls in back-to-back games at Houston Baptist and vs. Central Arkansas, the 'Roos made a season-low one three-pointer at Saint Louis.
• UMKC attempted 71 free throws (56 makes) in the wins at HBU and vs. UCA. Against the Billikens, the 'Roos were just 11-of-17 from the charity stripe, while SLU went 21-of-37.
• The 'Roos have the best turnover margin (+3.9) and the second best assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1) in the league this season.
• UMKC shot .533 (8-15) from long range in back-to-back games at Houston Baptist and vs. Central Arkansas on Dec. 12 and Dec. 19. 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.
• 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 has 13 assists over the past two contests, finishing with a career-high seven assists in the win over UCA before dishing out six helpers at Saint Louis. The seven assists are a season-high for a UMKC player this season. Couisnard is now leading the team with 29 assists on the season.
• The 'Roos have 20 more offensive rebounds than their opponents this season (100-80). Overall, however, UMKC is -0.6 (29.9-30.5) on the glass on the year.
• UMKC is undefeated when scoring 70 or more points.
• The 'Roos are shooting .469 from the floor and .359 from long range at home and .452 from the field and .319 from long range on the road.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has made 34 consecutive starts and has started 41 of the last 42 contests.
BALANCED SCORING
The 'Roos have five players averaging over 8.7 points per game this season and a total of three players in double figures. UMKC is a perfect 4-0 on the year when it has four or more players finish in double digits.
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 six contests by scoring in double digits in 5-of-the-6 games.
The Wisconsin native has set his career-high two times over the past six 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 six-game stretch, McKinney-Jones is averaging 14.7 points per game, while shooting 63.8 percent from the floor and 50 percent from long range.
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 8-of-11 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 11.8 points, while shooting .469 from the floor. He is also leading the team with 5.9 rebounds per game to go along with 22 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.
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 has been the team's top offensive weapon this season, as he's scored in double digits in all but one of the team's 11 contests. The forward is tops on team with a 14.2 average, which ranks 10th in The Summit League, while shooting 42.7 percent from the field.
THE SIXTH MAN
Junior Bakari Lewis has been the ultimate sixth man through the early portion of the team's season, as the guard is averaging 8.7 points in a reserve role. The Ohio native has come off the bench in all but two games, and he's reached double digits in five contests.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ 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