'Roos Head To IPFW Looking For League Split
1/15/2010 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
THE SETTING
The UMKC men's basketball team will head to Fort Wayne, Ind., to face IPFW on Saturday night looking for the all important Summit League split. The 'Roos will battle the Mastodons at Memorial Coliseum beginning at 6 p.m. (CT).
ON THE AIR
Radio: 1140/1160 AM (Steven Davis - p-b-p)
Television: None
Web: www.gomastodons.com
Live Stats: www.gomastodons.com
LAST TIME OUT
The Kangaroos dropped a hard fought 87-73 decision at Oakland on Thursday night at the Athletics Center O'Rena. The 'Roos trailed by 17 points late in the first half before rallying to within four points midway through half two. OU then responded with a 10-0 run to take control of the game before securing the 14-point victory. Three UMKC players reached double digits in the defeat with Spencer Johnson leading the way with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 26-53 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.
Dane Fife is in his fifth season as the head coach of the IPFW men's basketball program, where he has compiled a 55-79 overall record. Fife, who at 30 is the youngest current NCAA Division I men's basketball coach, has guided the Mastodons to a double digit win total in each of his four seasons on the sidelines.
SCOUTING IPFW
The Mastodons enter Saturday's game with a 7-9 overall record and a 2-4 Summit League mark after downing Southern Utah, 61-56, on Thursday night in Fort Wayne. Three Mastodon players reached double figures in the win with Deilvez Yearby leading the way with 19 points and 10 boards.
Yearby leads a group of five IPFW players averaging at least 7.1 points on the season. The forward is pacing the team with 16.8 points on 47.7 percent shooting to go along with 8.8 rebounds. Yearby also has a team-high 29 blocks. Guard Ben Botts is the only other Mastodon player in double digits, coming in at 11.3 points a night. Botts has made 38 long balls while shooting 43.2 percent from long range. Guard Zach Plackemeier, meanwhile, is pacing the team with 36 assists and 20 steals to go along with 8.9 points per game.
IPFW is averaging 67.6 points per game, while shooting .412 from the floor and .341 from long range. The 'Dons are -1.8 on the glass, while committing 13.3 turnovers per game.
IPFW GAME NOTES
• Deilvez Yearby, who was named The Summit League Sixth Man of the Year in 2008-09, played two seasons at Kansas State before transferring to IPFW.
• The 'Dons are 6-2 at home this season with the only two losses coming against Oakland (84-76) and IUPUI (79-69).
• IPFW trailed Southern Utah for the majority of its game on Thursday night at the Gates Sports Center. The 'Dons, however, strung together 19-6 run over the final 3:34 to rally to win the game.
THE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the sixth meeting all-time between UMKC and IPFW with the 'Roos holding the 3-2 advantage. The two squads have defended their home courts in the series as neither team has been able to post a road victory. Last season, UMKC won 70-62 in Kansas City and IPFW was victorious, 76-71, in Fort Wayne.
'ROO TIDBITS
• Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones is third in The Summit League in field goal percentage at .534 (62-116). He is one of just three guards among the top-10 in the category. Fellow sophomore LaTreze Mushatt ranks seventh in the league with a .487 shooting clip. As a team, the 'Roos have the second best overall mark in the league (.442).
• UMKC has committed fewer than 10 turnovers in each of the last three contests. The 'Roos had seven TOs in the win over Southern Utah, eight vs. South Dakota State and nine turnovers on Thursday at Oakland. UMKC has finished with 10 or fewer turnovers in four games this season.
• The X factor? UMKC is 6-2 this season when junior Spencer Johnson reaches double figures.
• UMKC is leading the league and rank 43rd nationally in turnover margin (+3.2). The squad is also third in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.0), fourth in steals (7.1) and fifth in assists (12.3) per game.
• The 'Roos lost for the first time this season when scoring 70 points on Thursday night at Oakland.
• UMKC's record is at .500 for the first time since Dec. 9 (4-4) and for the third time this season. The 'Roos have not fallen below .500 this season and they will look to keep that streak alive on Saturday at IPFW.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has moved into the top-15 in UMKC history in career rebounding, ranking 14th with 341 caroms. He also ranks 30th in the record books in career scoring with 537 points.
• UMKC's overall leading scorer Jay Couisnard is just the team's fourth leading scorer in Summit League play. The forward averages 13.1 points in all games and 10.0 points in five league contests.
• The 'Roos rank third in the league in three-point field goal defense (.327). Overall, however, the squad is allowing its opposition to shoot .473 from the field, which ranks eighth in the 10-team league.
• Foul trouble has been consistently plaguing junior Jay Couisnard, as the forward has had four or more fouls in 10 games with four disqualifications.
• The 'Roos have attempted at least 24 free throws in 6-of-the-last-10 games and the squad has attempted 30 or more from the charity stripe in three of those contests. The squad is 6-0 on the year when attempting more free throws than its opposition.
• The 'Roos are shooting .451 from the floor and .349 from long range at home and .436 from the field and .324 from long range on the road.
• Junior Bakari Lewis has had four or more assists in each of the last three games. The guard now has a team-best 36 assists on the year.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has made 39 consecutive starts and has started 46 of the last 47 contests.
BOMBS AWAY
The 'Roos made and attempted season-highs in three-pointers on Thursday night at Oakland. The squad connected on 10-of-23 attempts in the contest to shoot 43.5 percent in the game. The 10 long balls were the most for the squad in more than a calendar year, as it hadn't made 10 three pointers since Dec. 31, 2008, at IUPUI.
This season, the 'Roos have four games where they have made at least eight long balls. The squad is 3-1 in such contests.
UMKC also gave up a season-high seven treys to the Golden Grizzlies. OU also attempted a season-best 20 long balls in the game.
BIGS LIGHT UP THE NETS
UMKC's five man combined to score 34 points on Thursday night at Oakland. Spencer Johnson and Kirk Korver both made 4-of-6 three-point attempts in the game with the four long balls being a season-high for a 'Roo player. Johnson netted a season-high 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting, while Korver made 5-of-7 attempts overall to score a career-high 15 points.
JOHNSON SECURES DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Junior Spencer Johnson tallied his first double-double of the season and the sixth of his career when he finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds at Oakland. The forward made 4-of-6 three-point attempts on the night en route to his season-high point total. Nine of the Illinois native's 10 boards came on the defensive glass, which is a season-high for a UMKC player this season.
Johnson, who has scored in double digits in eight games, is fourth on the team with a 9.4 scoring average, while shooting .465 from the floor and .372 from long range. He also overtook LaTreze Mushatt for the team lead in rebounding, as he now pulls in 5.6 caroms per game.
'ROOS SURPASS 2008-09 WIN TOTAL
UMKC surpassed its 2008-09 win total when it picked up its eighth victory of the season in the Jan. 2 win over Southern Utah. Additionally, the squad has four road wins and a pair of conference victories thus far in 2009-10. The four road wins surpass last year's total (3), and the team's next Summit League victory will match last year's mark.
BALANCED SCORING
The 'Roos have five players averaging at least 9.1 points per game this season and a total of three players in double figures. UMKC is 4-1 on the year when it has four or more players finish in double digits. The team's lone loss came at home vs. South Dakota State on Jan. 7.
THE 'ROOS ARE...
• 6-1 when leading at the half.
• 6-1 when scoring at least 70 points.
• 5-0 when out rebounding their opponent.
• 4-0 when opponent scores fewer than 60 points.
• 6-3 when it has fewer turnovers than the opposition.
• 5-2 when it has more steals than their opponent.
COUISNARD PACES TEAM IN SCORING
Junior Jay Couisnard has been UMKC's most consistent player this season, as the forward has reached double digits in 13 games. The Texas native has been the team's leading leading scorer in eight contests and he's surpassed the 15-point mark in five games.
Couisnard has hit the 20-point mark in two contests, which includes a career-high 24-point outing on 6-of-10 shooting in the return to his hometown in the victory over Houston Baptist in December.
On the year, Couisnard is pacing the team and ranks 12th in The Summit League with a 13.1 points per game average, while shooting .400 from the floor and .381 from long range. He also leads the team in free throw makes (57) and attempts (90).
TMJ STRONG IN DECEMBER
Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones enjoyed a breakout month in December for the 'Roos. The guard reached double digits in 6-of-8 games in the month, and he established two career highs. Overall, the Wisconsin native averaged 13.1 points and 4.4 rebounds on .563 shooting and a .500 clip from long range. He also made 28-of-33 free throws during the eight contests.
On the year, McKinney-Jones has scored in double figures in nine games and he's averaging 11.0 points, which is third best on the team, with a .534 field goal percentage. The guard has a team-high six games with 15 or more points and he's shot better than 70 percent from the floor in five contests.
MUSHATT SOLID IN BLUE AND GOLD
Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt has provided the 'Roos with a steady scoring option this season, as the forward has reached double figures in 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 averaging 11.2 points, while shooting .487 from the floor. He is also second on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game, while also dishing out 33 assists, which are tied for the second most on the team.
The UMKC men's basketball team will head to Fort Wayne, Ind., to face IPFW on Saturday night looking for the all important Summit League split. The 'Roos will battle the Mastodons at Memorial Coliseum beginning at 6 p.m. (CT).
ON THE AIR
Radio: 1140/1160 AM (Steven Davis - p-b-p)
Television: None
Web: www.gomastodons.com
Live Stats: www.gomastodons.com
LAST TIME OUT
The Kangaroos dropped a hard fought 87-73 decision at Oakland on Thursday night at the Athletics Center O'Rena. The 'Roos trailed by 17 points late in the first half before rallying to within four points midway through half two. OU then responded with a 10-0 run to take control of the game before securing the 14-point victory. Three UMKC players reached double digits in the defeat with Spencer Johnson leading the way with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 26-53 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.
Dane Fife is in his fifth season as the head coach of the IPFW men's basketball program, where he has compiled a 55-79 overall record. Fife, who at 30 is the youngest current NCAA Division I men's basketball coach, has guided the Mastodons to a double digit win total in each of his four seasons on the sidelines.
SCOUTING IPFW
The Mastodons enter Saturday's game with a 7-9 overall record and a 2-4 Summit League mark after downing Southern Utah, 61-56, on Thursday night in Fort Wayne. Three Mastodon players reached double figures in the win with Deilvez Yearby leading the way with 19 points and 10 boards.
Yearby leads a group of five IPFW players averaging at least 7.1 points on the season. The forward is pacing the team with 16.8 points on 47.7 percent shooting to go along with 8.8 rebounds. Yearby also has a team-high 29 blocks. Guard Ben Botts is the only other Mastodon player in double digits, coming in at 11.3 points a night. Botts has made 38 long balls while shooting 43.2 percent from long range. Guard Zach Plackemeier, meanwhile, is pacing the team with 36 assists and 20 steals to go along with 8.9 points per game.
IPFW is averaging 67.6 points per game, while shooting .412 from the floor and .341 from long range. The 'Dons are -1.8 on the glass, while committing 13.3 turnovers per game.
IPFW GAME NOTES
• Deilvez Yearby, who was named The Summit League Sixth Man of the Year in 2008-09, played two seasons at Kansas State before transferring to IPFW.
• The 'Dons are 6-2 at home this season with the only two losses coming against Oakland (84-76) and IUPUI (79-69).
• IPFW trailed Southern Utah for the majority of its game on Thursday night at the Gates Sports Center. The 'Dons, however, strung together 19-6 run over the final 3:34 to rally to win the game.
THE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the sixth meeting all-time between UMKC and IPFW with the 'Roos holding the 3-2 advantage. The two squads have defended their home courts in the series as neither team has been able to post a road victory. Last season, UMKC won 70-62 in Kansas City and IPFW was victorious, 76-71, in Fort Wayne.
'ROO TIDBITS
• Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones is third in The Summit League in field goal percentage at .534 (62-116). He is one of just three guards among the top-10 in the category. Fellow sophomore LaTreze Mushatt ranks seventh in the league with a .487 shooting clip. As a team, the 'Roos have the second best overall mark in the league (.442).
• UMKC has committed fewer than 10 turnovers in each of the last three contests. The 'Roos had seven TOs in the win over Southern Utah, eight vs. South Dakota State and nine turnovers on Thursday at Oakland. UMKC has finished with 10 or fewer turnovers in four games this season.
• The X factor? UMKC is 6-2 this season when junior Spencer Johnson reaches double figures.
• UMKC is leading the league and rank 43rd nationally in turnover margin (+3.2). The squad is also third in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.0), fourth in steals (7.1) and fifth in assists (12.3) per game.
• The 'Roos lost for the first time this season when scoring 70 points on Thursday night at Oakland.
• UMKC's record is at .500 for the first time since Dec. 9 (4-4) and for the third time this season. The 'Roos have not fallen below .500 this season and they will look to keep that streak alive on Saturday at IPFW.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has moved into the top-15 in UMKC history in career rebounding, ranking 14th with 341 caroms. He also ranks 30th in the record books in career scoring with 537 points.
• UMKC's overall leading scorer Jay Couisnard is just the team's fourth leading scorer in Summit League play. The forward averages 13.1 points in all games and 10.0 points in five league contests.
• The 'Roos rank third in the league in three-point field goal defense (.327). Overall, however, the squad is allowing its opposition to shoot .473 from the field, which ranks eighth in the 10-team league.
• Foul trouble has been consistently plaguing junior Jay Couisnard, as the forward has had four or more fouls in 10 games with four disqualifications.
• The 'Roos have attempted at least 24 free throws in 6-of-the-last-10 games and the squad has attempted 30 or more from the charity stripe in three of those contests. The squad is 6-0 on the year when attempting more free throws than its opposition.
• The 'Roos are shooting .451 from the floor and .349 from long range at home and .436 from the field and .324 from long range on the road.
• Junior Bakari Lewis has had four or more assists in each of the last three games. The guard now has a team-best 36 assists on the year.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has made 39 consecutive starts and has started 46 of the last 47 contests.
BOMBS AWAY
The 'Roos made and attempted season-highs in three-pointers on Thursday night at Oakland. The squad connected on 10-of-23 attempts in the contest to shoot 43.5 percent in the game. The 10 long balls were the most for the squad in more than a calendar year, as it hadn't made 10 three pointers since Dec. 31, 2008, at IUPUI.
This season, the 'Roos have four games where they have made at least eight long balls. The squad is 3-1 in such contests.
UMKC also gave up a season-high seven treys to the Golden Grizzlies. OU also attempted a season-best 20 long balls in the game.
BIGS LIGHT UP THE NETS
UMKC's five man combined to score 34 points on Thursday night at Oakland. Spencer Johnson and Kirk Korver both made 4-of-6 three-point attempts in the game with the four long balls being a season-high for a 'Roo player. Johnson netted a season-high 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting, while Korver made 5-of-7 attempts overall to score a career-high 15 points.
JOHNSON SECURES DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Junior Spencer Johnson tallied his first double-double of the season and the sixth of his career when he finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds at Oakland. The forward made 4-of-6 three-point attempts on the night en route to his season-high point total. Nine of the Illinois native's 10 boards came on the defensive glass, which is a season-high for a UMKC player this season.
Johnson, who has scored in double digits in eight games, is fourth on the team with a 9.4 scoring average, while shooting .465 from the floor and .372 from long range. He also overtook LaTreze Mushatt for the team lead in rebounding, as he now pulls in 5.6 caroms per game.
'ROOS SURPASS 2008-09 WIN TOTAL
UMKC surpassed its 2008-09 win total when it picked up its eighth victory of the season in the Jan. 2 win over Southern Utah. Additionally, the squad has four road wins and a pair of conference victories thus far in 2009-10. The four road wins surpass last year's total (3), and the team's next Summit League victory will match last year's mark.
BALANCED SCORING
The 'Roos have five players averaging at least 9.1 points per game this season and a total of three players in double figures. UMKC is 4-1 on the year when it has four or more players finish in double digits. The team's lone loss came at home vs. South Dakota State on Jan. 7.
THE 'ROOS ARE...
• 6-1 when leading at the half.
• 6-1 when scoring at least 70 points.
• 5-0 when out rebounding their opponent.
• 4-0 when opponent scores fewer than 60 points.
• 6-3 when it has fewer turnovers than the opposition.
• 5-2 when it has more steals than their opponent.
COUISNARD PACES TEAM IN SCORING
Junior Jay Couisnard has been UMKC's most consistent player this season, as the forward has reached double digits in 13 games. The Texas native has been the team's leading leading scorer in eight contests and he's surpassed the 15-point mark in five games.
Couisnard has hit the 20-point mark in two contests, which includes a career-high 24-point outing on 6-of-10 shooting in the return to his hometown in the victory over Houston Baptist in December.
On the year, Couisnard is pacing the team and ranks 12th in The Summit League with a 13.1 points per game average, while shooting .400 from the floor and .381 from long range. He also leads the team in free throw makes (57) and attempts (90).
TMJ STRONG IN DECEMBER
Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones enjoyed a breakout month in December for the 'Roos. The guard reached double digits in 6-of-8 games in the month, and he established two career highs. Overall, the Wisconsin native averaged 13.1 points and 4.4 rebounds on .563 shooting and a .500 clip from long range. He also made 28-of-33 free throws during the eight contests.
On the year, McKinney-Jones has scored in double figures in nine games and he's averaging 11.0 points, which is third best on the team, with a .534 field goal percentage. The guard has a team-high six games with 15 or more points and he's shot better than 70 percent from the floor in five contests.
MUSHATT SOLID IN BLUE AND GOLD
Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt has provided the 'Roos with a steady scoring option this season, as the forward has reached double figures in 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 averaging 11.2 points, while shooting .487 from the floor. He is also second on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game, while also dishing out 33 assists, which are tied for the second most on the team.
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