UMKC Continues Home Stand Against IUPUI On Saturday Night
1/22/2010 2:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
THE SETTING
The UMKC men's basketball team will return to the hardwood on Saturday night when it hosts IUPUI at 7:05 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium. The game will be the second of a 'Roo-Jaguar doubleheader, as the women's squad hosts IUPUI at 4 p.m. to start the day. The game will be “GoRed With the 'Roos”, as a portion of the ticket sales will go to the American Heart Association.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 810 AM WHB (Steven Davis - p-b-p; Steven St. John - color)
Television: Metro Sports (Neil Harwell - p-b-p; Doug Elstun - color)
Web: Roo Vision (UMKCKangaroos.com)
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com
LAST TIME OUT
The 'Roos climbed back to .500 on the season with a 61-57 victory over Western Illinois on Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium. WIU rallied from a 10-point first half deficit in the first half and climbed to within a point late in the second half, but UMKC held on down the stretch to secure the four-point victory. Four 'Roo players finished in double figures with Jay Couisnard and LaTreze Mushatt pacing the team with 14 points apiece.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 27-54 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.
Ron Hunter is in his 16th season as the head coach of the IUPUI men's basketball program, where he has compiled a 263-201 overall record. Hunter, who is the all-time winningest coach in Jaguar history, has twice been named the Coach of the Year.
SCOUTING IUPUI
The Jaguars bring a four game winning streak into Saturday's contest, which has improved their record to 14-7 overall and 7-1 in Summit League play. On Thursday, IUPUI cruised to a 75-60 win at Southern Utah behind 24 points by both Robert Glenn and Alex Young.
Young and Glenn have been a two-headed monster for the Jaguars on the year, as the duo is averaging 18.3 and 18.1 points, respectively. Young is shooting .468 from the floor and .442 (53-120) from long range, while Glenn is leading the league with a .563 field goal percentage. Glenn is also the team's top rebounder at 6.3 per game to go along with 29 blocks. Guard Leroy Nobles is the third Jaguar player in double digits, averaging 14.4 points per game.
IUPUI is leading the league with a .496 field goal percentage and a .417 mark from long range en route to 75.0 points per game. The squad is also +0.7 on the glass, and it has a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio on the year.
IUPUI GAME NOTES
• Alex Young and Robert Glenn are the top two scorers in The Summit League, averaging 18.3 and 18.1 points respectively. Leroy Nobles, meanwhile, is 11th with his 14.4 per game average.
• The Jaguars also have the players with the top field goal percentage (Robert Glenn - .563) and the top three-point field goal percentage (Sean Esposito - .472) on the year.
• IUPUI opened the year with a 9-3 record before losing 4-of-5 games prior to its four-game winning streak. Among the losses was a tight 85-82 defeat at Oakland, which is the team's lone league loss on the year.
• The Jaguars are 4-5 in true road games this season.
• IUPUI is leading The Summit League in assists (15.6 p/game) and steals (8.8 p/game).
THE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 25th meeting in the all-time series between UMKC and IUPUI with the Jaguars holding the 15-9 advantage. IUPUI has won eight of the last nine meetings between the two squads, including five straight. The 'Roos' last win came on Feb. 17, 2007, in Kansas City.
'ROO TIDBITS
• UMKC opened its season-long three-game home stand with a 61-57 win over Western Illinois. The squad will next host IUPUI on Saturday before wrapping up the home stand with its final game at SRC against North Dakota State on Tuesday night.
• Jay Couisnard played all 40 minutes for the second time this season in the win over WIU.
• UMKC limited Western Illinois to a .373 field goal percentage. The mark is the lowest shooting percentage for a Division I opponent this season.
• Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones is fifth in The Summit League in field goal percentage at .515 (67-130). He is one of just three guards among the top-10 in the category.
• Head Coach Matt Brown used his seventh different starting line-up of the year in the win over Western Illinois.
• UMKC has won the battle on the boards in each of the last two games. The 'Roos are 6-1 this season when they out rebound their opponents.
• UMKC has committed fewer than 10 turnovers in four contests on the season.
• The X factor? UMKC is 7-2 this season when junior Spencer Johnson reaches double figures.
• UMKC is leading the league and rank 46th nationally in turnover margin (+2.8). The squad is also fourth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.9), fifth in steals (6.8) and fifth in assists (12.1) per game.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has moved into the top-15 in UMKC history in career rebounding, ranking 14th with 355 caroms. He also ranks 28th in the record books in career scoring with 554 points.
• Freshman Kirk Korver has made two or more three pointers in five games on the season. The 'Roos are 3-2 in such contests.
• Foul trouble has been consistently plaguing junior Jay Couisnard, as the forward has had four or more fouls in 11 games with four disqualifications.
• The 'Roos have attempted at least 24 free throws in 7-of-the-last-12 games and the squad has attempted 30 or more from the charity stripe in three of those contests. The squad is 6-1 on the year when attempting more free throws than its opposition with its lone loss coming at IPFW on Jan. 16.
• Junior Bakari Lewis has four or more assists in four of the last five games to give him a team-high 42 assists on the year.
• The 'Roos are shooting .450 from the floor and .363 from long range at home and .426 from the field and .325 from long range on the road.
• In four games at Municipal, UMKC is shooting .403 from the floor, .345 from long range and .697 from the charity stripe. In contrast, the opposition is shooting .429 from the field, .338 from three-point land and .775 from the free throw stripe.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has made 41 consecutive starts and has started 48 of the last 49 contests.
KNOCKIN' 'EM DOWN FROM LONG RANGE
Over the past three games, UMKC has been shooting the ball better from long range. The squad is averaging eight makes a night from behind the three-point arc, while shooting 40.7 percent. At Oakland on Jan. 14, the 'Roos made 10 long balls against the Golden Grizzlies. 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.
On the year, the 'Roos have five games where they have made at least eight long balls. The squad is 4-1 in such contests.
'ROOS TALLY NINTH WIN; THIRD LEAGUE VICTORY
UMKC climbed back to .500 when it secured its ninth victory of the season by beating Western Illinois on Jan. 21. The victory was the team's third Summit League win on the year, which matches last season's total. The 'Roos have already surpassed last season's overall win (7) and road win totals (3).
ANOTHER D-D FOR SPENCER
Junior Spencer Johnson tallied his second double-double in three games when he finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Western Illinois on Thursday night. The performance was Johnson's second double-double of the season and the seventh of his career.
The forward's first double-double came at Oakland on Jan. 14, when he finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. In the contest, he connected on 4-of-6 three-point attempts.
Johnson, who has scored in double digits in nine games, is fourth on the team with a 9.3 scoring average, while shooting .436 from the floor and .340 from long range. He also is pacing the team in rebounding, pulling in 5.7 caroms per game.
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 5-1 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...
• 7-1 when leading at the half.
• 6-1 when scoring at least 70 points.
• 6-1 when out rebounding their opponent.
• 5-0 when opponent scores fewer than 60 points.
• 6-4 when it has fewer turnovers than the opposition.
• 5-3 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 a team-best 14 games. The Texas native has been the team's leading scorer in nine 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 13th in The Summit League with a 12.7 points per game average, while shooting .399 from the floor and .383 from long range. He also leads the team in free throw makes (60) and attempts (94).
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 10 games and he's averaging 10.6 points, which is third best on the team, with a .515 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.
The UMKC men's basketball team will return to the hardwood on Saturday night when it hosts IUPUI at 7:05 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium. The game will be the second of a 'Roo-Jaguar doubleheader, as the women's squad hosts IUPUI at 4 p.m. to start the day. The game will be “GoRed With the 'Roos”, as a portion of the ticket sales will go to the American Heart Association.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 810 AM WHB (Steven Davis - p-b-p; Steven St. John - color)
Television: Metro Sports (Neil Harwell - p-b-p; Doug Elstun - color)
Web: Roo Vision (UMKCKangaroos.com)
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com
LAST TIME OUT
The 'Roos climbed back to .500 on the season with a 61-57 victory over Western Illinois on Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium. WIU rallied from a 10-point first half deficit in the first half and climbed to within a point late in the second half, but UMKC held on down the stretch to secure the four-point victory. Four 'Roo players finished in double figures with Jay Couisnard and LaTreze Mushatt pacing the team with 14 points apiece.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 27-54 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.
Ron Hunter is in his 16th season as the head coach of the IUPUI men's basketball program, where he has compiled a 263-201 overall record. Hunter, who is the all-time winningest coach in Jaguar history, has twice been named the Coach of the Year.
SCOUTING IUPUI
The Jaguars bring a four game winning streak into Saturday's contest, which has improved their record to 14-7 overall and 7-1 in Summit League play. On Thursday, IUPUI cruised to a 75-60 win at Southern Utah behind 24 points by both Robert Glenn and Alex Young.
Young and Glenn have been a two-headed monster for the Jaguars on the year, as the duo is averaging 18.3 and 18.1 points, respectively. Young is shooting .468 from the floor and .442 (53-120) from long range, while Glenn is leading the league with a .563 field goal percentage. Glenn is also the team's top rebounder at 6.3 per game to go along with 29 blocks. Guard Leroy Nobles is the third Jaguar player in double digits, averaging 14.4 points per game.
IUPUI is leading the league with a .496 field goal percentage and a .417 mark from long range en route to 75.0 points per game. The squad is also +0.7 on the glass, and it has a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio on the year.
IUPUI GAME NOTES
• Alex Young and Robert Glenn are the top two scorers in The Summit League, averaging 18.3 and 18.1 points respectively. Leroy Nobles, meanwhile, is 11th with his 14.4 per game average.
• The Jaguars also have the players with the top field goal percentage (Robert Glenn - .563) and the top three-point field goal percentage (Sean Esposito - .472) on the year.
• IUPUI opened the year with a 9-3 record before losing 4-of-5 games prior to its four-game winning streak. Among the losses was a tight 85-82 defeat at Oakland, which is the team's lone league loss on the year.
• The Jaguars are 4-5 in true road games this season.
• IUPUI is leading The Summit League in assists (15.6 p/game) and steals (8.8 p/game).
THE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 25th meeting in the all-time series between UMKC and IUPUI with the Jaguars holding the 15-9 advantage. IUPUI has won eight of the last nine meetings between the two squads, including five straight. The 'Roos' last win came on Feb. 17, 2007, in Kansas City.
'ROO TIDBITS
• UMKC opened its season-long three-game home stand with a 61-57 win over Western Illinois. The squad will next host IUPUI on Saturday before wrapping up the home stand with its final game at SRC against North Dakota State on Tuesday night.
• Jay Couisnard played all 40 minutes for the second time this season in the win over WIU.
• UMKC limited Western Illinois to a .373 field goal percentage. The mark is the lowest shooting percentage for a Division I opponent this season.
• Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones is fifth in The Summit League in field goal percentage at .515 (67-130). He is one of just three guards among the top-10 in the category.
• Head Coach Matt Brown used his seventh different starting line-up of the year in the win over Western Illinois.
• UMKC has won the battle on the boards in each of the last two games. The 'Roos are 6-1 this season when they out rebound their opponents.
• UMKC has committed fewer than 10 turnovers in four contests on the season.
• The X factor? UMKC is 7-2 this season when junior Spencer Johnson reaches double figures.
• UMKC is leading the league and rank 46th nationally in turnover margin (+2.8). The squad is also fourth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.9), fifth in steals (6.8) and fifth in assists (12.1) per game.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has moved into the top-15 in UMKC history in career rebounding, ranking 14th with 355 caroms. He also ranks 28th in the record books in career scoring with 554 points.
• Freshman Kirk Korver has made two or more three pointers in five games on the season. The 'Roos are 3-2 in such contests.
• Foul trouble has been consistently plaguing junior Jay Couisnard, as the forward has had four or more fouls in 11 games with four disqualifications.
• The 'Roos have attempted at least 24 free throws in 7-of-the-last-12 games and the squad has attempted 30 or more from the charity stripe in three of those contests. The squad is 6-1 on the year when attempting more free throws than its opposition with its lone loss coming at IPFW on Jan. 16.
• Junior Bakari Lewis has four or more assists in four of the last five games to give him a team-high 42 assists on the year.
• The 'Roos are shooting .450 from the floor and .363 from long range at home and .426 from the field and .325 from long range on the road.
• In four games at Municipal, UMKC is shooting .403 from the floor, .345 from long range and .697 from the charity stripe. In contrast, the opposition is shooting .429 from the field, .338 from three-point land and .775 from the free throw stripe.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has made 41 consecutive starts and has started 48 of the last 49 contests.
KNOCKIN' 'EM DOWN FROM LONG RANGE
Over the past three games, UMKC has been shooting the ball better from long range. The squad is averaging eight makes a night from behind the three-point arc, while shooting 40.7 percent. At Oakland on Jan. 14, the 'Roos made 10 long balls against the Golden Grizzlies. 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.
On the year, the 'Roos have five games where they have made at least eight long balls. The squad is 4-1 in such contests.
'ROOS TALLY NINTH WIN; THIRD LEAGUE VICTORY
UMKC climbed back to .500 when it secured its ninth victory of the season by beating Western Illinois on Jan. 21. The victory was the team's third Summit League win on the year, which matches last season's total. The 'Roos have already surpassed last season's overall win (7) and road win totals (3).
ANOTHER D-D FOR SPENCER
Junior Spencer Johnson tallied his second double-double in three games when he finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Western Illinois on Thursday night. The performance was Johnson's second double-double of the season and the seventh of his career.
The forward's first double-double came at Oakland on Jan. 14, when he finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. In the contest, he connected on 4-of-6 three-point attempts.
Johnson, who has scored in double digits in nine games, is fourth on the team with a 9.3 scoring average, while shooting .436 from the floor and .340 from long range. He also is pacing the team in rebounding, pulling in 5.7 caroms per game.
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 5-1 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...
• 7-1 when leading at the half.
• 6-1 when scoring at least 70 points.
• 6-1 when out rebounding their opponent.
• 5-0 when opponent scores fewer than 60 points.
• 6-4 when it has fewer turnovers than the opposition.
• 5-3 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 a team-best 14 games. The Texas native has been the team's leading scorer in nine 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 13th in The Summit League with a 12.7 points per game average, while shooting .399 from the floor and .383 from long range. He also leads the team in free throw makes (60) and attempts (94).
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 10 games and he's averaging 10.6 points, which is third best on the team, with a .515 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.
Players Mentioned
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