'Roos Face Blue Tigers in Home Opener Tuesday Night
11/12/2012 5:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Date / Time: November 13, 2012 - 7:05 p.m. CST
Site: Kansas City, Mo. / Swinney Recreation Center
TV: None
Radio: 102.9 FM / 1140 AM
Talent: Steven Davis (p-b-p), Steven St. John (analyst)
Webcast: UMKCKangaroos.com (Subscribers Only)
Talent: Steven Davis (p-b-p), Steven St. John (analyst)
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com
Twitter: @TheUMKCRoos
Series: Kansas City leads 1-0
Home: 1-0
Away: 0-0
Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: UMKC won 78-52 at home on 11/17/09
Brown vs. Opponent: 1-0
THE GAME
Notables: The home opener for UMKC, this is the the fourth year in a row the 'Roos have faced a Division II team to open the home slate, and the fifth time in Brown's six seasons overall. Under Brown, Kansas City is 3-2 in home openers. The contest is counted as an exhibition for Lincoln, and a regular season game for Kansas City.
Kansas City Last 5: 0-5 (lost last 4 of 2011-12)
Lincoln Last 5: 0-5 (lost last 3 of 2011-12)
QUICK NOTES
- Under Brown, UMKC is 17-9 in non-conference home games.
- Junior center Fred Chatmon recorded a career-high with eight rebounds against Seton Hall.
- Kansas City enters the season with four returning starters in Trinity Hall, Estan Tyler, Thomas Staton and Kirk Korver.
- UMKC also has seven letterwinners returning to the lineup, six of which played in at least 26 games.
- Despite the seven returnees, Kansas City still has only two seniors on the roster (Staton, Reid).
- There are five newcomers to the team, with three of them being transfers (Tanner, Johnson, Kirksey).
- The 'Roos 39-point loss to Seton Hall in the opener was the seventh worst in school history.
- The 36 points scored was the fewest since tallying 31 against Wisconsin on 11/22/11.
- Matt Brown is the fifth head coach in the Division I era. He is entering his sixth season at the helm, matching the second-longest tenure of any coach in school history.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Lincoln, a Division II member of the MIAA, posted a 4-22 overall record last season, and went 4-16 to finish last in its conference. This season the Blue Tigers are 0-2 so far, playing in a season opening tournament against Minnesota State-Moorhead (L, 72-67) and Wayne State (L, 77-61). The game is an exhibition for Lincoln.
The Blue Tigers are led by junior Shakir Preston, who is averaging 15.5 points a game, as well as a team-best eight assists. Junior center Sean Harris is averaging 14 points and hitting 85.7 percent from the floor, while junior forward Charles Cole has put up 13.5 ppg with four threes. Guard Cedric Ridle is the top returner, averaging 9.5 points and 8 rebounds per contest.
As a team they are being out-scored by 10.5 points and out-rebounded by six per game, while shooting 46.2 percent.
THE COACHES
Matt Brown is in his sixth season as the head coach of the UMKC men's basketball program, and has a 56-99* overall record at the helm. Brown joined the 'Roos as the eighth head coach in school history on April 12, 2007. He has coached eight players to All-Summit League recognition.
His most successful season came in 2010-11 when he posted his only winning record at 16-14 overall. The 'Roos also had the third-most home wins in school history, going 11-4 in Kansas City, and the third-most overall wins in program history that season.
John Redmond is in his fourth season as the head coach at Lincoln, and has a 12-69 record there. Last season he led the Blue Tigers to a 4-22 overall record, and finished 10th in the MIAA. Before becoming head coach, Redmond was an assistant for two seasons there.
THE SERIES
The Kangaroos and Blue Tigers are meeting for the second time, with UMKC holding a 1-0 advantage. The last meeting came on November 17, 2009, with the 'Roos taking a 78-52 win.
The 'Roos are 4-1 against teams in the MIAA, with a 2-0 mark against Truman State, a 1-0 record vs. Lincoln, a 1-0 clip vs. Washburn, and a 0-1 record vs Northwest Missouri State. All of these meetings have taken place during the tenure of Matt Brown.
A WIN WOULD MEAN...
- UMKC would be 5-1 vs. teams from the MIAA during the tenure of Matt Brown.
- The 'Roos would have moved to 4-2 in home-opening games under Brown.
- Kansas City would be .500 in season for the first time since December 22 of last season when it was 7-7.
UP NEXT
Kansas City will head to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Tipoff in Uncasville, Connecticut. The 'Roos will face Albany on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT at the Mohegan Sun Arena, before facing either Loyola (Md.) or Norfolk State on Sunday.
Kansas City is meeting Albany for the first time ever. It has a 1-1 mark vs. Norfolk State, last meeting in 2003 in Kansas City with UMKC taking an 80-56 win. The 'Roos have never played Loyola (Md.).
