'Roos Head to Tennessee Tech For BracketBuster Game
2/22/2013 6:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UMKC Head Coach: Matt Brown (Shippensburg, 1994)
Record at UMKC: 63-119* (6th year) Career Record: Same
TTU Head Coach: Steve Payne (Union College, 1990)
Record at TTU: 29-29 (2nd year) Career Record: Same
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Date / Time: February 23, 2013 - 7:00 p.m. CST
Site: Cookeville, Tenn. / Eblen Center (9,282)
TV: None
Talent: -
Radio: 102.9 FM / 1140 AM
Talent: Steven Davis (p-b-p)
Webcast: TTUSports.com
Live Stats: TTUSports.com
Twitter: @TheUMKCRoos
Series: Kansas City trails 3-1
Home: 1-1
Away: 0-2
Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: TTU won 84-74 in Cookeville, 2/9/91
Brown vs. Opponent: 0-0
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THE GAME
Notables: The 'Roos step out of conference play for the final time as it plays in the Ramada Worldwide BracketBuster Event, drawing Tennessee Tech. The 'Roos play their final three regular season games on the road, and then head to the Summit League Tournament in Sioux Falls.
Kansas City Last 5: 1-4, last time out: lost vs. Oakland, 86-74
TTU Last 5: 2-3, last time out: won vs. UT-Martin, 83-68
QUICK NOTES
- Kansas City announced February 7 that it will be playing its final season in the Summit League and heading to the WAC starting July 1, 2013.
- UMKC is 0-1 in BracketBuster games, falling last season at home to Wright State, 76-62.
- Kansas City will be either the No. 5, No. 6 or No. 7 seed in the upcoming Summit League Championships in Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Junior Nelson Kirksey matched his career-high with 18 points last Saturday against Oakland. He went 7-of-9 from the floor, and hit 3-of-4 from three-point range.
- Thomas Staton logged a career-high 38 minutes and scored 17 points last Saturday.
- Estan Tyler (.424) ranks fourth in the league in three-point shooting, while Fred Chatmon's 7.6 rebounds per game this season rank third in the Summit League. Chatmon also ranks fourth in blocks (1.2 bpg) while Tyler is sixth in assists (3.0 apg).
- UMKC has followed every win this season with a loss. The last time it won back-to-back games was January 19 and 21 of 2012.
- UMKC has had 10 different players score double figure points, and nine guys lead the team in points for a contest.
- The 'Roos are 6-1 (7-19 overall) on the season when Kirk Korver scores in double-figures, with the only loss coming by three to Albany.
- Alton Tanner is out due to injury, sitting the last 12 games. Six different players have sat out games due to injury this season.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Tennessee Tech enters the contest with a 10-16 overall record, and is 4-10 in conference play. The Golden Eagles won at home on Thursday night against UT-Martin, an important win in the chase for a berth in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
The Golden Eagles are led by Jud Dillard, who averages 19.1 points per game, while also pulling down 7.8 rebounds per contest. They also get 10.3 points a contest from Dennis Ogbe, who is coming off a 23-point game on Thursday night. He also grabs 5.5 boards per game. Point guard Jere Samirrapas posts 112 assists and 46 steals to lead the team.
The Golden Eagles average 64.8 points and allow 67.5 per game. They have 310 assists and 420 turnovers, but out-rebound the opposition by 1.0 per contest. They shoot 42 percent overall and only 31.7 percent from three.
THE COACHES
Matt Brown is in his sixth season as the head coach of the UMKC men's basketball program, and has a 63-119* 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.
Steve Payne is in his second season as the head coach at TTU, and has a 29-29 overall record there. He has been at Tennessee Tech since 2002, serving as an assistant and as associate head coach.
THE SERIES
Kansas City heads to Tennessee Tech for the Bracketbuster game on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in Cookeville.
The two squads have played four times in their history, but the last meeting came on February 9, 1991 with a TTU win, 84-74. The Golden Eagles lead the series 3-1, with a 2-0 advantage in Cookeville.
UMKC's lone win came on December 8, 1990 in Kansas City by a score of 87-78.
A WIN WOULD MEAN...
- Kansas City would have defeated Tennessee Tech for the first time on the road.
- Kansas City would have its first win in the BracketBuster event.
- The 'Roos would have its first road win in non-conference play since December 5 against North Dakota.
UP NEXT
Kansas City heads to Western Illinois for a 7:00 p.m. contest on the road this Thursday.
The Kangaroos and Leathernecks are meeting for the 43rd time, the most played series for UMKC in the Division I era. The 'Roos lead the series 26-16 overall, and have won three of the last fve meetings, but dropped the last two, including a 68-63 contest in KC earlier this year.
In Macomb, UMKC is 9-11 and has lost four of the last five meetings there. Its last win there was February 17, 2011, 66-61.
Matt Brown has a 4-7 mark against WIU, while Jim Molinari is 5-4 vs. UMKC.
