'Roos Kick Off Final Road Trip with Western Illinois Thursday
2/27/2013 9:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball
WIU Head Coach: Jim Molinari (Illinois Wesleyan, 1977)
Record at WIU: 66-82 (5th year) Career Record: 289-267 (19th year)
UMKC Head Coach: Matt Brown (Shippensburg, 1994)
Record at UMKC: 63-120* (6th year) Career Record: Same
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Date / Time: February 28, 2013 - 7:30 p.m. CST (approximate)
Site: Macomb, Ill. / Western Hall (5,139)
TV: None
Talent: -
Radio: 810 AM
Talent: Steven Davis (p-b-p)
Webcast: GoLeathernecks.com
Live Stats: GoLeathernecks.com
Twitter: @TheUMKCRoos
Series: Kansas City leads 26-16
Home: 17-4
Away: 9-11
Neutral: 0-1
Last Meeting: WIU won 68-63 in Kansas City, 12/1/12
Brown vs. Opponent: 4-7
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THE GAME
Notables: The 'Roos start their final regular season road swing on Thursday as they head to Macomb to face second place Western Illinois. A 'Roos win can improve their seed in the Summit League Tournament. WIU needs to win its final two games to clinch at least a share of the league crown.
Kansas City Last 5: 1-4, last time out: lost at Tennessee Tech, 68-62
WIU Last 5: 3-2, last time out: lost vs. Cleveland State, 60-54
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.
- 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.
- To get the No. 5 seed, UMKC must win both games this week and IPFW must lose to Oakland.
- To get the No. 6 seed, UMKC must record as many or more wins than South Dakota in the next two contests. Both teams play Western Illinois and IUPUI this week.
- To get the No. 7 seed, South Dakota must win one more game than UMKC this week.
- Junior Nelson Kirksey matched his career-high with 18 points against Oakland. He followed with a game-high 16 points against Tennessee Tech on Saturday, as well as a career-best eight boards.
- Estan Tyler (.443) ranks third in the league in three-point shooting, while Fred Chatmon's 7.7 rebounds per game this season rank third in the Summit League. Chatmon also ranks fourth in blocks (1.1 bpg) while Tyler is sixth in assists (3.0 apg).
- 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 has been out due to injury, sitting the last 13 games. Six different players have sat out games due to injury this season.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
The Western Illinois Leathernecks come in with a 19-7 overall record, with an 11-3 mark in Summit League play. They have gone 15-4 since the last time they played the 'Roos.
The Leathernecks are paced by their two all-conference performers in senior guard Ceola Clark and senior forward Terell Parks. Parks leads the team with 12.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while Clark averages 11.7 per contest, including 27 points against UMKC in December, as well as 109 assists and 42 steals. Adam Link is the third in double figures at 10.0 a game.
As a team the Leathernecks will slow it down, averaging 60.3 points and allowing a league-best 52.5 per outing. They hold opponents to 38.7 percent shooting.
THE COACHES
Matt Brown is in his sixth season as the head coach of the UMKC men's basketball program, and has a 63-120* 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.
Jim Molinari is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Leathernecks and has a 66-82 record there. His overall record is 289-267 after spending 11 seasons as the head coach at Bradley, and two seasons at Northern Illinois.
THE SERIES
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.
A WIN WOULD MEAN...
- Kansas City would have defeated Western Illinois on the road for the first time since February 17, 2011, the only win in the last five contests there.
- Kansas City would have its first win over a team with a winning record since defeating North Dakota State on February 9, 2012.
- The 'Roos would have defeated WIU at least once in a season for the fourth straight season.
UP NEXT
Kansas City heads to IUPUI for a 6:30 p.m. CT regular season finale on Saturday.
The Kangaroos and Jaguars are meeting for the 33rd time, with IUPUI holding a 20-12 advantage. The 'Roos have won the last two meetings, both in Kansas CIty, including a 79-65 win in the conference opener.
The Kangaroos have lost their last seven in Indianapolis, and have a 5-9 mark there. The last win there came in January of 2005.
Matt Brown has a 3-10 mark against IUPUI, while Todd Howard is 1-2 vs. UMKC as a head coach, and 19-10 vs. the 'Roos as an assistant.
