Kangaroos Head to Kansas State for Monday Night Showdown
11/16/2014 7:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UMKC Kangaroos (1-0) at Kansas State Wildcats (1-0)
Date / Time: November 17, 2014 - 7:10 p.m. CST
Site: Manhattan, Kan. / Bramlage Coliseum (12,528)
TV: Fox Sports Midwest
Talent: Ben Boyle (p-b-p) and Stan Weber (analyst)
Radio: 102.9 FM / 1140 AM
Talent: Steven Davis (p-b-p)
Webstream: UMKCKangaroos.com (via K-State)
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com (via K-State)
Twitter: @TheUMKCRoos or @UMKCMensHoops #WACHoops
Series: UMKC trails 16-1
Home: 1-6
Away: 0-10
Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: KSU won 52-44 on 12/29/12 in Manhattan
Richardson vs. Opponent: 0-0
For tickets to the game in the "UMKC section" call 816-23-KCTIX (52849)
THE GAME
The 'Roos and Wildcats will be meeting for the first time ever with both squads undefeated as both teams won their season openers on Friday night. The two squads will top off at 7:10 p.m. on Fox Sports Midwest. They are meeting as part of the EA Sports Maui Invitational Opening Round.
QUICK NOTES
- The win over Missouri on Friday marked the first against a BCS school for UMKC since Dec. 30, 2003 when it defeated Kansas State 93-52 in Kansas City.
- Martez Harrison's 15 made free throws on Friday was the most for a UMKC player since 1994 when first-round NBA Draft Pick Tony Dumas sunk 18 in a game. As a team UMKC hit 79.3 percent from the line, the highest in Kareem Richardson's tenure.
- This contest is also part of the EA Sports Maui Invitational opening round. UMKC will play in the mainland regional rounds on Nov. 22-23 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
- UMKC is in its second season under head coach Kareem Richardson, and is playing its second year back at Municipal Auditorium, and second in the Western Athletic Conference.
- In Richardson's first year, he led the team to a fifth place finish in the WAC, and the fourth seed in the conference tournament, both of which were the highest since 2006 at UMKC.
- The attendance in 2013-14 increased 36 percent from the previous year.
- Martez Harrison was named WAC Freshman of the Year last season. The Kansas City, Mo. product averaged 17.2 points per game.
- The roster currently has eight players from the Kansas City area, the most ever at UMKC (previous record set last season with seven).
- UMKC also has eight players that are completely new to the roster this year.
- There is only one player (Mason Wedel) on the current roster that was not recruited by this coaching staff.
- UMKC returns four redshirts, two of which sat out last season due to Division I transfer rules in Reese Holliday (Toledo) and Shayok Shayok (Bradley).
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
The Wildcats come in with a 1-0 record after a 30-point win over Southern Utah in their opening game on Friday night. They went 20-13 overall last season, advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
KSU returns nine letterwinners and three starters, including All-Big 12 performers Marcus Foster and Thomas Gipson. They had six players in double figures on Monday against SUU, led by 18 from Nigel Johnson. He and Javon Thomas also had five assists each in the outing, while the Wildcats forced Southern Utah into 24 turnovers.
THE COACHES
Kareem Richardson is in his second season as the head coach at UMKC, posting an 11-20 record. He was named the sixth coach in the Division I era on March 19, 2013 after helping Louisville to a National Championship in 2013 as an assistant under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino.
He brings 14 years of Division I coaching experience to the fold, as well as four years playing at the Division I level, graduating from Evansville in 1997.
Bruce Weber is in his third season as the head coach at Kansas State after coaching stints at both Illinois and Southern Illinois. He has led the Wildcats to NCAA Tournament appearances the last two seasons, and a Big 12 regular season co-title. He has a 48-21 mark at KSU and is 361-176 all-time.
THE SERIES
UMKC will be playing the Wildcats for the 18th time in the Division I era, with KSU holding a 16-1 record. The 'Roos are 0-10 against the Wildcats in Manhattan, with K-State taking a 52-44 game in the last meeting on Dec. 29, 2012. The only win in the series for UMKC came in 2003 when the 'Roos pulled off a shocking 93-52 win.
A WIN WOULD MEAN...
- Kansas City would have started the season 2-0 for the first time since 2010.
- UMKC would have defeated BCS opponents in back-to-back games for the first time ever, and two in a year for first time since 1993-94.
- The 'Roos would have recorded their 13th win against a BCS team at the Division I level (8 different teams).
UP NEXT
The 'Roos will open the home portion of their schedule on Wednesday night, playing their only on-campus game for student/staff appreciation. They are facing Missouri S&T, and the contest will tip at 7:05 p.m. from Swinney Recreation Center.
The 'Roos will be facing the Miners for the first time in the Division I era, but played them during the NAIA days. The last meeting was all the way back in 1979.
