UMKC Heads to Little Rock, Faces UALR in Maui Invitational Regional Round
11/21/2014 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UMKC Kangaroos (2-1) at UALR Trojans (1-1)
Date / Time: November 22, 2014 - 3:30 p.m. CST
Site: Little Rock, Ark. / Jack Stephens Center (5,600)
TV: None
Talent: N/A
Radio: 810 AM
Talent: Steven Davis (p-b-p)
Webstream: UMKCKangaroos.com (via UALR, free)
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com (via UALR)
Twitter: @TheUMKCRoos or @UMKCMensHoops #WACHoops
Series: Tied 1-1
Home: 1-0
Away: 0-1
Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: UALR won 59-53 at UALR, 12/30/00
Richardson vs. Opponent: 0-0
THE GAME
The 'Roos will embark on a three-game road trip, starting with Saturday's game at UALR in Little Rock as part of the EA Sports Maui Invitational Regional Tournament. The 'Roos will play the next day against either Samford or CSUN, depending on the results of Saturday's contest.
QUICK NOTES
- UMKC is ranked in the College Sports Insider Mid-Major Top 25 at 23rd as of Monday. It is the first time the 'Roos have ever been ranked in any poll.
- Martez Harrison had 11 assists on Wednesday night, a career-high and the most for a 'Roo since Marc Stricker set the school record on December 16, 1999.
- As a team UMKC hit 79.3 percent from the line vs. Mizzou and 80 percent against K-State, the two highest totals in Kareem Richardson's tenure.
- UMKC has shown its depth early in the year, with 12 different players scoring against Missouri S&T, 11 vs. K-State and 10 against Missouri.
- Martez Harrison was named the College Sports Madness Mid-Major National Player of the Week on Monday for his 26-point performance at Missouri.
- 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.
- Shayok Shayok currently leads the WAC in field goal percentage at .789, while Harrison leads the league in assists (6.3) and ranks third in scoring (20.0).
- 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.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
The Trojans come into the weekend with a 1-1 overall record after a win against Arkansas-Monticello and a loss at BYU. The Trojans were selected to finish third in the Sun Belt Conference.
They are paced by a pair of preseason All-Sun Belt players in James White and Josh Hagins, though Roger Woods leads them in scoring and rebounding at 13 and 11 per game, respectively. James Reid is second on the team with 11 points a contest. As a team UALR is averaging 69.5 points per game, and shooting 40.5 percent from three.
THE COACHES
Kareem Richardson is in his second season as the head coach at UMKC, posting an 12-21 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.
Steve Shields is in his 12th season as head coach at UALR, and has led the Trojans to six championships and one NCAA Tournament appearance, while becoming the winningest coach in school history. He has a 180-161 overall record there coming into the weekend.
THE SERIES
The 'Roos will be facing the Trojans of Arkansas-Little Rock for the first time since 2000, and the third meeting all-time. The series is tied 1-1, with each team winning on its home floor.
In the last meeting at Little Rock in 2000, the Trojans won 59-53.
A WIN WOULD MEAN...
- Kansas City would have moved to 3-1 on the season, and 2-1 in the Maui Invitational.
- UMKC would advance to the championship game of the Regional Round against the winner of the Samford/CSUN game.
- The 'Roos would be in their first tournament championship game since 2011 when it won the Chicago Invitational.
UP NEXT
The 'Roos remain in Little Rock for the EA Sports Maui Invitational on Sunday. If they match up against CSUN, it will be at 1 p.m., and if the face Samford, it will be played at 3:30 p.m. UMKC will face the school that has the same result as it does on Saturday.
The 'Roos have never faced CSUN, and are 2-0 against Samford all-time, winning at home and on the road in 1989 and 1990.
