'Roos Start Three-Game Road Swing at Indiana State Sunday
12/27/2014 5:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UMKC Kangaroos (4-9) at Indiana State Sycamores (4-7)
Date / Time: December 28, 2014 - 1:05 p.m. CT
Site: Terre Haute, Ind. / Hulman Center (10,200)
TV: None
Talent: N/A
Radio: 810 AM WHB
Talent: Steven Davis (pxp)
Webstream: GoSycamores.com (pay-per-view)
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com (via ISU)
Twitter: @TheUMKCRoos or @UMKCMensHoops #WACHoops
Series: ISU leads 1-0
Home: 0-1
Away: 0-0
Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: ISU won 74-63 in KC, 12/14/13
Richardson vs. Opponent: 0-0
THE GAME
The 'Roos are looking to snap a two-game skid on Sunday afternoon, starting a three-game road swing. They face the Indiana State Sycamores, who are coming in off a 60-56 loss to Eastern Illinois last Saturday. This will be the first time UMKC has ever played in Terre Haute, Indiana.
QUICK NOTES
- The 'Roos have four more non-conference games left, with the next three on the road. They are currently on a six-game road losing streak after the win at Mizzou to open the season.
- The 104 points vs. UIW Saturday were the most for UMKC since 2007 when it tallied 105 against Oakland. The 'Roos are second in the WAC in scoring at 70.6 points per game.
- So far this year, the 'Roos have forced 260 turnovers and turned them into 288 points (22.1 points per game). Ten of the 'Roos 13 opponents faced this year have been forced into at least 17 turnovers (all have had at least 11).
- As a team the 'Roos are seventh in the nation and first in the WAC in steals per game at 10.0, while ranking first in the WAC with a +4.2 turnover margin.
- Martez Harrison is leading the WAC in steals (2.38), while ranking second in assists (4.08) and scoring at 17.1 points per game.
- UMKC has shown its depth this year, with 12 different players scoring against Missouri S&T, 11 vs. K-State, SDSU, UIW and WJC, and 10 against Missouri, Youngstown State and Milwaukee.
- 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, in only its second season.
- UMKC is playing its second year back at Municipal Auditorium, and second in the WAC.
- 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 Sycamores are 4-7 coming into the contest after starting the season 3-1. They have wins over IUPUI and Austin Peay. Their last three losses have come by single digits.
They are led by a trio of players scoring double figures. Khristian Smith is putting up 13.1 points and 5.3 boards a game, while Devonte Brown scores 12.5 and pulls down a team-high 5.5 rebounds a contest. Brenton Scott is averaging 10.3 points per game and has a team-high 16 threes. The Sycamores shoot only 27 percent from three and score 66.6 points per game, while defensively their opponents score 71.3 points a contest.
THE COACHES
Kareem Richardson is in his second season as the head coach at UMKC, posting a 14-29 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.
Greg Lansing is in his fifth season as head coach of the Sycamores, posting an 83-62 overall record. Last year he led the squad to the NIT and a second place finish in the Missouri Valley with a 23-11 mark.
THE SERIES
This will be only the second meeting ever against Indiana State, with the Sycamores winning a 74-63 decision last year in Kansas City. UMKC led that game at halftime, but the Sycamores used a 17-2 run to take the lead in the second half
A WIN WOULD MEAN...
- The 'Roos would have snapped a six-game road losing streak.
- Kansas City would have defeated a Missouri Valley team for the first time since 2008 when it beat both Bradley and Wichita State.
- UMKC would have won five games in the non-conference, the most since winning six in 2011-12.
UP NEXT
The 'Roos will stay on the road for a contest in Buffalo, New York vs. Canisius on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. Central time.
This will be only the second ever meeting against Canisius, with UMKC winning the first contest by a 72-67 margin in 2011 at home. This will be the first time UMKC has played in Buffalo, New York since 1997 against Buffalo.
