'Roos To Face Former League Foe in Locally Televised Clash Saturday
12/5/2014 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UMKC Kangaroos (3-5) at South Dakota State Jackrabbits (3-3)
Date / Time: December 6, 2014 - 1:05 p.m. CT
Site: Brookings, S.D. / Frost Arena (6,063)
TV: KSMO-TV (local)
Talent: Neil Harwell (pxp), JC Pearson (analyst)
Radio: 1510 AM
Talent: Steven Davis (pxp)
Webstream: ESPN3.com
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com (via SDSU)
Twitter: @TheUMKCRoos or @UMKCMensHoops #WACHoops
Series: SDSU leads 11-5
Home: 3-6
Away: 2-5
Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: SDSU won 65-60 in KC, 12/28/13
Richardson vs. Opponent: 0-1
THE GAME
The 'Roos continue their road swing with former Summit League foe South Dakota State on Saturday in the first locally televised game on KSMO in Kansas City at 1 p.m. They are looking get back in the win column after a loss Wednesday at Milwaukee, while the Jackrabbits have won three of four.
QUICK NOTES
- The 'Roos are playing on the road for the seventh time in the first nine games to start the season.
- UMKC has lost five games this year. All have been by 10 points or less.
- UMKC broke the school record for steals with 22 against William Jewell last Saturday, besting the previous mark of 18 set in 2003 vs. Oklahoma State. The 'Roos also forced 33 turnovers, matching the school record set in 2003 against Norfolk State.
- Martez Harrison is leading the WAC in assists (4.63), steals (2.75) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.68), while ranking third in the league in scoring at 17.8 points per game.
- Shayok Shayok is second in the WAC in field goal percentage (.574) and fourth in rebounding (7.7), while Noah Knight is second in steals (2.3).
- UMKC leads the WAC in turnover margin (+5.62) and steals per game (11.0) as a team.
- UMKC has shown its depth early in the year, with 12 different players scoring against Missouri S&T, 11 vs. K-State 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 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 Jackrabbits enter Saturday's game with wins in three of their last four games. They knocked off Wayne State on Wednesday, but also have wins against North Dakota and Chadron State, with losses to Buffalo, Idaho and Florida Gulf Coast.
They are paced by Cody Larson with 14.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, while transfer Deondre Parks is averaging 13.8 a contest. Jake Bittle is also putting up 11.8 points a contest. The Jackrabbits have out-scored opponents by 10 points per game, while shooting 46 percent.
THE COACHES
Kareem Richardson is in his second season as the head coach at UMKC, posting an 13-25 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.
Scott Nagy is in his 20th season as head coach with the Jackrabbits, posting a 363-224 overall record. He led SDSU to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2012 and 2013, winning the Summit League Tournament both seasons.
THE SERIES
The Jackrabbits lead the series 11-5 overall and have won the last five meetings. Kansas City is 2-5 in Brookings, dropping the last two there. The last contest was a 65-60 win for SDSU last year in Kansas City. The last UMKC win at SDSU was in 2011, 63-58.
Richardson is 0-1 against SDSU while Nagy is 11-5 against UMKC.
A WIN WOULD MEAN...
- Kansas City would have snapped a five-game away losing streak.
- The 'Roos would have defeated South Dakota State for the first time since 2011 on the road.
- The 'Roos would have defeated a Division I opponent for the first time since defeating Missouri in the season opener.
UP NEXT
The 'Roos will be back on the road for a battle with nationally ranked Iowa State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in a game that will be nationally televised on ESPNU.
The Cyclones have won both meetings in the series, taking a 110-51 win over the 'Roos at Hilton Coliseum last year, the worst loss in school history. They defeated UMKC in Kansas City two seasons ago in a close game at Municipal Auditorium.
