'Roos Host Cougars in WAC Home Opener Saturday Afternoon
1/16/2015 2:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Chicago St. Cougars (4-14, 0-1) at UMKC Kangaroos (5-13, 0-1)
Date / Time: January 17, 2015 - 2:05 p.m. CT
Site: Kansas City, Mo. / Municipal Auditorium (9,827) Buy Tickets
TV: KSMO in Kansas City
Talent: Neil Harwell (pxp), JC Pearson (analyst)
Radio: 1510 AM
Talent: Steven Davis (pxp)
Webstream: ESPN3.com / WAC Digital Network
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com
Twitter: @TheUMKCRoos or @UMKCMensHoops #WACHoops
Series: UMKC leads 25-11
Home: 14-5
Away: 10-5
Neutral: 1-1
Last Meeting: CSU won 81-74 in Chicago, 2/8/14
Richardson vs. Opponent: 0-2
THE GAME
The 'Roos host Chicago State in their WAC home opener on Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. The contest will be televised on KSMO locally in Kansas City, with both teams looking to snap losing skids. UMKC has dropped its last four, while CSU is on a three-game skid.
QUICK NOTES
- UMKC ranks No. 17 in the nation in free throw attempts (413), led by Martez Harrison, who has been a WAC-high 130 times, and ranks No. 7 in the nation individually.
- The 'Roos have improved immensely on the defensive end this season, and it has been evident in the last five games, holding opponents to only 65.4 points per outing, including a double overtime contest at Indiana State. None of those five opponents have scored more than 70 points.
- College Hoops Daily named Martez Harrison to its half-season All-WAC team last week.
- So far this year, the 'Roos have forced 318 turnovers and turned them into 352 points (19.6 points per game).
- As a team the 'Roos are 16th in the nation and first in the WAC in steals per game at 8.9, while ranking first in the WAC with a +1.6 turnover margin.
- Martez Harrison is leading the WAC in steals (2.0), while ranking second in scoring (17.7) and assists (3.8). He is also fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2) and fourth in free throws (.746).|
- UMKC has been hit hard by the injury bug this year, with seven different scholarship players missing games due to injury, including Shayok, Smith, Holliday, Knight, Jennings, Wedel and Rivas.
- 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.
- Mason Wedel made the decision to retire from playing basketball in late December.
- 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 Cougars enter the weekend on a three-game skid and dropped their WAC opener at Texas-Pan American last week. Their last win came against Omaha on December 29. That is the only common opponent between UMKC and CSU
Individually, they have played 18 guys this season, led by Clarke Rosenberg with 12 points per game. Anthony Glover is second on the squad with 8.3 points per outing, and eight players average at least 4 per game. Last time out, Trayvon Palmer and Joshua Meier each scored 17 points, while also pulling down a combined 18 boards. The Cougars are 17th in the nation, averaging 8.8 steals per game. They only score 58.6 points per game, while allowing 68.8 a contest.
THE COACHES
Kareem Richardson is in his second season as the head coach at UMKC, posting a 15-33 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.
Tracy Dildy is in his fifth season at Chicago State and has a 38-80 overall record. Las year he led the Cougars to a fourth place finish in the WAC and the No. 3 seed in the postseason tournament. In 2012-13, he helped the Cougars to the Great West Conference Tournament title.
THE SERIES
This will be the 37th overall meeting in a series that goes back to 1989, and UMKC leads with a 25-11 overall record, including a 14-5 mark in Kansas City. The 'Roos were swept by Chicago State last year, with both games coming down to the final minutes.
A WIN WOULD MEAN...
- The 'Roos would have started conference play 1-0 at home for the first time since 2012.
- UMKC would have won against CSU for the first time since 2007 when the two were in the Summit League.
- The 'Roos will have snapped a two-game home losing streak.
UP NEXT
The 'Roos will continue their home stand with a contest against Bakersfield on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. The contest will be televised on KSMO, and UMKC will be giving away a semester's worth of tuition to a qualified UMKC student in attendance.
The 'Roos are facing Bakersfield for the third time, splitting the series a year ago. Each team won on the other's home floor, with both games decided by five points or less.
