UMKC Plays Final Non-Con Road Game at Miami Saturday, Televised on KSMO
1/2/2015 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UMKC Kangaroos (5-10) at Miami RedHawks (4-8)
Date / Time: January 3, 2015 - 2:30 p.m. CT
Site: Oxford, Ohio / Millett Hall (6,400)
TV: KSMO - Kansas City
Talent: Neil Harwell, J.C. Pearson
Radio: 1510 AM
Talent: Steven Davis (pxp)
Webstream: ESPN3.com
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com (via MU)
Twitter: @TheUMKCRoos or @UMKCMensHoops #WACHoops
Series: UMKC leads 1-0
Home: 1-0
Away: 0-0
Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: UMKC won 69-55 in KC, 12/18/13
Richardson vs. Opponent: 1-0
THE GAME
The 'Roos play their final non-conference road game of the year on Saturday against Miami Univ. (Ohio) at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised back to Kansas City on KSMO. The RedHawks have won two of their last three games, and have all four wins at home this season.
QUICK NOTES
- Martez Harrison has scored 20-plus in his last two games, the first time he has done that since the opening two games of the season against Missouri and Kansas State.
- Thaddeus Smith tied a 23-year old school record on Sunday with seven blocks, matching Hall of Famer David Robinson, who set it in 1991. He is now ranks second in the WAC with 1.4 bpg.
- So far this year, the 'Roos have forced 286 turnovers and turned them into 321 points (21.4 points per game). Ten of the 'Roos 15 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 9.9, while ranking first in the WAC with a +3.1 turnover margin.
- Martez Harrison is leading the WAC in steals (2.2) and assists (4.2), while ranking second in scoring at 18.6 points per game. He is also fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.34) and fourth in free throw shooting (.754).
- 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 RedHawks come into the contest on Saturday with a 4-8 overall record, but have a 4-3 mark at home, and have won three straight there. After a six-game skid, they have won two of their last three games overall, save a loss at Ohio State.
They are led by a balanced attack of three players in double figures, starting with Eric Washington at 12.4 points per game. Geovonie McKnight is putting up 10.7 points an outing, while Will Sullivan is averaging 10 per contest. Their leading rebounder is Chris Bryant at 4.1 per outing. As a team they average only 63 points per game, but hold opponents to only 67 per contest and average 8.7 steals per game.
THE COACHES
Kareem Richardson is in his second season as the head coach at UMKC, posting a 15-30 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.
John Cooper is in his third year with Miami, posting a 26-28 overall record there. He came to MU from Tennessee State, where he coached for three seasons. He has a 69-99 overall record as a head coach. He is from Kansas City, and attended Rockhurst HS.
THE SERIES
This will be the second ever meeting between the schools, with UMKC taking a 69-55 decision in Kansas City last season. MU head coach John Cooper is a Kansas City native, and played at Wichita State. This will be the second trip to Ohio for the 'Roos this year, also playing at Youngstown State.
A WIN WOULD MEAN...
- The 'Roos would have answered a loss with a win for the sixth time this year.
- UMKC would have won six games in the non-conference, matching the most since winning that many in 2011-12.
- The 'Roos will have won three non-conference road games for the first time since 2009.
UP NEXT
The 'Roos will close their non-conference schedule on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. in Kansas City against USC-Upstate, one of the suprise teams this year among the mid-major ranks with a 10-4 record and wins over both Georgia Tech and Mississippi State.
This will be the first ever meeting between the schools.
