'Roos Hit the Road, Looking for Fourth Straight on Thursday at GCU
1/28/2015 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UMKC Kangaroos (8-13, 3-1) at Grand Canyon 'Lopes (11-10, 2-2)
Date / Time: January 29, 2015 - 8 p.m. CT
Site: Phoeniz, Ariz. / GCU Arena (7,000)
TV: Local TV (Phoenix)
Talent: N/A
Radio: 810 AM
Talent: Steven Davis (pxp)
Webstream: WAC Digital Network (free)
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com (via GCU)
Twitter: @UMKCMensHoops #WACHoops #RooUp
Series: Tied 1-1
Home: 0-1
Away: 1-0
Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: UMKC won 85-80 in Phoenix, 2/27/15
Richardson vs. Opponent: 1-1
THE GAME
The 'Roos head out on the road for the first time in two weeks this Thursday, facing Grand Canyon in an 8 p.m. CT game. UMKC looks to win four league games in a row for the first time since the season, while Grand Canyon looks to improve on a 9-5 home record after dropping its last two games on the road.
QUICK NOTES
- UMKC has started 3-0 in league play at home for the first time since 2004-05.
- Martez Harrison was named College Sports Madness WAC Player of the Week on Monday.
- The 'Roos have improved immensely on the defensive end this season, and it has been evident in the last eight games, holding opponents to only 63.8 points per outing, including a double overtime contest at Indiana State. None of those seven opponents have scored more than 70.
- So far this year, the 'Roos have forced 375 turnovers and turned them into 417 points (19.8 ppg).
- UMKC ranks No. 20 in the nation in free throw attempts (491), led by Martez Harrison, who has been a WAC-high 159 times, and ranks No. 5 in the nation individually.
- As a team the 'Roos are 12th in the nation and first in the WAC in steals per game at 8.7, while ranking first in the WAC with a +2.2 turnover margin.
- Martez Harrison is leading the WAC in steals (2.0), while ranking second in scoring (18.2) and assists (3.7). He is also fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2) and sixth in free throws (.742).
- 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).
- 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 'Lopes enter the contest with an 11-10 overall record, and are 2-2 in the WAC. They won their first two league games, but dropped two on the road last week at New Mexico State and Texas-Pan American. The 'Lopes have played 14 home games already this season, going 9-5.
Individually, they are led by guard DeWayne Russell with 17.1 points per game, while forward Joshua Braun is putting up 11.5 per contest, to go with a team-high 4.8 rebounds a game. Royce Woolridge, Jerome Garrison and Daniel Alexander each score a little over nine points per game. The 'Lopes are second in the league in scoring (68.1) and field goal percentage (.447). They allow 69.4 points per game though, ranking seventh in the conference.
THE COACHES
Kareem Richardson is in his second season as the head coach at UMKC, posting a 18-33 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.
Dan Majerle is in his second season at Grand Canyon, posting a 26-25 overall record there. He spent the previous five years as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns, where he played the majority of his career as a three-time NBA All-Star.
THE SERIES
The 'Roos are 1-1 against Grand Canyon all-time, playing twice last season. Each team won on the other's home court last year, with UMKC taking the last decision by an 85-80 score on February 27.
A WIN WOULD MEAN...
- The 'Roos would have started conference play 4-1 for the first time since 2006.
- UMKC would have won four straight games for the first time since the start of the 2010-11 season (4-0).
- The 'Roos would have won four straight in conference play for the first time since 2005 (9 straight).
UP NEXT
The 'Roos will continue their road swing on Saturday night against reigning regular season champion Utah Valley at 9:30 p.m. CT in a game that will be televised on the American Sports Network nationally (locally on KMCI 38 The Spot).
The 'Roos are 3-6 against Utah Valley all-time, and 0-4 in Orem. UMKC won the last meeting in Kansas City by a 74-56 margin, but dropped a 66-48 game in Orem, last year.
