'Roos Start Huge Three-Game Road Swing at Chicago State Saturday
2/13/2015 10:19:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UMKC Kangaroos (10-15, 5-3) at Chicago State Cougars (6-19, 2-6)
Date / Time: February 14, 2015 - 2:05 p.m. CT
Site: Chicago, Ill. / Jones Convocation Center (7,000)
TV: KSMO - Kansas City / ESPN3
Talent: Neil Harwell (pxp), JC Pearson (analyst)
Radio: 810 AM
Talent: Steven Davis (pxp)
Webstream:ESPN3.com
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com (via ESPN)
Twitter: @UMKCMensHoops #WACHoops #RooUp
Series: UMKC leads 25-11
Home: 15-5
Away: 10-5
Neutral: 1-1
Last Meeting: UMKC won 64-62 in KC, 1/17/15
Richardson vs. Opponent: 1-2
THE GAME
The 'Roos start a critical stretch of three road games on Saturday, facing Chicago State in a 2:05 p.m. tipoff. The contest will be televised back in Kansas City on KSMO, with a webstream on ESPN3. Both teams are playing well as of late, with UMKC winning 5-of-7, while CSU has won 2-of-3. The only loss for the Cougars in the last three was an overtime contest against league-leading NMSU.
QUICK NOTES
- UMKC is currently in a tie for second place with Grand Canyon in the WAC standings, with six games to play. If the season ended today, it would be the No. 2 seed in the WAC Tournament.
- The 'Roos have improved immensely on the defensive end this season, and it has been evident in conference play, holding opponents to only 62.8 points per outing (71.4 in non-conference).
- UMKC is the highest it has been in the standings eight games into conference play since 2005-06. That season it finished third in the standings.
- So far this year, the 'Roos have forced 445 turnovers and turned them into 486 points (19.4 ppg). - UMKC ranks No. 42 in the nation in free throw attempts (559), led by Martez Harrison, who has been a WAC-high 179 times, and ranks No. 7 in the nation individually.
- As a team the 'Roos are 12th in the nation and first in the WAC in steals per game at 8.5, while ranking first in the WAC and 26th in the nation with a +3.0 turnover margin.
- Martez Harrison is leading the WAC in steals (1.8), while ranking second in scoring (18.0) and assists (3.9). He is also eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3) and free throws (.732).
- UMKC has been hit by injuries this year, with eight different scholarship players missing games due to injury, including Shayok, Smith, Holliday, Knight, Jennings, Wedel, Rivas and Franceschi.
- The roster currently has eight players from the Kansas City area, the most ever at UMKC (previous record set last season with seven).
- 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 having won two of their last three games, with wins over Grand Canyon and UTPA. Their only loss in the stretch came in overtime against league-leading New Mexico State. They are 6-19 overall and 2-6 in WAC play.
Individually, they have played 18 guys this season, led by Clarke Rosenberg with 11.6 points per game. In WAC play, Trayvon Palmer leads the team with 11.5 points per contest, while Joshua Meier puts up nine a game. Both guys are pulling down 6.3 rebounds per contest. The Cougars are averaging 8.2 steals per game. They only score 59.3 points per game, while allowing 68.4 a contest.
THE COACHES
Kareem Richardson is in his second season as the head coach at UMKC, posting a 20-35 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 40-85 overall record. Last 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 38th overall meeting in a series that goes back to 1989, and UMKC leads with a 26-11 overall record, including a 10-5 mark in Chicago. The 'Roos were swept by Chicago State last year, but won at home earlier this season.
A WIN WOULD MEAN...
- The 'Roos would have won back-to-back road games for the first time this year.
- UMKC would have won its 11th game of the season, the most since 2011 when they won 16.
- The 'Roos would have won at Chicago State for the first time since 2006.
UP NEXT
The 'Roos will continue their road swing in a rare Wednesday night contest at Seattle, which will tip at 9 p.m. Central. The contest will be available to watch on the WAC Digital Network.
The 'Roos are 3-0 all-time against the Redhawks, winning earlier this year in Kansas City by a 75-55 margin. This will be the fourth meeting between the schools, with UMKC taking a 95-84 win in Seattle last year.
