UMKC Starts Second Half of WAC Play at Bakersfield Thursday
2/3/2016 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UMKC Kangaroos (9-13, 2-5 WAC) at CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners (15-7, 5-2 WAC)
Date / Time: February 4 - 9 p.m. CT
Site: Bakersfield, Calif. / Icardo Center (3,800)
TV: None
Talent: N/A
Listen:UMKCKangaroos.com (free)
Talent: Steven Davis (pxp)
Webstream:Roadrunner Sports Network
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com
Twitter: @UMKCMensHoops #RooUp
Series: CSUB leads 3-2
Home: 1-2
Away: 1-1
Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: CSUB won 83-72 in KC, 1/9/16
Richardson vs. Opponent: 2-3
QUICK NOTES
- Shayok Shayok, Dashawn King, Kyle Steward and Grant Leach have all set career-highs in scoring the last three games. The Roos have been much more balanced on offense as a result in the last three, with five players averaging at least 11 points per game during that span.
- UMKC finished the first half of the WAC schedule allowing 75.3 points per game in conference play, while putting up 74.4 points per contest. Last year at this point the Roos were scoring 63.3 points and allowing only 60.7 per outing in WAC games.
- Martez Harrison is the WAC's active career leader in points (1,410), threes made (111), free throws made (443), steals (137), and assists (339).
- Harrison is fifth on the UMKC scoring chart with 1,410 points, he needs 33 points to tie Michael Jackson for fourth at 1,443. He also needs just five assists to tie Tony Dumas for fourth all-time.
- Harrison's 132 free throw attempts are 67th and 101 free throw makes are 66th in the country. LaVell Boyd is 64th with 57 threes made.
- LaVell Boyd is the first player under Kareem Richardson to hit 50 threes in a season (57).
- UMKC has several players in the WAC rankings. Martez Harrison and LaVell Boyd are 3rd and 11th in scoring in the WAC at 15.7 and 13.3 ppg. Shayok Shayok is second in field goal percentage (.557). Harrison is 5th in assists (4.5), while sitting 5th in steals (1.3) and 7th in free throw percentage (.763). Boyd is 6th in three-point percentage (.406) and 4th in three point makes per game (2.5).
- UMKC is ranked No. 272 in the RPI rankings as of Monday, fifth highest in the WAC.
- The Roos non-conference strength of schedule is No. 146 in the nation, first in the WAC.
- The Kangaroos matched the school record for best home start at 7-0.
- UMKC finished its non-conference schedule with seven wins, marking the most for the Roos since the 2010-11 team also had seven. The last team with eight or more: 2001-02 team, with 10.
- The 'Roos are facing 10 schools this season that went to postseason tournaments last year (South Dakota St., UT-Martin, Iowa, Louisville, UNC-Wilmington, Oklahoma St., USC-Upstate, Seattle, New Mexico State and Grand Canyon). So far UMKC is 3-7 against those teams.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
The Roadrunners enter the contest with a 15-7 overall record and are 5-2 in WAC play. They come off a 78-74 win over Utah Valley on Saturday.
They have a balanced attack, led by senior post Aly Ahmed at 14.5 points and 6.6 rebounds a contest. Kevin Mays puts up 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds a game, while Baylor transfer and sharpshooter Damiyne Durham scores at 12.4 points an outing. Also in double figures is Dedrick Basile at 11.5 a game. As a team, they are holding opponents to 65 points a game, while scoring 73 ppg.
THE COACHES
Kareem Richardson is in his third season as the head coach at UMKC, posting a 33-52 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.
His second season in Kansas City as the head man was another step in the right direction in 2014-15, and generated several program firsts. The 8-6 WAC record was the first above .500 at UMKC since 2005-06, and its second place finish matched the highest ever in league play. UMKC finished with a 6-1 WAC home record, the best in school history in conference play.
Rod Barnes is in his fifth season at Bakersfield and has a 72-76 record there. He posts a 258-265 overall record as a head coach. He was the head coach at Ole Miss for eight years prior to taking the job at Georgia State for four seasons.
THE SERIES
The Roos are 2-3 overall against CSU Bakersfield, dropping the last two contests, including an 83-72 home loss on Jan. 9. The Roos are 1-1 in Bakersfield, with both games coming down to a last second shot.
A WIN WOULD MEAN...
- The 'Roos would have won for the first time on the road since November 21 vs. Drake.
- The 'Roos would have won back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 12 and 19.
- Missouri-Kansas City would have defeated CSUB for the third time in the series, evening its record vs. them at 3-3.
UP NEXT
The 'Roos continue the road swing on Saturday at Seattle for a 9 pm CT tip. The game will be televised on ASN/KSMO.
The 'Roos are 4-2 all-time against Seattle, and 1-1 on the road against them. UMKC won the meeting on January 7 by an 84-69 score. This will be the seventh all-time meeting.
