Photo by: Kansas City Athletics
Preview: MBB Hosts Avila in 2019-20 Season Opener
11/4/2019 3:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
2019-20 Kansas City Men's Basketball Notes
• A new era of Kansas City Men's Basketball begins Tuesday with the Roos hosting Avila University (1-0) from Swinney Center at 8 p.m. The game is part of a doubleheader with the women's team facing Denver at 5 p.m. Chancellor Agrawal has announced the day as Roo Blue Tuesday.
• New head coach Billy Donlon enters his first season with high expectations. Donlon arrived to KC from Big Ten schools Northwestern and Michigan, where he was an assistant coach for the past three seasons. The UNC-Wilmington graduate brings a 109-94 career coaching record, with six years (2010-15) at Wright State (Ohio) University under his belt.
• Kansas City begins its 34th season of NCAA Division I Men's Basketball and seventh year as members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Last season, the Roos were 11-21 overall and finished seventh in the conference standings.
• The 2019-20 team is comprised of six returners and 10 newcomers. In addition to new head coach Billy Donlon, there are seven new assistants on his staff, including his dad, Bill Donlon.
• Kansas City is meeting up with Avila for the third time in its NCAA Division I history and for the third-straight season. The Roos are 2-0 against the Eagles, winning by scores of 94-58 last year and 89-58 in 2017. Both contests were in Kansas City.
• A NAIA Division I institution, Avila is a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference with an enrollment of 1,200 and located in the south part of Kansas City, Mo. Head coach Bill Sloan is in his fourth season holding a 25-61 overall record.
• The Eagles opened up the year with an 87-82 victory against Baker this past Saturday. Brandon Phillips (22) and Shandon Boone (21) each poured in over 20 points in the winning effort. The team connected on 48 percent from the field.
• Senior Rob Whitfield (11.0 ppg) and junior Brandon McKissic (10.5) are the returning letter winners that averaged double-digits in scoring last season. Overall, 53% of the scoring returns for the 2019-20 campaign.
• McKissic, an All-WAC Defensive Team member, is joined by senior Jordan Giles (8.4 ppg) and junior Marvin Nesbitt Jr. (4.3 rpg), as the trio of returning starters who received a starting nod in at least 60% of last year's games.
• The Roos are trying to snap a four-game losing streak in season-openers. The last win to open up the year was in the 2014-15 lid-lifter against Missouri in Columbia, Mo., and a 69-61 victory.
• Tuesday's home game marks the first time since the 2013-14 campaign when the Roos opened up a season on its home court. The Roos dropped a 81-76 decision to Emporia State on Nov. 8, 2013 at Municipal Auditorium.
• Coach Donlon is trying to become just the second sideline general in the 34-year history of NCAA Division I basketball to win his first game. The other was coach Rich Zvosec as he won his debut on Nov. 17, 2001 in a road victory at Wisconsin - Green Bay (W, 48-47).
• Senior Jordan Giles is the only player on the Kansas City roster who is in his fourth season with all his games played in a Roo uniform. He has appeared in 89 games and has compiled 620 career points, which is No. 37 on the school chart.
• Playing on-campus at the redesigned Swinney Center, the Roos will host 13 contests, including three non-conference opponents in November. Their remaining 18 regular-season games will be held on the road.
• For the first time in the NCAA Division I era (since 1986-87), the Roos will be playing all home games (non-conference and
conference) at their on-campus facility, the Swinney Center. Last season, the Roos moved all of their conference games to Swinney, and hosted non-conference contests at the downtown Municipal Auditorium. As a side note, during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, Kansas City hosted one game each year at Municipal Auditorium with the remainder at Swinney Center.
• Coach Donlon is building a program that seeks a winning season for the first time since the 2016-17 season (18-17). The Roos have had a .500-or-better record just twice in the last 14 seasons.
• A schedule highlight occurs on Dec. 14th at one of the newest jewels of college basketball arenas -- the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City, Mo. The Roos will face the nationally-ranked University of Kansas Jayhawks for the first time since Dec. 6, 2016.
• In addition to an entirely-new Roo coaching staff, there are 10 newcomers that dot the Kansas City roster. Of those 10 fresh faces, five are transfers. Amongst the freshmen, Franck Kamgain hails from Kansas City, Mo.
• This basketball season marks the final for the Roos as members of the WAC. After seven years, Kansas City will join the Summit League for the 2020-21 academic year (July 1, 2020) and be immediately eligible for all conference championships that Kansas City sponsors. The announcement was made June 20, 2019.
• A new era of Kansas City Men's Basketball begins Tuesday with the Roos hosting Avila University (1-0) from Swinney Center at 8 p.m. The game is part of a doubleheader with the women's team facing Denver at 5 p.m. Chancellor Agrawal has announced the day as Roo Blue Tuesday.
• New head coach Billy Donlon enters his first season with high expectations. Donlon arrived to KC from Big Ten schools Northwestern and Michigan, where he was an assistant coach for the past three seasons. The UNC-Wilmington graduate brings a 109-94 career coaching record, with six years (2010-15) at Wright State (Ohio) University under his belt.
• Kansas City begins its 34th season of NCAA Division I Men's Basketball and seventh year as members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Last season, the Roos were 11-21 overall and finished seventh in the conference standings.
• The 2019-20 team is comprised of six returners and 10 newcomers. In addition to new head coach Billy Donlon, there are seven new assistants on his staff, including his dad, Bill Donlon.
• Kansas City is meeting up with Avila for the third time in its NCAA Division I history and for the third-straight season. The Roos are 2-0 against the Eagles, winning by scores of 94-58 last year and 89-58 in 2017. Both contests were in Kansas City.
• A NAIA Division I institution, Avila is a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference with an enrollment of 1,200 and located in the south part of Kansas City, Mo. Head coach Bill Sloan is in his fourth season holding a 25-61 overall record.
• The Eagles opened up the year with an 87-82 victory against Baker this past Saturday. Brandon Phillips (22) and Shandon Boone (21) each poured in over 20 points in the winning effort. The team connected on 48 percent from the field.
• Senior Rob Whitfield (11.0 ppg) and junior Brandon McKissic (10.5) are the returning letter winners that averaged double-digits in scoring last season. Overall, 53% of the scoring returns for the 2019-20 campaign.
• McKissic, an All-WAC Defensive Team member, is joined by senior Jordan Giles (8.4 ppg) and junior Marvin Nesbitt Jr. (4.3 rpg), as the trio of returning starters who received a starting nod in at least 60% of last year's games.
• The Roos are trying to snap a four-game losing streak in season-openers. The last win to open up the year was in the 2014-15 lid-lifter against Missouri in Columbia, Mo., and a 69-61 victory.
• Tuesday's home game marks the first time since the 2013-14 campaign when the Roos opened up a season on its home court. The Roos dropped a 81-76 decision to Emporia State on Nov. 8, 2013 at Municipal Auditorium.
• Coach Donlon is trying to become just the second sideline general in the 34-year history of NCAA Division I basketball to win his first game. The other was coach Rich Zvosec as he won his debut on Nov. 17, 2001 in a road victory at Wisconsin - Green Bay (W, 48-47).
• Senior Jordan Giles is the only player on the Kansas City roster who is in his fourth season with all his games played in a Roo uniform. He has appeared in 89 games and has compiled 620 career points, which is No. 37 on the school chart.
• Playing on-campus at the redesigned Swinney Center, the Roos will host 13 contests, including three non-conference opponents in November. Their remaining 18 regular-season games will be held on the road.
• For the first time in the NCAA Division I era (since 1986-87), the Roos will be playing all home games (non-conference and
conference) at their on-campus facility, the Swinney Center. Last season, the Roos moved all of their conference games to Swinney, and hosted non-conference contests at the downtown Municipal Auditorium. As a side note, during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, Kansas City hosted one game each year at Municipal Auditorium with the remainder at Swinney Center.
• Coach Donlon is building a program that seeks a winning season for the first time since the 2016-17 season (18-17). The Roos have had a .500-or-better record just twice in the last 14 seasons.
• A schedule highlight occurs on Dec. 14th at one of the newest jewels of college basketball arenas -- the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City, Mo. The Roos will face the nationally-ranked University of Kansas Jayhawks for the first time since Dec. 6, 2016.
• In addition to an entirely-new Roo coaching staff, there are 10 newcomers that dot the Kansas City roster. Of those 10 fresh faces, five are transfers. Amongst the freshmen, Franck Kamgain hails from Kansas City, Mo.
• This basketball season marks the final for the Roos as members of the WAC. After seven years, Kansas City will join the Summit League for the 2020-21 academic year (July 1, 2020) and be immediately eligible for all conference championships that Kansas City sponsors. The announcement was made June 20, 2019.
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