Preview: Men's Basketball Meets Up with KU at Sprint Center

Saturday, December 14

Kansas City, MO (Sprint Center)

4:00 PM

Kansas City

Kansas

Preview: Men's Basketball Meets Up with KU at Sprint Center

12/12/2019 12:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

Kansas City Opening Tip
• The Kansas City Men's Basketball (5-6) team faces its toughest challenge of the year Saturday with a neutral-site game against No. 2/3-ranked Kansas (8-1). Tip-off from the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City, Mo., is scheduled for 4 p.m. Limited amount of tickets are on sale by calling the KC Ticketing Department at 816-235-2752.
• The Roos are playing in the Sprint Center for the first time in school history. Built in 2007, the 19,000-plus-seat venue hosts NCAA regional tournaments and numerous nationally-renowned musical acts. So far this year, the Roos are 2-1 on neutral court as they advanced to the title game of The Island of the Bahamas Showcase.
• Playing the nationally-ranked KU Jayhawks marks the first time since Nov. 10, 2017 that Kansas City has faced a Top-25 opponent. The Roos dropped a 109-57 contest at No. 7 Wichita State back in 2017.
• Kansas City is 0-7 all-time against the Jayhawks with the last meeting coming on Dec. 6, 2016 in Lawrence, Kan.
• The No. 2-ranking is tied for the highest ranking by a Kansas City opponent in school history. The Roos also faced second-ranked Kansas back on Dec. 12, 1992. In all previous seven meetings with KU, the Jayhawks were ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll. In five of those match-ups, KU was in the top five.
• Kansas is one of three Big 12 opponents the Roos will match-up with this year. The Roos lost at Oklahoma State on Nov. 9 and at Iowa State on Dec. 4.
• The Roos will try to snap an eight-game season winning streak by the Jayhawks.

The Starting Five
1. Senior big man Javan White claims the distinction of being the only player in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) to lead (or tie for first) on the team in four statistical categories. A starter in all 11 games, White is No. 1 in scoring (12.0), rebounding (7.5), steals (1.4) and blocks (0.9). He has been the leading rebounder in seven games and been high scorer in two games.
2. There have been four different starting line-ups used this year by coach Billy Donlon. The one used most is the combo of Jahshire Hardnett, Marvin Nesbitt Jr., and Rob Whitfield in the back court with Javan White and Jordan Giles in the front court. That five-some has collected a 4-2 overall record.
3. The Roos are looking to do something that hasn't been done in nearly 16 years... defeat a Big 12 program. The last Kansas City win was against Kansas State on Dec. 30, 2003 in the 93-52 blow-out played at downtown KC's Municipal Auditorium. The Roos entered the game with a 3-6 record while K-State was 7-1 prior to the loss.
4. The Roos have succeeded in two statistical areas early on this year: assists and steals. They rank No. 1 in the WAC with 9.3 thefts and No. 2 with 13.8 assists. The squad has double-digit assists in six-of-11 games, including a school record-tying 30 in the season-opener against Avila. In five games, Kansas City has posted at least 10 steals.
5. Senior forward Jordan Giles played in his 100th career game at McNeese State on Tuesday. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native is the only active player suiting up as a Roo all four years. He owns 55 starts and has career averages of 6.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and a 46.0 shooting percentage. If he appears in 10 more games, he would enter in the top 10 list for most games played at Kansas City.

Going the Distance
• Two players have started all 11 games this year: Jahshire Hardnett and Javan White. Both are transfers playing in their final season. Hardnett is tied for first on the team in assists and fifth in scoring, while White is first in scoring, rebounding, steals and blocks.

Making a Good First Impression
• With five wins prior to Dec. 1, the Roos collected the most victories before the calendar flipped into December since the 2016-17 program went 6-2. That year was the last time Kansas City had a winning record at 18-17 overall.
• By gaining its fifth win in its ninth overall game against Western Illinois on Nov. 30, Kansas City saw early success it had not accomplished recently. Kansas City notched win No. 5 in its 14th game last year and win No. 5 in its 16th game in 2017-18.

Road Woes
• Kansas City is 0-5 this year in true road games and the numbers speak for themselves. The Roos have shot 40.1 (108-for-269) from the field and been out-rebounded by 11.8 per game. They have a -14.4 scoring margin and only make 9.8 free throws in those losses, compared to 17.0 by the opponent.

Statistical Trends
• There are a few statistical trends that equates to success for Kansas City. When the Roos do the following, they have a perfect record this year:
   - Out-rebounding the opponent: 4-0
   - Higher FG% than opponent: 4-0
   - More made FT's than opponent: 3-0

Going Deep
• Kansas City is riding a streak of 308-straight games making at least one three-pointer. The last time the team failed to connect from deep was on Jan. 22, 2000 against Oakland when the Roos were 0-for-13. This year, Kansas City averages 6.4 make's per game, which ranks fourth in the WAC. Kansas City recorded a game-high of 12 against Avila (11/5). The fewest amount was four done on two occasions.

Series History Notes vs Kansas
• Kansas City is seeking its first win in the overall series. The Jayhawks have won the previous seven meetings.
• Saturday is the first neutral-site meeting since Jan. 4, 2003 when the teams met up at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. Kansas is 2-0 against the Roos on a neutral court.

Last Time Out Against McNeese State (Tues.)
• Kansas City Men's Basketball (5-6) traveled down to Lake Charles, La., to take on McNeese State (4-6) for just the second time in its history. The Roos couldn't overcome foul trouble and the Cowboys smothering defense, falling by a final score of 82-73.
• It was a tale of two halves for Kansas City as the Roos were dominant in the first half, but were outscored 50-32 in the second half. Fouls were called at an astounding rate, as the teams combined for 61 free throw attempts. McNeese State took advantage of the whistles, going to the charity stripe for 38 attempts and converting those chances into 26 points.
• Jahshire Hardnett led the way for the Roos with 16 points. Marvin Nesbitt Jr. also added a season-high-tying 14 points.

The Do-It-All Machine
• Senior graduate transfer Javan White is first or tied for first on the team in four of the five major statistical categories: scoring (12.0), rebounding (7.5), steals (1.4) and blocks (0.9). He has compiled three double-doubles already and led the team in rebounding seven times and scoring twice.
• In conference rankings, he is tops in double-doubles, third in rebounding and 13th in scoring.

Setting Records
• Here is a list of single-game school records the Roos have set so far this year:
   - Assists in game (30) vs Avila (11/5) (tied record)
   - Made FGs in game (48) vs Bacone (11/18)
   - Scoring margin (+73) vs Bacone (11/18)

The Comeback Kids
• In the 74-68 victory over George Washington (11/22) at the Bahamas, Kansas City trailed 30-23 at the half. That marked the first time this year the Roos won in spite of trailing at halftime. The key was shooting 62.1 percent from the field in the second half and 14-of-17 (.824) from the foul line.
• Prior to that game, the last time the Roos won but trailed at the half was against South Dakota on Dec. 8, 2018. Down 40-30 at halftime, Kansas City stormed back to take the 65-63 victory.

Hitting the Century Mark
• The Roos have reached the 100-point threshold twice this year: 102 vs Avila (11/5) and 111 vs Bacone (11/18). You have to go back to the 1992-93 season when Kansas City scored at least 100 points in at least two games. That year, the Roos hit the mark three times.
• In the Division I era, Kansas City has scored 100 points three times in a season on three different occasions. Those seasons are 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1992-93 campaigns.

Road Warriors
• Kansas City will be well-traveled this year when its all said and done. The Roos host just four games at Swinney Center from Nov. 5 and ends on Jan. 2, 2020 with a home game. That's a span of 57 days and will include nine different road opponents.
• The three games at the Bahamas Showcase capped a stretch of six-of-eight games opening the year away from Kansas City. Overall, 10-of-14 non-conference games are played off the Kansas City campus.
• The longest drought is 17 days between games at Swinney: against Western Illinois on Nov. 30 and against Toledo on Dec. 17.

Stat Watch
• Two individuals are already in the top 50 for career scoring at Kansas City. Senior Jordan Giles is 25th with 693 career points in 100 career games and junior Brandon McKissic is 28th with 662 points in 72 career games.

Experience is Vital
• 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.
• 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.