Men's Basketball Hits the Road

Thursday, January 27

Denver, CO

8:00 PM

Kansas City

Denver

Photo by: Ryan Weaver Photography

Men's Basketball Hits the Road

1/26/2022 10:05:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Full Game Notes

The Roos will take on Denver tomorrow at 7 p.m. and Omaha on Saturday at 7 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City Men's Basketball rides a three-game winning streak into this week's trip to Denver and Omaha, matching the longest streak of the season.

Kansas City Notes

After Anderson Kopp and Jack Chapman each logged 20-plus point games against Spurgeon on Monday, the Roos became one of just five schools in Division One with seven players to post 20-point games throughout the season.
After a stretch from Nov. 27 through Dec. 20 where he only reached double-digits once, Evan Gilyard II has scored 10-plus in seven of the Roos' last eight games, including two 30-point showings. He is the first Roo since 2010-11 to notch three 30-point games in a season.
The 20-point mark is a good sign of how the Roos are playing. In the past 18 games, Kansas City is 7-0 when they have at least one 20-point scorer.
Kopp and Gilyard are the Roos' biggest threats from beyond the three-point arc, combining to knock down 57% of the Roos' triples on the year.
While not a potent scorer, Shemarri Allen is efficient from inside the three-point arc. He knocks down two-point shots at a 64.8% clip on the year. He also ranks second on the team in both blocks and assists.
A defensive-minded team, the Roos have had eight players notch games with at least three steals this year. Marvin Nesbitt Jr. leads the way with 1.3 per game.

Last Time vs. Denver

Just over a week ago, the Roos played host to the Pioneers, where KC fell 55-63 in a low scoring affair.
The Roos forced 26 Denver turnovers, committing less turnovers than their opponents for the sixth consecutive game.
Evan Gilyard II contributed a team-high 16 points in 36 minutes, knocking down four three-pointers on the night.
Anderson Kopp scored 12 points and grabbed a team-best seven rebounds.
Arkel Lamar tallied 13 points and led the team with three assists.
Marvin Nesbitt Jr. tied his season-high with two blocks.

Series History vs. Denver

Kansas City holds a 6-3 series lead, holding the 2-1 advantage since returning to The Summit League.
Before last season, the Roos hadn't faced the Pioneers since 2003 when Michael Watson led KC to a 72-68 victory over Denver in Municipal Auditorium.
KC has yet to win a game in Denver, but this week's game will be their first opportunity in 19 years.
The greatest margin of victory dates back to December 17, 1990 where the Roos prevailed 101-73 over the Pios.
The Roos average 73.3 points per game when playing the Pioneers.

Denver Scouting Report

The Pioneers enter this game 8-14 overall and 4-5 in conference play, coming in with a two-game win streak.
Denver's most recent win came over Omaha in a lopsided 94-63 decision.
Denver has one of the lowest scoring offenses in the league, averaging just 69.5 points per game.
The Pios struggle to convert free chances at the charity stripe, coming in at the bottom of league standings with a 68.9% free throw percentage as a team.
KJ Hunt leads the offensive production for Denver, averaging 15.3 points per game, good for seventh best in the league. He also dishes out the most assists with 3.5 per game.
Tevin Smith is coming off of an 18-point performance against Omaha in just 24 minutes of play.

Last Time vs. Omaha

The Roos began the new year with a nail biter in the Swinney Center, defeating Omaha 64-61.
Arkel Lamar paced the Roos off the bench with a season-high 20 points and seven rebounds. It was his first 20-point performance since his days at UMBC, dropping 20 against the University of New Hampshire on Jan. 3, 2018.
Kansas City forced 23 turnovers, leading to 32 points off turnovers.
Marvin Nesbitt Jr. filled the stat sheet with 16 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Evan Gilyard II dished out a career-high-tying seven assists and grabbed three steals.
The Roos scored 38 points in the paint and 10 fast break points.

Series History vs. Omaha

The Roos and Mavs are tied 5-5 in their series all-time, but KC is on a three-game winning streak when facing Omaha.
Kansas City has yet to win a game in Omaha. The last time they played in Baxter arena, the Roos fell 89-95 in overtime on Nov. 17, 2015.
The greatest margin of victory by Kansas City was the 10-point win on Feb. 12, 2021, a 62-52 decision.
The smallest margin of victory came in KC's most recent win less than a month ago.
Coach Billy Donlon looks to continue his unbeaten streak against Omaha since their return to The Summit League.

Omaha Scouting Report

The Mavericks enter this game 3-17 overall. Two of their three wins have come against Summit League teams, defeating Western Illinois and North Dakota.
Omaha currently holds a 2-7 record in Summit League play and comes into this week with a five-game losing streak.
Their two league victories are their only NCAA Division I wins this season.
The Roos and Mavericks lone common opponent is SIUE, both teams dropped these non-conference matchups with KC falling 56-60 and Omaha losing 65-75.
Omaha's offense and defense comes in last in The Summit League with a 15.6 differential in points per game and points allowed by their opponents.
Nick Ferrarini leads the Mavs' scoring efforts with 10.4 points per game, ranking 20th in the Summit.
Felix Lemetti also holds a .358 three-point field goal percentage and 2.2 threes per game, which is top-ten in the league from long distance.