Men's Basketball Back at Home to Take on Tommies, Leathernecks

vs. St. Thomas (WATCH | STATS | TICKETS)
vs. Western Illinois (WATCH | STATS | TICKETS)

Starting Five

After falling in heartbreaking fashion at Oral Roberts last weekend, Kansas City returns to the Swinney Center, where it holds a record of 3-3, to take on St. Thomas and Western Illinois. The Roos have won their last two games at home, defeating Lindenwood and South Dakota.
After shooting 0-of-15 from three-point range last season and beginning this year 0-of-4 from deep, Shemarri Allen has established himself as a three-point threat this season. The senior has knocked down 13 triples on the season at a 34.2% rate, and is averaging 1.3 per game over the past six contests.
As a team, the Roos have begun to knock down the long range shots with more consistency. In the past seven games, the Roos are shooting the three at a 34.8% rate after converting on just 26.4% in the first 10 games. The Roos' overall three-point percentage of 29.7% ranks 321st in the nation, but their recent 34.8% clip would rank in the top-140.
A trend to watch for the Roos comes from the charity stripe. On the season, they are averaging about 1.4 fewer free throw makes per game than their opponents. In games which KC outscores its opponent from the free throw line, the Roos are 5-3. When they make less free throws, they are 0-8.
One of the best teams in the nation on the boards, Kansas City has won the rebounding battle in 3-of-4 games to begin conference play. As a team, the Roos rank first in the Summit and top-65 in the nation in rebounding margin (5.1), offensive rebounds per game (13.59) and total rebounds per game (38.53).

St. Thomas Notes

Kansas City and St. Thomas met for the first time last season as the Tommies began their transition to the Division One level.
The Roos took both meetings, including a 81-72 win in the Swinney Center on Feb. 3.
In that game, KC was led by 23 points from Evan Gilyard II, and a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double from Marvin Nesbitt Jr.
St. Thomas has been one of the best teams in the conference to begin the year, out to a 13-6 overall record, 4-2 in conference play.
The Tommies have three double-digit scorers on-roster, led by Andrew Rohde's 15.2 point per game average.

Western Illinois Notes

The Roos hold an advantage over the Leathernecks in the all-time series, 29-17, including wins in each of the last three games.
The longest winning streak in the series came from 2000-07, when Kansas City won 16-straight meetings.
The Roos' most recent victory over WIU came on Feb. 5, 2022, a 91-82 win in Kansas City. Five Roos reached double-digits, including an 11-point performance from Shemarri Allen, his lone double-digit game last year.
This season, Western Illinois has a 9-7 record and has gotten out to a 2-3 start to conference play.
Trenton Massner averages 15.8 points per game and ranks first in the league in assists and steals per game.
As a team, the Leathernecks lead the league in three-point defense, holding teams to 31.5% shooting from deep.

Men's Basketball Back at Home to Take on Tommies, Leathernecks

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Shemarri Allen

Evan Gilyard II

Marvin Nesbitt Jr.

Men's Basketball Back at Home to Take on Tommies, Leathernecks

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Shemarri Allen

Evan Gilyard II

Marvin Nesbitt Jr.

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