Kansas City Selected Atop Summit League Preseason Polls
10/8/2024 9:01:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jamar Brown was picked to defend his selection as a First Team All-League Honoree
SIOUX FALLS - The second year of the Marvin Menzies era in Kansas City was marked with success, culminating in a second-place finish in the Summit League regular season. League coaches and media expect the Roos to surpass that success in year three, selecting Kansas City for a first-place finish in the league's preseason polls. Additionally, Jamar Brown was picked to defend his position as a First Team All-League player.
The polls mark history for Kansas City - the Roos have never selected for a championship finish in the preseason polls. Six different programs earned at least one first-place vote but the Roos led the pack with 17, earning 514 total points. The next closest was 2023-24 champion South Dakota State, garnering 474 points and 12 first place votes.
Brown made a splash in his first season with Kansas City and looks to continue turning heads as the only 2023-24 First Team All-League member that returns to the Summit for the upcoming season. The senior averaged 15.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game last season, logging seven double-doubles on the year. He was also voted as the league's Newcomer of the Year, ranking top-10 in the Summit in double-doubles, field goal percentage, points per game, rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game.
The Roos also return the reigning Freshman of the Year, Jayson Petty, who will look to improve upon his 6.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game averages in 2024-25. In addition to Brown and Petty, Kansas City will bring back the rest of its starting five from last year: Cameron Faas, Melvyn Ebonkoli and Babacar Diallo, a 2023-24 Summit League All-Defensive Team honoree.
Kansas City opens the 2024-25 season at home on opening day, a 7 p.m. meeting with Hannibal-LaGrange on Nov. 4. Single game and season tickets are available for purchase at kcroos.com and on the Kansas City Athletics mobile app.Â
For a first look at the 2024-25 Roos, join the team at the Kansas City Dunker's Club Tipoff Event, held at the College Basketball Experience on Oct. 25. Tickets are available here.
Summit League Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
- Kansas City (17) 514
- South Dakota State (12) 474
- North Dakota State (3) 384
- St. Thomas 308
- Oral Roberts (2) 305
- North Dakota (1) 283
- South Dakota (1) 250
- Omaha 159
- Denver 158
Men's Preseason All-League First Team
- Issac McBride, Oral Roberts (Preseason Player of the Year)
- Kendall Blue, St. Thomas
- Jamar Brown, Kansas City
- Treysen Eaglestaff, North Dakota
- Amar Kuljuhovic, North Dakota
- Kaleb Stewart, South Dakota
Men's Preseason All-League Second Team
- Oscar Cluff, South Dakota State
- DeAndre Craig, Denver
- Kalen Garry, South Dakota State
- Marquel Sutton, Omaha
- Jacari White, North Dakota State
