Menzies Coach of the Year; Four Players Honored on Summit Postseason Lists
3/7/2024 1:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Kansas City was all over the All-League lists, including a First Team nod for Jamar Brown
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Kansas City Men's Basketball soared from an eighth-place preseason ranking to a second-place regular season finish in Summit League play this year, and was appropriately represented in the Summit's postseason awards list. Head Coach Marvin Menzies was named Coach of the Year, Jamar Brown was named First Team All-League and Newcomer of the Year, Jayson Petty earned Freshman of the Year honors, Khristion Courseault is Sixth Man of the Year and Babacar Diallo was placed on the All-Defensive Team. This marks the first time in program history that the Roos have earned three Player of the Year honors.
Menzies turned things around in his second year at the helm for Kansas City, turning a 7-11 mark in conference play last year into a 10-6 record this season and earning the best regular season finish in nine seasons. After starting conference play 2-4, Menzies has led the Roos to eight wins in their final 10 games. That included a six-game winning streak to end the regular season, the longest since 2004-05 for a Kansas City team. This is the second Coach of the Year honor of Menzies' 14-year head coaching career, earning the WAC Coach of the Year honor in 2014-15.
Brown came to Kansas City after spending the first two years of his career at Phoenix College and immediately took on a leadership role, leading the team in points (15.3), rebounds (6.1) and steals (1.0) per game. His name is all over the Summit League leader board, ranking seventh in scoring, 12th in rebounding, seventh in offensive rebounding, fifth in field goal percentage, first in free throw percentage, ninth in threes per game, 25th in assists per game, 18th in blocks per game, 18th in steals per game and fifth in minutes per game. He scored in double digits in 15-of-16 league games, went for three double-doubles and scored the game-winner against Omaha on Jan. 20.
Petty came to the Roos from Phhoenix Prep and emerged as a presence in the second half of league play, playing a large role in the Roos' turnaround. In Summit play, he has ranked third on the team with an 8.56 point per game average on 43% shooting, adding 3.69 rebounds per game. He ranked 13th in the league in blocks per game and 22nd in steals per game. He has scored in double digits six times in league play, all coming within the last 10 games of the season, including a 21-point explosion with 5-of-6 three-point shooting against South Dakota on Jan. 27.
Courseault brought steady leadership to Kansas City in the final year of his collegiate career. After starting in 11 of KC's first 16 games, he came off the bench for the final 15 games of the year and found his place in the lineup. He averages 10.2 points and a team-leading 4.2 assists per game, playing 25.6 minutes per contest. In league play, Courseault has ranked 24th in the league in scoring, 11th in free throw percentage, 23rd in three-point percentage, first in assists per game, fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio and sixth in steals per game. He has scored in double digits in 10 league games and gone for double-digit assists twice, including a 22-point, 10-assist double-double against South Dakota on Feb. 22.
Diallo's second year in Kansas City has led to a new role, starting at the point guard position for much of the year. His emphasis has not changed, however, putting the defensive side of the ball first. He is often tasked with guarding the opponent's top player, leading KC to the second-best scoring defense, the top opponent three-point percentage and the second-most steals per game in league play. His average of 1.0 steals per game was tied for 14th in the league, and he went for multiple steals in four conference games.
This marks the second time in program history that Kansas City has had the Coach of the Year on the sidelines, the first coming in 2004-05 from Rich Zvosec. It is the third time that the Roos have had the Newcomer of the Year, the second Freshman of the Year and the first Sixth Man of the Year. Brown is the 11th player in program history to earn First Team All-League honors, and the first since Evan Gilyard II in 2022.
Kansas City opens postseason play in Sioux Falls, S.D. against #7 Denver in the Summit League Quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night.
Summit League Men's Basketball All-League Awards
First Team
Zeke Mayo, South Dakota State
Frankie Fidler, Omaha
Tommy Bruner, Denver
B.J. Omot, North Dakota
Jamar Brown, Kansas City
William Kyle III, South Dakota State
Second Team
Andrew Morgan, North Dakota State
Issac McBride, Oral Roberts
Raheem Anthony, St. Thomas
Tyree Ihenacho, North Dakota
Parker Bjorklund, St. Thomas
Honorable Mention
Lahat Thioune, South Dakota
Kaleb Stewart, South Dakota
Boden Skunberg, North Dakota State
Charlie Easley, South Dakota State
Touko Tainamo, Denver
All-Newcomer Team
Jamar Brown, Kansas City
Raheem Anthony, St. Thomas
Lahat Thioune, South Dakota
Kaleb Stewart, South Dakota
Amar Kuljuhovic, North Dakota
All-Defensive Team
William Kyle III, South Dakota State
Charlie Easley, South Dakota State
Babacar Diallo, Kansas City
Eli King, North Dakota
Jacari White, North Dakota State
Player of the Year:Â Zeke Mayo, South Dakota State
Newcomer of the Year:Â Jamar Brown, Kansas City
Freshman of the Year:Â Jayson Petty, Kansas City
Sixth Man of the Year:Â Khristion Courseault, Kansas City
Defensive Player of the Year:Â William Kyle III, South Dakota State
Coach of the Year:Â Marvin Menzies, Kansas City
