Courtesy: UMKC Athletics/MSH Photography
The UMKC men's basketball team will...
The No. 8 seed UMKC men’s basketball will return to action on Saturday night when it faces top-seeded Oakland in the quarterfinal round of The Summit League Championship in Sioux Falls, S.D. The game pitting the ‘Roos against the Golden Grizzlies will be played at Sioux Falls Arena at 6 p.m. and be televised live on Metro Sports.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 1140/1160 AM (Steven Davis - p-b-p; Nick McCabe- color)
Television: Metro Sports (Neil Harwell - p-b-p; Doug Elstun - color)
Web: SummitTV (www.thesummitleague.org)
Live Stats: www.thesummitleague.org
LAST TIME OUT
The ‘Roos closed out the regular season with an 89-72 loss to Oral Roberts on Feb. 27 at Municipal Auditorium. Three UMKC players reached double figures in the defeat with sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones leading the way with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men’s basketball program, where he has compiled an 30-62 overall record and has coached three players to all-Summit League recognition. Former forward Dane Brumagin was a second team all-league honoree and Reggie Hamilton was an all-newcomer team selection in 2007-08, while Brumagin earned an honorable mention all-league nod in 2008-09. Last season, Brown guided the ‘Roos to a pair of wins over Missouri Valley Conference foes Wichita State and Bradley. It was just the third time in school history for the team to beat two MVC teams in the same season.
Greg Kampe is in his 26th season as the head coach of the Oakland men’s basketball program, where he has compiled a 442-322 overall record. Kampe guided the Golden Grizzlies to the NCAA Tournament in 2004-05 and has led the squad to eight 20-win seasons.
UMKC-OU - SEASON SERIES
The Grizzlies swept the season series over the ‘Roos, winning 87-73 in Rochester on Jan. 14 and 83-71 in Kansas City on Feb. 13. UMKC shot .437 from the floor and .395 from long range en route to averaging 72.0 points per game, while Oakland shot 55.6 percent from the field and .432 from three-point land en route to 85.0 points. OU was also +7.0 on the glass and it averaged 15.5 assists per game. Four ‘Roo players averaged in double digits in the two games with Trey McKinney-Jones leading the squad with 18.5 points on .577 percent shooting.
SCOUTING OAKLAND
The Grizzlies, which are ranked No. 8 in this week’s CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll, have won eight straight and 17-of-18 games to close out the regular season with a 23-8 overall record and a 17-1 mark in Summit League play. Oakland’s margin over victory over the final three contests was just 15 points (5.0 p/game) despite the squad playing all three games in Rochester at the O’Rena.
Four OU players average in double figures on the season with center Keith Benson leading the way 17.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.3 blocks. Benson is shooting .545 from the field and .733 from the charity stripe. Guard Johnathon Jones is second on the team with 12.7 points and 6.5 assists per game, Derick Nelson averages 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds and Larry Wright chips in 10.8 points, while shooting .923 from the free throw line.
The Grizzlies shoot .449 from the floor, .326 from long range and .713 from the stripe en route to averaging 76.7 points per game. Oakland is also +4.1 on the glass this season and it averages 13.5 assists per outing.
OU GAME NOTES
• Keith Benson and Johnathon Jones were first team all-league selections, while Derick Nelson was a second team all-league honoree. Larry Wright, meanwhile, earned all-newcomer team honors. Benson was also selected as The Summit League Player of the Year, while head coach Greg Kampe was named The Summit League Coach of the Year.
• The Grizzlies enter the tournament with recent history on its side, as the last four league champions have been the top seed. The last non-No. 1 seed to win was Oakland in 2005, when it captured the title as the No. 7 seed over Oral Roberts.
• Oakland’s 23 victories this season tie a Division I record for most wins in a single season. The Grizzlies also notched 23 wins last season. The team’s 17 league wins and its .944 winning percentage are Summit League records.
• Keith Benson was named The Summit League Player of the Week on March 1. It was his fifth league accolade this season.
• Johnathon Jones ranks third in the nation with 6.5 assists per game, while Keith Benson is eighth with 3.3 blocked shots per contest. Benson’s 102 total blocks are an Oakland school record and the fourth most in Summit League history.
THE SERIES
Saturday’s game will be the 27th meeting in the all-time series between UMKC and Oakland with the Golden Grizzlies holding the 20-6 advantage. OU has won the last seven contests over the ‘Roos, which includes a pair of victories this season. The last win in the series for UMKC came on Feb. 15, 2007, in overtime (80-76) in a game that was played at Kemper Arena.
The two squads have squared off twice in post season play with Oakland holding a 2-0 record. The Grizzlies upset the ‘Roos as the No. 7 seed in 2005, winning 67-63 and as the No. 2 seed in 2006-07, 83-79. Both match-ups were contested in Tulsa, Okla.
COUISNARD EARNS POST SEASON RECOGNITION
Junior Jay Couisnard was named to The Summit League all-Newcomer and Honorable Mention all-League teams after leading the ‘Roos and ranking ninth in the league with a 14.3 scoring average. The forward is the second straight UMKC student-athlete to earn honorable mention all-league honors, as Dane Brumagin received the accolade at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season. He is also the ninth ‘Roo to be selected to the all-newcomer squad and the second honoree in the Matt Brown era (Reggie Hamilton - 2007-08).
UMKC’S SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNEY HISTORY
UMKC will be making its 14th league tournament appearance this weekend in Sioux Falls. The ‘Roos have posted a 5-13 record in tournament play and they have advanced to the semifinals on five occasions (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007). The 2010 tournament will mark the first time that UMKC has entered the field as the No. 8 seed.
POST SEASON EXPERIENCE
The ‘Roos enter The Summit League Tournament as the second least experienced team in the field behind Western Illinois, as the UMKC roster has a grand total of three games of post season experience (compared to one game for WIU). Junior Jay Couisnard played in two MVC post season tournaments during his time at Evansville, while junior Spencer Johnson competed in the post season for the ‘Roos during his freshman year in 2007-08.
‘ROO TIDBITS
• The 14-point win over Centenary on Feb. 25 was UMKC’s largest margin of victory in a Summit League game this season.
• Junior Spencer Johnson was not among the starting five for the first time in 50 games on Feb. 25 against Centenary. The last game he didn’t start was Nov. 30, 2008, vs. Florida. Johnson has started 58-of-60 games the last two years.
• UMKC dominated the action on the glass, out rebounding Centenary 44-25 on Feb. 25. The +19 margin was the greatest for the squad this season. The ‘Roos have won the battle on the boards in 12 contests this season, where they have posted an 8-4 record.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has reached double digits in each of the last two games, averaging 13.5 points per outing. It was the forward’s 13th game in double figures this season. UMKC is 9-4 when Johnson reaches double figures on the year.
• UMKC has made 16 three-pointers over the past two contests, which were the most for the squad in consecutive games since late January. The nine triples against ORU were the most since Jan. 30 when the ‘Roos netted nine treys in the road loss at Southern Utah.
• The ‘Roos are 8-4 this season when junior Jay Couisnard attempts eight or more free throws in a game. Overall, UMKC is 9-2 when it attempts more free throws than its opposition. The squad is 58-of-67 (.866) from the stripe over the last three games.
• Sophomores Trey McKinney-Jones and LaTreze Mushatt tallied career-highs in points in the loss to Oakland on Feb. 13. McKinney-Jones finished with 22 points, while Mushatt netted 21. It was the first time this season that a pair of players netted 20 or more points in the same game and the first time since Dec. 4, 2008, against Oakland for the ‘Roos to accomplish this feat.
• Junior Spencer Johnson moved into seventh place in school history in career rebounding with his seven board outing vs. Centenary and he now has a total of 425 caroms. The forward also ranks 25th in career scoring with 627 points.
• Sophomores LaTreze Mushatt and Trey McKinney-Jones are eighth and 10th, respectively, in The Summit League in field goal percentage at .476 and .474.
• Freshman Kirk Korver has made two or more three pointers in nine games on the season and he is tied for third on the squad with 26 long balls. The total is the ninth most by a freshman in school history. His .382 three-point percentage, meanwhile, is the fourth best mark by a freshman in the annals.
• Foul trouble has been consistently plaguing junior Jay Couisnard, as the forward has had four or more fouls in 18 games with eight disqualifications.
• In wins, UMKC is averaging 72.9 points on .449 shooting from the floor and .355 from long range in victories. The squad has also shot 85 more free throws than its opponent. The opposition, meanwhile, shoots .415 from the field, .341 from distance and averages 16.7 turnovers per game.
• In losses, the ‘Roos average 62.2 points with a .403 field goal percentage and a .328 mark from three-point land. The opposition, meanwhile, shoots .520 from the floor, .379 from long range and has attempted 149 more free throws than UMKC.
• UMKC’s reserves average 19.4 points per game.
DA, DA, DA... DADADA
Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones had the “No. 1 Top Play of the Day” on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top-10 plays from Thursday, Feb. 25. The guard took the ball on a fast break and leaped over top of Centenary’s Matt Marseille for the two-handed flush midway through the first half.
McKinney-Jones scored 19 points and grabbed nine boards in the contest, as the ‘Roos went on to win the game over the Gents, 83-69.
TWICE AS NICE
The ‘Roos had two players - Jay Couisnard (20 pts./10 reb.) and Spencer Johnson (10 pts./11 reb.) - tally double-doubles in the 65-56 victory over IPFW on Feb. 11. It was the first time that two players recorded a double-double in the same game since Dec. 4, 2008, when Dane Brumagin (29 pts./10 reb.) and Spencer Johnson (20 pts./13 reb.) accomplished the feat against Oakland.
ROCKMANN TAKES THE COURT
Freshman Max Rockmann has appeared in all four games, averaging 12.3 minutes per outing, since becoming eligible on Feb. 18 at IUPUI. In his debut against the Jaguars, the forward netted nine points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting.
The Germany native missed the first 25 games of the season due to transfer regulations and NCAA rules regarding amateurism.
JC = ONE DOZEN
Junior Jay Couisnard has scored in double digits in each of the last 12 contests for the ‘Roos, as he extended his streak with a 15-point outing against Oral Roberts on Feb. 27. Since the streak began on Jan. 21, Couisnard is pacing the squad with a 16.8 average during the stretch, while shooting .416 (61-149) from the floor and .807 (67-83) from the free throw stripe. Couisnard tallied his first and second career double-doubles during the streak, finishing with 18 points and 13 rebounds at North Dakota State and 20 points and 10 boards against IPFW. Additionally, he scored 20 or more points in four games and 18 or more in six contests. Couisnard has also picked up his productivity on the glass, pulling down 5.9 caroms per game.
MUSHATT AVERAGING 14.2 OVER LAST SIX
Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt is having a productive stretch for the ‘Roos, as the forward has reached double digits in five of the last six contests. During the stretch, the forward netted a career-best 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the home loss to Oakland.
During the six-games, Mushatt is averaging 14.2 points and 6.5 rebounds, while shooting 54.1 (33-61) from the floor and 44.4 percent (4-9) from long range. Against Centenary on Feb. 25, he notched his second career double-double, finishing with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds. It was his second double-double this season against the Gents (17 pts./10 reb. on Dec. 5).
Mushatt has provided the ‘Roos with a steady scoring option this season, as he has reached double figures in 18 contests. The Michigan native is second on the team with 11.3 points per, while shooting a team-best .476 from the floor, which ranks eighth in The Summit League. He is also second on the team with 5.5 rebounds per game, and he’s paced the squad on the glass in a team-best 12 contests.
