Men's Basketball Opens New Year at Oral Roberts

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Starting Five

Kansas City closed out the 2022 year by starting Summit League play with a 2-1 record, and will open 2023 with a meeting at Oral Roberts. In the past five years, Kansas City is 4-1 in its first game after the New Year. All-time, the Roos hold a 16-19 record in such games.
Shemarri Allen and RayQuawndis Mitchell have established themselves as one of the most dominant scoring duos in America. With five 20-point games each, the pair have the most combined 20-plus point games of any duo in the Summit League. In addition, as of Jan. 3, the pair were one of just 14 duos in the NCAA with five-or-more 20-point games each.
The three-ball has continued to be a marker of Kansas City's success on the year. When shooting above 30% from three-point range, the Roos hold a 5-2 record. When that mark reaches the 40% threshold, Kansas City owns a 3-0 mark. In games which the Roos shoot under 30% from the three, the team holds a 1-8 mark, with the lone win coming against Indiana State.
At his current pace, Jeff Ngandu would have one of the best shot-blocking seasons in Kansas City history. The freshman is currently blocking shots at a 1.6 blocks per game rate, ranking third in the Summit League and 75th in the nation. If the season ended today, that mark would be tied for the third-best in program history and the best by a freshman.
The beginning of conference play has seen an emergence from Tyler Andrews. The freshman is averaging 7.7 points through three Summit League games.

Oral Roberts Notes

ORU is Kansas City's most-played opponent in program history, with Saturday marking the 39th meeting all-time. The Golden Eagles hold a 27-11 advantage in the series, including 17 wins in the last 18 meetings.
Last season, ORU took a season sweep over the Roos, including a 91-86 decision on Feb. 12, the most points the Roos allowed all season.
KC's last win over the Golden Eagles came on Jan. 24, 2021, an 81-76 win. The Roos were led by Brandon McKissic, who went for 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
This year, Oral Roberts is out to a 12-3 record, including a 3-0 start in conference play. After beginning the year 3-3, the team has won its last nine games.
The Golden Eagles are one of the best offensive teams in the nation, ranking first in the Summit in assists, scoring offense and threes per game.
Max Abmas leads ORU and the Summit League with an average of 19.7 points per contest. In four games against KC, Abmas has averaged 22.5 points per game.

University of Missouri Kansas City Athletics