Meet a Roo: Anderson Kopp

Anderson Kopp is a senior guard on the UMKC men’s basketball team who is one of the few players returning for the 2022–2023 season. In this brief sitdown, Anderson discusses his excitement for the upcoming season, his journey to UMKC, and even some of the changes the team will see under a new coaching staff.

You are originally from Houston, Texas, and went to Lamar College in Beaumont, Texas from 2019–2020. What led you to leave your hometown state and come to Kansas City in 2021?

I was recruited by former coach Billy Donlon, who actually coached my older brother and recruited him when he was at Northwestern, so the connection was already there. I got to do a virtual tour of UMKC and fell in love with the city and campus on the zoom call. I ended up taking a visit there (UMKC) and committed right away. It was kind of a small-town feel, but I liked that.

Considering how important the relationship was with Coach Donlon, what ultimately led you to come back under a new staff while you were in the transfer portal?

I was in the portal for about two-to-three weeks while we were searching for a new coach. Coach [Marvin] Menzies ended up giving me a call and was a really relational and personal guy who just wanted to have lunch with me. He really wanted me to come back but didn’t press or force anything upon me. Our beliefs and visions really lined up when we talked and hit it off right away. I took a few days afterward to pray and talk it over with my family, and ultimately, I was all in.

With a new coaching staff and a big roster turnover, what do you see your role looking like this season?

As a senior, I believe that being a leader will be important, especially with eight freshmen joining us. Mentoring and pushing those guys with the 3 years of experience I have under my belt is something I want to do. On the court, I have a lot of responsibility to perform. I feel like my game is at a different level than it’s been before. I think I’ve really matured on and off the court, and I think that’ll help me excel both on and off the court.

What, in your opinion, is different about this team considering the new coaching staff and the huge roster turnover? Will the playing styles be different for guys like you?

As far as play style goes, we’re going to be a lot bigger than we were a year ago. We’ve got a couple of 7-footers and some other tall guys who can also really move. I think we’re going to play a lot more in transition and more up-tempo. Coach Menzies and others are great basketball minds that will put us in the best positions to win, and I think being bigger gives us a better matchup with some of these other teams who are lengthy.

As far as training goes, what are you doing to make sure you’re able to fit what coach Menzies is looking for this season?

I like to take the lifts first thing in the morning. I switched up my cardio this year from past years. I used to hit a lot of hills, but I’ve done things such as playing tennis for 2-3 hours and my body feels like it’s in great shape. Obviously, I’ll get shots up, but I’ll try to make 300 threes and shoot above 70%. It’s a lot of work, but [I’m] working smarter, not harder. I shot 42% from three last year and I still have so much room to improve. Outside of that, just regular things like ice baths and stretching to stay healthy going into the year.

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