The Kansas City Roos Eliminated in the First Round Against the Omaha Mavericks
March 4, 2023
A collapse. That’s really the only term that can be used to describe the end of this season.
Ending the regular season on a five-game skid, then losing to the 10-seeded Omaha Mavericks in the first round of the Summit League Championship Tournament was certainly not the plan for Head Coach Marvin Menzies entering the season.
This game was a disappointment. From start to finish, Omaha had the lead. The Mavericks shot 47.2% from the field and 40% from behind the arc in the game. They only shot 6/21 in the second half and still ended up beating the Roos by 12 points.
Fouls were an issue for the Roos in the second half. With 2:47 remaining in the game, down by 17, graduate guard RayQuawndis Mitchell fouled out of the game. They picked up 14 fouls in the second half alone.
Kansas City missed having two of their star players injured. Both sophomore forward Allen Mukeba Jr. and junior guard Shemarri Allen both suffered season-ending injuries before the tournament.
Since losing Mukeba, the Roos averaged 54.4 points per game going into Friday night. Allen’s 59 steals were sorely missed on the defensive front, while his ability to facilitate the offense was noticeably absent. Having these two dynamic players would have minimized the damage done by the Mavericks on both sides of the ball.
A positive of tonight’s game is that freshman guard, Tyler Andrews, picked up the first double-double of his career with 20 points and 11 rebounds. In a game with so many negatives, it is nice to see a freshman show signs of high talent. Coach Menzies sees the same.
“That’s a kid who has three more years to play,” Menzies said. “And now you add talent and experience with him. And you bring all the guys who were injured, back. You can’t get too high with the highs, you can’t get too low with the lows.”
While there were games where Kansas City was wholly and completely outclassed and outplayed, including this one, this season really comes down to bad luck. There was a point, right after the St. Thomas loss in February, where the Roos could have ended up anywhere from the three seed to the 10 seed in the Summit League. Injuries plagued the season.
Coach Menzies told media members that he wants to build a legacy in Kansas City. Most importantly, he wants to win a championship.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that our goals and opportunities ahead of us are still there,” Menzies said.
To watch the entire press conference, click here.
