A Look at the New Roos

 After a devastating first-round exit in the 2023 Summit League Conference Tournament, scoring phenom RayQuawndis Mitchell announced his declaration for the NBA draft and exit from Kansas City basketball. With one of his most prominent and consistent leaders exiting the team, Kansas City men’s basketball head coach Marvin Menzies needs to be even more adamant about his star recruitment in the offseason. Menzies recognized the challenge and accepted it with grace.

  It isn’t an easy job to find college recruits. It’s an even harder job to find a recruit that can fill the shoes of a player like Mitchell. Coaches can’t exactly rely on players straight out of high school to lead the team to a March appearance. It’s easy for the Blue Bloods like Kansas and Duke to grab those types of freshmen, but Kansas City blue is a different shade. But why worry about finding an elite first-year when there are experienced transferring players who have proven themselves previously? 

  Transfer guards Jamar Brown and Cameron Faas are two of Menzies’s three new Roos who will help next year’s squad expunge the streak of Summit League Conference Tournament first-round exits. 

  When you talk about a player supplementing Mitchell’s role, Brown is a clear candidate to fill the position. At 6’5”, Brown averaged 23 points and 10 rebounds per game at Phoenix College shooting a 50/44/82 split. These numbers very justifiably earned him the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year Award.

  Brown’s quickness and eagerness to run in transition, not to mention his limitless range three-point shooting, will pair tremendously with current Roo senior guard Shemarri Allen. With his ability to play on and off-ball efficiently and smoothly, he will offer fluidity in the offense that Kansas City lacked last year. On top of his scoring, his glass-cleaning skills will make the already dominant team seem unstoppable, as the Roos averaged 37 rebounds per game.

  Along with Brown, the 6’6” versatile sniper Cameron Faas will aid in the Roos’ low three-point percentage (28% last season). Faas shot 52% from long range at Scottsdale Community College and averaged 13.7 points per game. Faas’ 2023 season highlight reel consisted of predominantly shooting the three, and I could watch him shoot the ball for an hour straight. His quick release makes it almost uncontestable when recovering from defensive rotations. Menzies should be eager to have someone with his capability to stretch the floor.

  With two of three recruits coming from Arizona, why not keep the streak alive? While coaches can’t rely on incoming freshmen to lead their teams, they can certainly trust them to round out the roster. 

  Jayson Petty, a 6’4” guard out of Phoenix Prep, is exactly the three-and-d addition Menzies needed. His 6’9” wingspan gives him a great reach to apply defensive pressure, and his hustle gives him the passion to use it. Petty is another great shooter as well, shooting 48% from beyond the arc. 

  Pure athleticism gives Petty the edge around paint protectors and makes him able to finish strong around the rim. As a spark plug off the bench, a player like him adds to the depth of the young Roos for next year. 

  Kansas City started off strong this off-season. In my eyes, they have filled the exact roles that they were desperate for. These three players seemingly make this team a more intimidating opponent for next year, and it’ll be fun to watch the execution of the new look Roos.