He’s good, but now UMKC’s Martez Harrison seeks to make others better

Martez Harrison did it all for UMKC last season. The point guard from Kansas City averaged 17.5 points, leading the Western Athletic Conference in that category, plus total assists and steals.

He was chosen WAC men’s basketball player of the year and became the first Kangaroo to receive votes for All-America.

But Harrison’s objective for this season isn’t to improve his numbers but those of his teammates.

“I’m not setting any personal goals for myself,” Harrison said.

OK, there is one. Harrison said he would like to improve his assist totals.

“We need more scoring,” Harrison said.

The first opportunity to work toward that goal occurred Friday. Harrison dished out six assists in UMKC’s 76-58 season-opening loss at Minnesota.

LaVell Boyd, a transfer guard, poured in 25 points for the Kangaroos and that’s a good sign. Only Harrison averaged in double figures last season.

“We need a couple more guys in double figures, a couple more at seven, eight points per game,” UMKC coach Kareem Richardson said. “It will help Martez because teams won’t be locked in on him. It can help get his percentages up.”

As a freshman, Harrison shot 43.9 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from beyond the three-point arc. Last season, those numbers dropped 39.3 and 28.0.

But more than numbers, Harrison values leadership skills. He looks to become more encouraging, and understands a team with seven newcomers requires a confident floor manager.

“That’s the biggest thing for me,” Harrison said. “I want to improve my leadership on and off the court. If it’s getting guys in the right place on the floor or getting guys in the gym, I have to do whatever it takes for us to be successful.”

UMKC was on the right path last season. In Richardson’s second year, the Kangaroos went 8-6 in WAC play and 14-19 overall. A year earlier they were 7-9 and 10-20.

Last year’s conference record topped .500 for the first time since 2006 and the Roos’ second-place WAC finish matched the best in school history. Their 6-1 home record in conference games was a school best.

The next step for the Kangaroos is postseason success. The men’s program hasn’t played beyond the conference tournament semifinals in its Division I history.

Newcomers such as Boyd, forward Kyle Steward and center Darnell Tillman add athleticism and depth to the Kangaroos, but the biggest addition is the return of Shayok Shayok.

Shayok, a Bradley transfer, got off to a solid start last season but injured his shoulder in the opener at Missouri and played in only eight games. The Kangaroos beat Mizzou that night and Shayok was averaging 8.8 points and 7.0 rebounds as the team’s top inside threat before he was lost.

The shoulder injury has lingered but Shayok chipped in five rebounds in 23 minutes against Minnesota.

“Losing Shayok last year, we didn’t have the depth to replace him and it really made us play small,” Richardson said.

He’s back and should make UMKC a more complete team, one whose top scorer wants to be its best leader.

This story was originally published November 14, 2015 at 3:22 PM with the headline "He’s good, but now UMKC’s Martez Harrison seeks to make others better."