Starting introductions
The Washburn Ichabods will open the 2011-12 season with a pair of South Central Regional contests against Arkansas-Monticello on Nov. 11 and against Arkansas-Fort Smith on Nov. 12 at the South Central Shootout in Bartlesville, Okla. Following the games in Oklahoma, Washburn will again head on the road to the Tarleton State Classic on Nov. 18-19 in Stephenville, Texas.

Game Quick Facts . . .
Game No. 1
Washburn (0-0) vs Arkansas-Monticello -- Washburn Game Notes
Date: Nov. 11, 2011
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Bartlesville, Okla.
Arena: at Bartlesville (Okla.) High School
Radio: KTPK 106.9 FM
Online Audio: wusports.com (free)
Online Video: None
Television: None
Live Stats: None
Rankings: None
Washburn Coach: Bob Chipman (Kansas State, 1973) - 696-288, 33rd season
Arkansas-Monticello head coach: Allen Sharpe (Lipscomb, 2000) - 14-13, 2nd season
Series History: First meeting

Game No. 2
Washburn (0-0) vs Arkansas-Fort Smith -- Washburn Game Notes
Date: Nov. 12, 2011
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Bartlesville, Okla.
Arena: at Bartlesville (Okla.) High School
Radio: KTPK 106.9 FM
Online Audio: wusports.com (free)
Online Video: None
Television: None
Live Stats: None
Rankings: None
Washburn Coach: Bob Chipman (Kansas State, 1973) - 696-288, 33rd season
Arkansas-Fort Smith head coach: Josh Newman (Arizona State, 1997) - 98-53, 6th season
Series History: First meeting

Ichabods on the radio
Washburn basketball games can be heard live on KTPK 106.9 FM. The game can also be heard on the internet at www.wusports.com by following the “Live Audio” link on the basketball schedule page. Four-time Kansas Sportscaster of the year Bruce Steinbrock will have the call on Friday's game and Greg Atagi will have the call on Saturday's game.

The coaches
Washburn Ichabod head basketball coach Bob Chipman is in his 33rd season at the helm of the Ichabod basketball program. Chipman is 696-288 (.707) overall and he has 455 wins since the Ichabods joined the MIAA - the most of any teams in the league since the 1991-92 season. Chipman has led the Ichabods to the MIAA Tournament 19 times collecting an all-time league-best 29 wins going 29-16 with a .675 winning percentage during tournament play. In home games, Chipman has amassed a 406-77 (.840) record going 352-65 in Lee Arena and 54-12 in Whiting Fieldhouse. Chipman is 11th amongst all NCAA II coaches in winning percentage who have coached at least 10 seasons. Among that group, he is second in all-time coaching victories in active coaches in career victories. Among all coaches who have at least 10 years experience in DII, he is 25th in winning percentage and seventh in victories. At Washburn he has led the Ichabods to 11 conference regular season titles (9 MIAA), 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and the 1987 NAIA National Championship.

Arkansas-Monticello head coach Allen Sharpe is in his second season as the head ocach of the Boll Weevils. He is 14-13 on the UAM sidelines.

Arkansas-Fort Smith head coach Josh Newman is in his sixth season leading the Lions to a 98-53 record.

Last time out for the Ichabods • OU 85, WU 59• 11/6/11
NORMAN, Okla. -- A 22-2 run in the first half was too much for the Ichabods to overcome in an 85-59 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners.
After trailing 42-27 at the end of the first half, Washburn cut the lead to 13 after a steal by Bobby Chipman leading to a lay up by Will McNeill. After the teams traded baskets and the Ichabods were down by 15 at 46-31 with 17 minutes to play in the game the Sooners used a 14-2 run to increase their lead to 27 and would stretch it to as many as 30 at 65-35 before the Ichabods would cut the lead back to 22 at 69-47 with 6:47 to play in the game. However the Sooners went on a 25-7 run to end the game.
In the first half, the Ichabods were limited to 8 of 21 shooting from the field while they were outreboudned 25 to 11. The Sooners were 12 of 31 from the field including 5 of 11 from 3-point range. Washburn was 2 of 7 from behind the arc in the opening stanza.
Will McNeill led the Ichabods for the second straight exhibition game with 23 points. He scored 21 against UNLV on Nov. 1. He was 6 of 15 from the field and 10 of 12 from the free throw line while adding four steals.
Steven Pledger led the Sooners with 24 points off the bench.
Washburn finished 18 of 57 from the field while the Sooners were 27 of 57 hitting 47 percent of their shots. Washburn was outrebounded 49 to 29 in the game. The Ichabods did force 24 Sooner turnovers leading to 19 points while the Ichabods coughed the ball up 20 times.

Ichabod season Preview
Ichabods eye return trip to NCAA Tournament
The Ichabods will have many new faces this season as the Washburn Ichabods look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and for the 12th time since joining the MIAA. Washburn dropped a heartbreaker in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament falling in overtime to Missouri Southern, but this season the Ichabods have a talented cast of newcomers returning and several newcomers who will have an immediate impact on the squad this season. Washburn returns only one starter from last season who started at least 14 games in sophomore guard Jeff Reid, who is Washburn's leading returning scorer from last season at 9.9 points per game. Also returning is Will McNeill, who missed all of the 2010-11 season after suffering a broken bone in his foot during the first week of practice. As a sophomore during the 2008-09 season, McNeill was a member of the all-MIAA defensive team averaging 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. Washburn will have to mix of 10 newcomers to the squad who will have just a couple of weeks to mesh as they will open the season with a pair of exhibition games against NCAA Division I opponents in Nevada-Las Vegas and Oklahoma before opening the regular season at the South Central Regional Shootout in Bartlesville, Okla., on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12. Washburn will also take on regional qualifier Tarleton State in the Texans' Invitational before returning home to face Peru State in its home opener on Nov. 22. After taking on Newman and Nebraska-Omaha, a 20-game MIAA schedule awaits starting at Northwest Missouri on Dec. 3.

Guards
The Washburn Ichabod backcourt will have 10 new faces in the mix for minutes this season. Sophomore shooting guard Jeff Reid averaged 9.9 points a game last season and will be the team's leading returning scorer. Junior guard Will McNeill will be a welcomed addition back to the Ichabod line up after missing all of the 2010-11 season with a broken bone in his foot suffered in the first week of practice. Returning players include Mitch Allen, who averaged 2.9 points a game last season making nine starts playing in all 28 games. Newcomers this season include transfers Dejuan Lofton from South Mountain Community College, Martin Mitchell from Southwest Tennessee, Leon Flowers from Colorado State-Pueblo via Hutchinson Community College and Jared Henry from Johnson County Community College. Incoming freshmen include Dalton Abel from Carbondale, Kan., and Kyle Wiggins from Leavenworth, Kan. Bryce Simons, a junior from Topeka will redshirt the upcoming season.

Forwards
Despite losing two outstanding forwards in All-American Logan Stutz and second team all-MIAA pick De'Andre Washington, the Ichabods will have a balanced attack to help make up for nearly 36 points a game the two averaged each night. Junior Bobby Chipman is the most experienced of the group returning after having played in 54 games making 19 career starts. He averaged 4.6 points and 3.2 rebounds a game. Sophomore Alex North scored an average of 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds a game last season but over the final eight games of the season he averaged 6.2 points and 4.3 rebounds an outting including 13 against Lincoln. Fellow sophomore Zack Riggins is healed from suffering a concussion last season while receiving a medical redshirt. Newcomers include a pair of junior transfers and a freshman. Junior Joseph Smith averaged 10.3 points and 9.2 rebounds a game as a sophomore at State Fair Community College and David Brown scored 13.1 points and had 10.4 rebounds per game at Essex County in New Jersey. Both will be counted on to help command the lane with both their size and rebounding ability. Freshman Christian Ulsaker was named first team all-state and selected as Mr. Basketball in the state after scoring 23.9 points recording 8.5 rebounds per game at McPherson High School.

About Arkansas-Monticello
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The UAM men's basketball team has been picked to finish third in the GAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Boll Weevils received one first place vote, two second place votes, three third place votes, one fourth place vote and one sixth place vote for a total of 48 points. UAM finished the 2010-11 campaign with an overall record of 14-13. The team returns one of the region's leading scorers from last year, LA Farmer, who finished the season with an average of right at 19 points per contest. UAM also returns Ricardo Hall and Sergio Crowe, who averaged 15.1 and 14.3 points per game last year.

About Arkansas-Fort Smith
The Lions were picked by the conference head coaches and sports information directors as the preseason favorite to win the conference championships. This is UAFS' third year as a member of NCAA Division II, but it is its first season as an active member eligible to compete for regular-season conference championships and to qualify for postseason play.
The Lions received 118 total points in the voting – they received 10 of the 16 first-place votes – edging Texas A&M International by 10 points. The Dustdevils received six first-place votes.
Although ineligible to compete for the league title last season, the Lions, who finished 19-10 overall, finished the conference season with a 10-4 record – the best record in the eight-team league. The Lions lost only two starters from that team – leading scorer Josh Simmons, who graduated, and point guard Cedric Henderson, who did not return for what would have been his senior season. UAFS does return its second- and third-leading scorers in sophomore guard Jake Toupal, who averaged 10.4 points per game and earned Freshman of the Year honors, and junior center Djordje Stojanovic, who averaged 10.2 points per game. The Lions also return their top two rebounders in senior forward Wayne Jackson (6.5 rpg) and Stojanovic (5.7 rpg).

Bods and Ends ... three dot thoughts
The Ichabods are 73-31-1 all-time in season openers … under head coach Bob Chipman the Ichabods are 29-3 … the two games this weekend against Arkansas-Fort Smith and Arkanss-Monticello will be the first between Washburn and the two schools … Friday's game will be the first road game to open the season for the Ichabods since the 2007-08 season when the Ichabods opened the year at Kansas in a regular season game falling 92-60 … the last time the Ichabods opened the season on the road againstNCAA Division II competition was on Nov. 18, 2005 when the Ichabods defeated Eastern New Mexico 90-85 in the Fort Hays State Invitational … Will McNeill led the Ichabods in the two Division I exhibition games with 22.0 ppg and a team-high seven steals … McNeill averaged 4.0 rebounds per game to tie Joseph Smith for the team lead in the two games … Washburn was 7 of 37 from 3-point range in the two exhibition losses … Bobby Chipman led the Ichabods with three blocks against UNLV and OU.

Ichabod Player Notes
#1  • Dejuan Lofton  • G • 5-11 • 185 • Jr. • Hit 49 of 102 3-point attempts for a 48 percent average as a soph.
#2  • Austin Love  • G • 6-0 • 170 • Fr. • Averaged 12 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 4.0 bkg, 2.5 spg and 2.4 apg as a senior
#3  • Dalton Abel  • G • 6-3 • 195 • Fr. • As a senior he was named 1st team all-league and 3rd team all-state
#4  • Jared Henry  • G • 6-1 • 170 • So. • Averaged 10.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg , 2.0 apg  as freshman at JCCC
#5  • Jeff Reid  • G • 6-6 • 190 • So. • Missed UNLV and OU games with turf toe
#10  • Will McNeill  • G • 6-1 • 190 • Jr. • Returns after breaking foot in first week of practice last season
#11  • Kyle Wiggins  • G • 6-2 • 165 • Fr. • Named honorable mention all-state as a senior averaging 15.3 ppg
#12  • Martin Mitchell  • G • 6-0 • 185 • Jr. • Averaged 8.7 points a game during his sophomore year at STCC
#14  • Christian Ulsaker  • F • 6-5 • 190 • Fr. • Averaged 23.9 ppg and 8.5 rpg as a senior - named Mr. Basketball
#15  • Mitch Allen  • G • 5-9 • 165 • Jr. • 25 of his 34 career field goals at Washburn have been 3-pointers
#20  • Bobby Chipman  • F • 6-8 • 210 • Jr. • Appeared in 54 games making 19 career starts scoring 220 points
#21  • Joseph Smith  • F • 6-9 • 235 • Jr. • At State Fair he averaged 10.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game
#22  • Alex North  • F • 6-6 • 210 • So. • Made two starts while playing in 23 games scoring 3.3 ppg
#23  • Leon Flowers  • G • 6-5 • 190 • Jr. • As a soph. he averaged 4.7 ppg with 1.5 rpg hitting 18 3-pointers
#24  • Zack Riggins  • F • 6-6 • 230 • RS-So. • Gained a medical redshirt after suffering concussion last season
#32  • David Brown  • F • 6-7 • 230 • Jr.  • Averaged 13.1 ppg and 10.4 rpg per game at Essex County

Ichabod Basketball HIstory
Washburn is 1,404-973 (.590 in 2,377 games) in its 106th season of intercollegiate action. The Ichabods are the 10th-winningest team in NCAA Division II history and the 26th winningest team this decade. The Ichabods are 454-203 since joining the NCAA Division II ranks, which is the most since the 1989-90 season in the MIAA.

Home sweet home . . . the Ichabods in Lee Arena
The Ichabods are 352-65 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena - the 28th season of play. The Ichabods recorded a school-best 28-game winning streak from Nov. 19, 1993 to Feb. 8, 1995 in Lee Arena.

Up Next
Following the game with the Sooners, Washburn will open the regular season on Nov. 11 in Bartlesville, Okla., when they will take on Arkansas-Monticello at the South Central Regional Shootout.