Opening Tip
• The Washburn Ichabods will begin the 2013-14 season with a pair of games at the Las Vegas Tip Off Classic Nov. 8 and Nov. 9 when they will take on Rollins College and Cal. State-San Bernardino.
• The Ichabods have never faced Rollins College or Cal. State-San Bernardino in the program's history.
• This season is the 109th season of Ichabod basketball.
• Washburn is coming off a 19-8 season and a third-place finish in the MIAA after going 12-6.
•
The Ichabods are replacing five seniors off of last season's team including All-American selection
Will McNeill as well as third team all-MIAA pick
Martin Mitchell and honorable mention all-MIAA selection
Bobby Chipman. Both McNeill and Chipman were also selected for the MIAA's all-Defensive team.
Bod Notes
• The Washburn Ichabods have won 499 games since becoming a member of the NCAA Division II ranks prior to the start of the 1989-89 season - which is the most by any member of the MIAA during that stretch.
• Washburn will then start at five-game homestand with Peru State on Nov. 12.
• Washburn is 75-32-1 all-time in its season-opening basketball games.
•
Under head coach
Bob Chipman the Ichabods are 30-4 all-time in their first game of the season.
• The Ichabods will open MIAA play on Dec. 5 at Southwest Baptist.
Ichabods on Radio
Washburn games will be broadcast on 580 AM on the first day of the tip-off classic and 94.5 FM WIBW on the second day with Greg Akagi calling the action from Las Vegas. The game will also be streamed live on the wusports.com website by following the listen live links on the men's basketball schedule page.
The Coaches
• is in his 35th season at the helm of the Ichabods.
• a 1973 graduate of Kansas State earning both his undergraduate and master's degree in Manhattan.
• is 740-304 overall.
• has 499 wins since the Ichabods joined the MIAA, the most of any conference school since the 1989-90 season.
• has led the Ichabods to 12 MIAA regular season titles and a MIAA-coaching tops of five postseason MIAA tournament championships.
• has led the Ichabods to 12 NCAA National Tournament appearances.
• in home games, he is 428-79 going 375-68 in Lee Arena.
• is second in all-time coaching victories in active NCAA Division II coaches.
• his 740 coaching wins is 22nd in all-time NCAA coaches at all levels.
• led the Ichabods to the 1987 NAIA National Championship and a 2001 NCAA National game, which was later vacated by Kentucky Wesleyan.
• Chipman played for legendary coach Jack Hartman earning two letters.
Last time out for the Ichabods
Oklahoma 104, Washburn 76 • Nov. 2, 2013
EDMOND, Okla. -- The Washburn Ichabods opened the exhibition season with a 104-76 loss at Oklahoma.
The Ichabods were led by
Korey Fisher who scored 15 points off the bench hitting both 3-point attempts.
Kyle Wiggins scored 12 points.
Washburn shot 37 percent from the field in the first half improving to 41 percent in the second half finishing at 39 percent for the game.
Cameron Clark led five Sooners in double figures with 23 points. Oklahoma held a 46 to 30 advantage on the glass.
About Rollins
• Rollins finished the 2012-13 season 19-11 and finished 9-7 in the Sunshine Conference placing fourth.
• They return two starters and 10 letterwinners off last season's team.
• The Tars lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season to Saint Leo 59-53.
• Tom Klusman has coached the Tars for 33 years and has a 609-341 record.
• Washburn has never faced Rollins.
About Cal State San Bernardino
• The Coyotes were 20-9 last season and finished second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association with a 16-6 record.
• The Coyotes fell to UCLA 96-66 in their only exhibition game.
• The Coyotes trailed by only three at the half, but the Bruins used a 14-0 run to take control of the game.
• The Coyotes were picked first in the CCAA preseason coaches poll after returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2010 season.
• Jeff Oliver is in his 12th season as the Coyotes head coach and he is 227-92 overall.
Ichabod Season Preview
The Washburn Ichabods only return six players from last season's team and will have replace four starters who combined for nearly 54 points a game including an All-American and three all-conference selections in
Will McNeill,
Bobby Chipman and
Martin Mitchell. However, in the Ichabods six returning players, they have had success at Washburn as part of an MIAA regular and tournament championship team as well as an NCAA appearance. The Ichabods are also adding two NCAA Division I transfers, four junior college transfers and three others who redshirted last season.
The Ichabods are looking to return to the NCAA tournament after missing out in 2013 after finishing third in the MIAA standings going 19-8 during the regular season overall.
Guards
The Washburn Ichabod backcourt will have four returners and four talented newcomers who will help the Ichabods this season. Although he's technically a newcomer, junior
Jeff Reid is no stranger to Washburn as he has appeared in 41 games making 24 starts. He sat out the 2012-13 season and returns this season. Fellow junior
Kyle Wiggins is the Ichabods leading returning scorer after putting up eight points a game last season in his first as a starter. The lone senior
Leon Flowers averaged 2.7 points a game last season in his second season as a part of the Ichabods and
Dalton Abel has appeared in 14 games entering his sophomore season.
Joining the Ichabods this year are three transfers and a high school senior.
Chris Deanes played at Jacksonville State for a season and will have three years of eligibility left. He was a high school teammate of former Ichabod
Martin Mitchell, who finished his career last season with all-MIAA third team honors.
Korey Fisher practiced with the Ichabods last season.
Chris Davis is another transfer who can spread the defense after averaging 18.4 points hitting 85 3-pointers as a sophomore at North Iowa Area College.
Andy Wilson was a first team all-state selection and second team all-class playing in the KBCA all-star game in Lee Arena.
Gone from last season's squad is two-time All-American
Will McNeill who wrapped up his career as the Ichabods' No. 3 all-time scorer and was the MIAA's Most Valuable Player last season after averaging 20 points per game leading the league in steals setting a new Washburn single-season record in the process.
Forwards
Despite only having two returners in the front court this season the Ichabod big men will rely on a talent group of newcomers to add depth for Washburn this season.
Redshirt junior
Alex North and junior
Christian Ulsaker are the only two forwards who saw time for Washburn during the 2012-13 season and of that pair only Ulsaker played the entire season. Ulsaker played in all 27 games making one start while averaging 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds a game. North, who received a medical redshirt after missing all but five games, was averaging 6.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game prior to injuring his knee in January missing the rest of the season. He missed nine games in the fall semester after suffering a concussion after being undercut against Bethany. Joining the duo who practiced with the team last season are redshirt freshmen
Colton Anderson and
Evan Robinson. Joining the Ichabods this season is NCAA Division I transfer
Stephon Drane, who played in 32 games last season at Western Kentucky and freshman
Jeremy Lickteig. Drane was part of the Hilltopper squad who reached the NCAA tournament before falling to Kansas in their opening game. Lickteig was an all-city selection in Wichita after scoring 10 points while pulling down a league-leading seven rebounds a game.
The Ichabods will have to overcome the loss of four-year starter and two-time honorable mention all-MIAA pick
Bobby Chipman as well as three-year starter
Zack Riggins and off-the-bench big man
Joseph Smith.
Ichabods in the national rankings
The Ichabods did not receive any votes in the latest NABC Top 25 coaches poll which was released on March 12. The Ichabods have been in the top 25 a total of 98 times since joining the NCAA ranks and they have been voted in the top 10 a total of 51 times since the 1989-90 season.
Home sweet home
• The Ichabods are 375-68 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
• The 2012-13 season marks the 28th season of play in Lee Arena.
• The Ichabods recorded a school-best 28-game winning streak from Nov. 19, 1993 to Feb. 8, 1995 in Lee Arena.
Up next
• Washburn will then start at five-game homestand with Peru State on Nov. 12.
• The Ichabods will open MIAA play on Dec. 5 at Southwest Baptist.
