Opening Tip
•     The Washburn Ichabods jump back into MIAA play as they will play host to Missouri Western on Jan. 3 in Lee Arena on Schendel Court at 7 p.m.
•    The Ichabods (7-8, 2-2 MIAA) wrapped up non-conference play with a 74-47 win over Baker on New Year's Eve.
•    The Griffons enter the game with a 5-5 record going 1-2 in MIAA play.
•    The Griffons have been idle since a 62-57 loss against Central Oklahoma on Dec. 20.
•    The Ichabods will return to MIAA action when they host the 2014 NCAA Champion Central Missouri Mules on Jan. 5 before traveling to Northwest Missouri on Jan. 10 starting a four-game MIAA road trip. 
•    Kyle Wiggins needs 23 points to reach 1,000 for his career entering the game with Griffons with 877 points and Alex North needs 88 points to reach 1,000 for his career entering the game with 912 points. In Washburn's 110-year of men's basketball, only 21 players have reached the 1,000-point mark. 
•    The last Ichabod to go over 1,000 points in a career was Will McNeill, who did it during the 2011-12 season en route to 1,701 career points which is third all-time at Washburn.
•    The Ichabods have never had two different players go over the 1,000-point mark in the same season.
•    The Ichabods have 30 regular season games scheduled this season and also had three exhibition games against NCAA Division I members Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma to have 33 games before the MIAA Tournament starts.
•    The Ichabods have used nine different starting line ups this season.
    
 Bod Notes
•    Alex North has recorded 13 double doubles in his career at Washburn … he scored his 900th career point against Lindenwood and has played in 101 games with 68 starts … needs five rebounds to reach 600 for his career and he has 912 career points averaging 9.0 ppg in his career and 5.9 rpg at Washburn.
•    Kyle Wiggins has averaged 9.7 ppg in 101 games making 59 starts … he has scored 977 career points at Washburn … he also has gone over the 200-rebound mark for his career and he went over the 200-assist mark in Hawaii and has 218 for his career.
•    Ichabod junior Christian Ulsaker is averaging 7.2 points with 4.9 rebounds a game this season seeing his first action in almost a month against Baker last time out after suffering a broken jaw against Missouri Southern … he recorded his first career double double against Peru State with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
•    The Ichabods have hit at least one 3-pointer in 325 games … the last game the Ichabods did not hit a 3-pointer was Dec. 30, 2003 at Missouri Western.
•    Algie Key had a season-high 22 points in the loss at BYU-Hawaii adding a season-high five assists … he is averaging 9.6 points and 4.3 rebounds a game in his first season at Washburn after transferring from Alabama.
•    Turon Parker is scoring 6.8 ppg this season adding 29 assists and 11 steals in his first season as an Ichabod … he had a season-high eight rebounds against Tabor … he has missed the last two games after injuring his knee against Lincoln.
•    Kevin House is third on the team with 26 assists this season while adding 4.2 points and 1.7 rebounds per game … he is 27 of 32 from the free throw line this season for a team-high 84 percent.
•    Jeremy Lickteig scored a career-high 19 points against Northwest Indian College going 9 of 10 from the field … he made his first career start against BYU-Hawaii.
•    The Ichabods are 87 of 281 from 3-point range this season with Kyle Wiggins hitting a team-high 19 of 53 attempts … Turon Parker has hit 12 of 35 attempts … Ichabod opponents are 116 of 317 from 3-point range this season.
•    Brady Skeens recorded a season-high 14 points in his second game of the season against Tabor after having his planned redshirt pulled prior to the Rockhurst game … he has averaged 4.2 ppg and 3.4 rpg making four starts.
•    Washburn is 198 of 307 from the free throw line for a 65 percent average while their opponents are 227 of 318 hitting 71 percent of their charity stripe attempts.
•    As of the last basketball stat reporting for NCAA Division II, the Ichabods ranked 253 of 350 teams in free throw percentage and they are last in the MIAA in free throw percentage.
•    Washburn is seventh in the nation in total rebounds with 506 and 20th in the nation with 109 steals.
•    Washburn is +2.9 in rebounding margin and have been outrebounded in four games this season.
•    The Ichabods have outscored their opponents 503 to 574 in the first half of games, but have been outscored 591 to 574 in the second half of games.
•    Senior forward Stephon Drane is no longer with the Ichabods.

 Ichabods on Radio
Washburn games will be broadcast on AM580 WIBW radio with Jake Lebahn calling the action and color commentary from Pat Strathman. 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
Washburn Ichabod head basketball coach Bob Chipman 
•     is in his 36th season at the helm of the Ichabods.
•     a 1973 graduate of Kansas State earning both his undergraduate and master's degree in Manhattan.
•     is 764-322 overall.
•     has 523 wins since the Ichabods joined the MIAA, the most of any conference school since the 1989-90 season.
•    is the MIAA's all-time winningest coach by victories with 523.
•     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 445-83 going 394-72 in Lee Arena.
•     is second in all-time coaching victories in active NCAA Division II coaches.
•     his 764 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.

Missouri Western head basketball coach Brett Weiberg
•    is in his second season at Missouri Western and his ninth season overall.
•      has compiled 143 career victories in nine seasons, leading Northern Oklahoma to a 27-4 overall record and the OCAC conference regular season championship in the 2012-2013 campaign. He holds a 143-110 career record. 
•    is 15-22 in his second season at the helm of the Griffons.
•      Weiberg brings 16 years of collegiate coaching experience to Missouri Western and has experience in coaching at a multitude of levels. He began his coaching career in 1998 as an assistant at Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas. Following stints at NAIA Wayland Baptist University and Division I Texas-San Antonio, he found a home at Northern Oklahoma College where he spent five years as an assistant before becoming the head coach in 2006. 

 Last Time Out For The Ichabods
Washburn 74, Baker 47 • Dec. 31, 2014
TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabod men's basketball team wrapped up the 2014 calendar and its non-conference schedule with a 74-47 win over Baker on New Year's Eve. 
The Ichabods (7-8) led from start to finish and for all but 23 seconds of the game when it was tied at 0-0 jumping out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back. In the first half, Baker (7-5) cut the lead to two twice and to one point once at 13-12 with 12:32 to play, but the Ichabods would go on a 23-8 run over the final 12:24 of the half taking a 36-20 advantage into the locker room at the break. Washburn shot 39 percent in the first half but went 6 of 12 from 3-point range building the 16-point margin at halftime. The Ichabods also held the Wildcats without an offensive rebound in the first stanza as well. 
In the second half, Washburn stretched its lead out to as many as 32 with 7:58 to play in the game as Baker trailed by at least 24 points the final 12:36 of the game. 
Washburn was led by Kyle Wiggins with a game-high 18 points moving himself to 977 career points in 101 games. Andy Wilson had a career-high 16 points going 5 of 6 from the field including hitting all four 3-point attempts. Alex North had 12 rebounds to take game-high honors. Kevin House had five assists and no turnovers adding eight points. Christian Ulsaker was held scoreless recording three rebounds and two assists with a block and a steal in his first action since Dec. 6 after breaking his jaw against Missouri Southern. 
Tryome Parker led the Wildcats with 11 points. 
Washburn outrebounded the Wildcats 40 to 32 and forced 20 turnovers leading to 28 Ichabod points. Washburn also outscored Baker 28 to 14 in the paint and 19 to 10 in second chance points. 

 About Missouri Western
•    The Griffons enter the game with a 5-5 record and have gone 1-2 in MIAA play.
•    MWSU has been idle since a 62-57 loss at home to Central Oklahoma.
•    Cortez Colbert leads the team with 12.7 ppg and has gone 39 of 46 from the free throw line.
•    Ryan Devers, who was leading the team with a 14.3 ppg average starting the Griffons' first eight games is no longer with the team.
•    Kevin Thomas leads the team with 5.2 rebounds per game while adding 9.3 ppg.

 Series History with Missouri Western
•    Saturday's meeting will be the 85th meeting between the two schools with Washburn leading the series 49-35. 
•  The Ichabods are 25-20 against MWSU in MIAA games and 20-10 in Lee Arena and 28-12 in games played in Topeka overall.
•  The Ichabods have won the last three games played in St. Joseph and they are 20-22 in games played in St. Joseph against the Griffons.
•  In the MIAA Tournament the Ichabods are 3-4 against the Griffons. Since joining the MIAA, the Ichabods are 9-17 in MIAA games played in St. Joseph.
• The Ichabods lead 5-4 in overtime games including the 56-52 win two years ago in St. Joseph.

 Last meeting with Missouri Western
(Jan. 4, 2014) ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- The lone Ichabod senior Leon Flowers scored a career-high 26 points with 24 coming in the second half as Washburn topped Missouri Western 79-69 improving to 11-1 and 4-1 overall as the Ichabods won their third straight game in St. Joseph. 
After the Ichabods had a 29-22 lead at the break, the Griffons (6-6, 1-3 MIAA) cut into the lead and would take the lead at 35-34 after back to back to back 3-pointers by the Griffons, Flower put the Ichabods on his back and scored 13 of Washburn's next 15 points as the Ichabods pushed the lead back to 10 at 46-36 with 13:47 remaining. 
When the Griffons pulled back within six at 46-40 with 12:42 to play, Flowers hit another three to push the margin back to nine. With the Ichabods holding a six-point lead, Flowers connected on another 3-pointer pushing the margin back to nine.
Three times the Griffons would cut the lead back to four and the Ichabods answered. The final time was with 3:48 to play with the Ichabods holding a 62-58 lead and Flowers scored the ichabods' next five points pushing the difference back to nine and Missouri Western would get no closer than seven the rest of the way.
Flowers finished with 26 points on 9 of 12 shooting including a 5 of 6 3-point shooting and 3 of 3 from the free throw line while Kyle Wiggins scored 16 points and Alex North tallied 11 points. Jeff Reid recorded a career-high 11 rebounds with eight on the offensive end adding seven points. 
Ryan Devers scored 25 to lead the Griffons.
Washburn held a 39 to 25 advantage on the glass turning 12 offensive rebounds into 15 second chance points.
The Ichabods finished 27 of 55 from the field for a 49 percent average while the Griffons shot 54 percent in the second half en route to a 46 percent shooting night.
 
 Ichabod basketball history
•     The Ichabods are 1474-992-4 (.591) all-time in the 110th year in the program's history.
•     Washburn is the eighth-winningest program in NCAA Division II history by victories.
•     Washburn is the winningest MIAA program since the 1989-90 season with an overall record of 523-238 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
•    The Ichabods have recorded 25 20-win seasons and they have one 30-win seasons after going 35-4 during the 1986-87 NAIA Championship season.
•    Washburn has won 21 conference championships including 10 MIAA titles.
•    Washburn has received 12 NCAA Tournament bids going to three Elite Eight's appearing in the 2001 NCAA National Championship game.

 Home sweet home
•     The Ichabods are 394-72 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
•     The 2014-15 season marks the 30th 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 host Central Missouri on Jan. 5 before traveling to Northwest Missouri on Jan. 10 starting a four-game MIAA road trip.