Opening Tip
•   The Washburn Ichabods will look to keep their five-game winning streak alive as they travel to Kansas City for a MIAA Tournament quarterfinals match up with Nebraska-Kearney at noon on Thursday in Municipal Auditorium.
•   The Ichabods (20-9) advanced with an 89-70 win over Southwest Baptist on Feb. 27 in Lee Arena.
•   The Lopers (19-9) earned a bye to Kansas City after finishing the regular season in third in the conference standings.
•   Nebraska-Kearney fell in its last regular season game at Southwest Baptist 66-62 on Feb. 25 in Bolivar, Mo.
•   The Ichabods lost both regular season meetings with the Lopers falling 93-80 on Dec. 10 in Kearney and 88-73 on Feb. 2 in Topeka.
•   The Ichabods trail the all-time series with Nebraska-Kearney 17-22 and have lost the last seven games to the Lopers.
•   Washburn's last win over the Lopers came on Feb. 21, 2013 in a 71-52 win … it was the last of a seven-game winning streak for the Ichabods in the series.
•   Nebraska-Kearney shot 59 percent from the field in the two games against Washburn this season averaging 90.5 ppg while the Ichabods scored an average of 76.5 ppg shooting 48 percent from the field.
•   Brady Skeens averaged 19.5 ppg with 11.5 rpg in two games to the lead the Ichabods shooting 70 percent from the field hitting 19 of 27 shots.
•   Ty Danielson averaged 18.5 ppg pacing five Lopers who averaged double figures against the Ichabods this season.
•   All-time the Ichabods are 34-19 in the MIAA Tournament going 2-2 in first round games, 17-5 in the quarterfinals, 10-7 in the semifinals and 5-5 in the championship game.
•   Washburn is looking for its first MIAA postseason crown since winning 67-63 over Pittsburg State on March 4, 2012 in Bob Chipman's record fifth MIAA postseason championship title.
•   The Ichabods recorded their first 20-win season since the 2011-12 season after recording 19 wins in 2015-16 and 2012-13.
•   The Ichabods are fifth in the nation in blocks at 5.5 per game and second in total blocks at 157 and Brady Skeens is fourth in the nation with 3.4 blocks per game and fourth in total blocks with 94.
•   This season will be Bob Chipman's last season on the bench at Washburn … Chipman announced prior to the start of the season this year would be his last … Chipman has a career-record of 808-352 at Washburn and became only the 17th coach to reach that milestone in the win against Central Oklahoma … he passed Eddie Sutton on the career wins list with his 807th victory against Northeastern State on Feb. 25.
•   In Washburn's 20 wins this season, the Ichabods are shooting 53 percent from the field and holding opponents to 38 percent … in the nine losses Washburn is shooting 45 percent while opponents are shooting 46 percent from the field … opponents have hit 32 more 3-pointers than the Ichabods this season in Washburn's nine losses (92 to 58) and are outshooting Washburn 44 percent to 33 percent from deep.
•   In the nine losses opponents are averaging 10.2 made 3-pointers per game and Washburn is hitting 6.4 3-pointers per game.
•   In the nine losses, opponents have attempted 36 more free throws (228 to 192) and have made 53 more free throws (182 to 129).
•   Brady Skeens leads the Ichabods in scoring and is ranked 11th in the MIAA in scoring at 14.1 ppg and Cameron Wiggins is 21st at 12.6 ppg … Javion Blake is 24th at 12.1 ppg.
•   Brady Skeens leads the league in rebounding at 11.3 rpg, field goal percentage at 67.1 percent (171 of 255) and blocks at 3.4 per game … he is also eighth in assists with 3.1 per game and 14th in minutes at 31.8 per game … Skeens is ranked fourth in the nation in field goal percentage, fourth in blocked shots and fourth in total blocks.
•   Randall Smith's 3.6 assists per game is sixth in the MIAA and Javion Blake is ranked 16th at 2.8 per game.
•   Brady Skeens' 169 career blocks are the most in school history after passing Ewan Auguste (100) on the all-time chart against Newman … he has broke his own school record of 61 set last season as a sophomore … this season he has 96 so far in 29 games.
•   Against Southwest Baptist in the MIAA First Round game last time out, Brady Skeens tied an Ichabods MIAA Tourney game record for field goal percentage in a game at least five makes going 8 of 9 from the field for a .889 percentage becoming the third Ichabod to do so.
•   Cooper Holmes tied an Ichabod MIAA record with five made 3-pointers in six attempts.
•   Brady Skeens recorded the 21st double double in the MIAA Tournament for the Ichabods with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
•   The win over Southwest Baptist snapped an Ichabod two-game losing streak in the MIAA Tournament.
 
Single Season Washburn Record Watch
Name                       Record                                  Current Stats             Record Name/Stats
Brady Skeens      FG Percentage            .6705 (171-255)    Tom Meier (.6699 - 276-412)
Brady Skeens      Blocks                       96 total                Old record - Skeens (61)
Brady Skeens      Block Average             3.4                      Skeens (2.2)
 
Single Season Washburn Record Watch By Class
Name                       Record (Class)                   Current Stats             Record Name/Stats
Brady Skeens      Blocks (Jr.)                 96 total                Old record - Dan Buie (50)
Brady Skeens      FG Percentage (Jr.)      .6705 (171-255)    Tom Meier (.6699 - 276-412)
Brady Skeens      Total Rebounds (Jr.)    327                     Brady Skeens (327)
Brady Skeens      Rebound Average (Jr.) 11.3                      Gregg Gibb (11.5)
 
Single Season Washburn Team Record Watch
Record                Current Stats            Record Name/Stats
Blocks           157                     125 (2003-04)
Block average  5.5                     3.9 (2003-04/2004-05)
 
Single Season Washburn Individual and Team Performances
•   Brady Skeens field goal percentage of .671 is .001 better than Tom Meier atop the single season chart.
•   Cameron Wiggins' 70 3-pointers is seventh on the single season chart and needs 11 more to move into the top five.
•   Brady Skeens' 327 rebounds this season is tied for third with Gary Carrier on the single season chart … Tom Meier holds the record with 388.
•   Washburn's 214 3-pointers this season is ninth on the single season chart.
 
Ichabods on Radio
Washburn games will be broadcast on KTPK 106.9 FM radio with Jake Lebahn and Dan Lucero calling the action. 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 38th and final season at the helm of the Ichabods.
•   a 1973 graduate of Kansas State earning both his undergraduate and master's degree in Manhattan.
•   is 808-352 overall.
•   has 569 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 569.
•   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 473-96 going 422-85 in Lee Arena.
•   is third in all-time coaching victories in active NCAA Division II coaches.
•   his 808 coaching wins is 16th 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.
 
Nebraska-Kearney head coach Kevin Lofton
•   is in his 12th year as head coach at Nebraska-Kearney after being promoted from co-head coach two seasons ago.
•   has recorded a 196-146 (.555) mark at UNK.
•   is 7-2 against Washburn.
 
Last Time Out For The Ichabods
Washburn 89, Southwest Baptist 70 -- Feb. 27, 2017
TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod men's basketball team punched its ticket to Kansas City an 89-70 win over Southwest Baptist Monday night in Lee Arena.
Washburn improved to 20-9 overall as Ichabod head coach Bob Chipman won his final game in Lee Arena, trailed early at 3-0 after the Bearcats hit their first shot of the game, but the Ichabods scored 10 of the next 13 points taking a 10-6 lead and the Bearcats would only get within one point twice the remainder of the game.
The Ichabods could not shake the Bearcats early as they led by nine points over SBU three times in the first half taking a 39-33 lead into the halftime break after shooting 14 of 29 from the field and 4 of 11 from 3-point range while holding the Bearcats to 10 of 28 overall.
Washburn continued to keep the Bearcats at arms length after a 3-pointer by SBU cut the Ichabod lead to four with 9:01 left, but the Ichabods used a 22 to 2 run over the next 6:10 going 8 of 10 from the field and 3 of 4 from 3-point range to put the game away building a 24-point lead at 88-64 with 2:51 remaining. Washburn held the Bearcats to 1 of 6 shooting during the run.
Washburn was led by Brady Skeens who went 8 of 9 from the field making his final eight shots of the night with 23 points and 10 rebounds for his 24th career double double and 14th of the season adding two blocks and two assists. Cameron Wiggins scored 21 points on 8 of 9 shooting while Cooper Holmes scored a career-high 17 points going 6 of 7 from 3-point range. Javion Blake added 14 for Washburn. Randall Smith and David Salach each had five assists.
Cartier Dean led SBU with 21 points and Logan Hovey scored 16.
Washburn shot a blistering 59 percent in the second half going 7 of 10 from 3-point range and 16 of 27 from the field overall en route to 54 percent shooting in the game going 30 of 56 overall. Washburn went 18 of 23 from the free throw line and outrebounded the Bearcats (15-14) 36 to 28.
 
About Nebraska-Kearney
•   The Lopers are 19-9 on the year went 12-7 in the MIAA after falling in their regular season finale at Southwest Baptist on Feb. 25 66-62.
•   Trey Lansman leads the team in scoring at 19.4 ppg and 8.2 rebounds per game. Ty Danielson is scoring 13.5 ppg, Isaiah McKay is scoring 13.0 ppg and Yashua Trent is scoring 12.4 ppg.
•   The Lopers are hitting 38 percent of their 3-pointers and 48 percent from the field overall.                  
 
Series History with Nebraska-Kearney
•   Thursday's meeting will be the 40th in the series and the Lopers lead 22-17 and have won the last seven games in the series after the Ichabods had won seven straight prior to the Lopers' current winning streak.
•   The Ichabods have won 11 of the last 19 meetings.
•   All-time in games in Kearney, the Ichabods are 5-16.
•   Washburn has lost the last four meetings in Kearney.
•   Washburn's last win in Kearney came on Jan. 12, 2013 in a 72-56 victory.
•   Washburn leads 11-6 in games played in Topeka.
•   The two teams have never met in the MIAA Tournament.
 
Last Meeting with Nebraska-Kearney
Nebraska-Kearney 88, Washburn 73 -- Feb. 2, 2017
TOPEKA, Kan. –Nebraska-Kearney outscored the Washburn Ichabods 26-10 down the stretch during the final 6:10 turning a one-point Ichabod lead into a 15-point loss in an 88-73 loss  on Thursday night in Lee Arena.
The loss to the Lopers, was the seventh-straight in the series as UNK improved to 15-6 overall and 8-4 in the MIAA. Washburn dips to 14-7 overall and 6-5 in conference play.
Washburn led by eight at the break at 39-31 as the Ichabods shot 47 percent from the field and 5 of 10 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes of the game. UNK shot 48 percent in the first half and then would improve to 66 percent in the second half hitting 19 of 29 enroute to a 57.7 percent as the Lopers finished 30 of 52 from the field and 11 of 22 from 3-point range. The Lopers shot an opponent season-high against the Ichabods of 59.6 percent in the loss on Dec. 10 in Kearney as the Lopers connected on 12 3-pointers in that game.
The Ichabods led by 11 just 24 seconds into the second half after a 3-pointer by Randall Smith at 42-31, but the Lopers would chip away at the score tying it at 53 with 13:23 to play.
The teams traded the lead over the next eight possessions, but would take it for good on a layup by AJ Jackson with 6:26 to play starting the 26-10 run to finish the game as the Lopers would go 7 of 9 from the field and 10 of 10 from the free throw line to wrap up the win. Washburn was 4 of 9 down the stretch in the loss.
Brady Skeens recorded his ninth double double of the season and the 19th of his career with a team-high 16 points and 14 rebounds adding three blocks and three assists. Javion Blake scored 12 points and Isaac Clark and Cameron Wiggins each scored 10.
Carter Burns scored 19 to lead all scorers for the Lopers pacing four total UNK players in double figures.
Washburn outrebounded the Lopers 36 to 25 adding 17 offensive rebounds. Washburn committed 16 turnovers leading to 21 points for the Lopers.
 
Last Time Out For Nebraska-Kearney
Southwest Baptist 66, Nebraska-Kearney 62 -- Feb. 25, 2017
Kearney, Neb. – Junior wing Logan Hovey scored 26 points and Southwest Baptist held Nebraska-Kearney to 32 percent shooting in a 66-62 win Saturday evening in Bolivar, Mo.
Since joining the conference in the summer of 2012, UNK is now 0-4 in Bolivar by a combined 18 points. Today, Kearney shot a season-low 31.7 (20 of 63), including a 6 of 25 effort from behind the arc.
In a game with 11 lead changes and 10 ties, the Lopers had a chance to record its 20th win despite the cold shooting. Down by as many as 11 in the first half, the Lopers grabbed a 56-53 lead with 7:23 left after a jumper from Chicago junior Yashua Trent.
The 'Cats wouldn't grab the lead back until Hovey, previously of Division I Florida Gulf Coast, made a layup with 1:57 to go, making the score 59-58. About a minute later, UNK was down two but forced SBU into a turnover. However, a triple try by Minnesota sophomore Isaiah McKay found iron and the 'Cats went 5 of 6 at the line to salt things away
Hovey (6-6, 225 lbs.) went 8 of 12 from the field (2 of 3 threes) and 8 of 10 at the line to reach his point total, which was three off his career-best effort. As a team, SBU made 41% (21 of 51) of its shots while also having a plus nine rebounding margin. UNK did score 14 points off of 18 'Cat turnovers.
Besides Hovey, starters Dean Cartier (14) and Brian Patterson (10) scored in double figures.
UNK saw Iowa junior forward Trey Lansman record his ninth double double of the season (17 points & 10 rebounds) and Iowa freshman forward Kyle Juhl reach double digits (13) in his second career start. Juhl also had four offensive rebounds and two steals in 33 minutes.
Finally, Trent had a season-high eight assists, five points, four boards and one turnover in 29 minutes.
 
Ichabods in the MIAA Tournament
• The Ichabods are 34-19 all-time in the MIAA Championship Tournament.
• The Ichabods are 2-2 in first round games (since expanding to 12 teams) … 17-5 in the quarterfinals, 10-7 in the semifinals and 5-5 in championship games.
• In games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 12-9.
• In quarterfinal games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 7-3. In semifinal games played in Municipal the Ichabods are 4-3 and in championship games in Kansas City the Ichabods are 1-3.
• As the No. 1 seed, the Ichabods are 21-3, at No. 2 they are 4-3, at No. 3 they are 0-2, at No. 4 they are 2-3, at No. 6 the Ichabods are 4-4, at No. 7 they are 0-1 and as the No. 8 seed they are 3-3.
• Washburn has never been the No. 5 seed.
• Head coach Bob Chipman has won more MIAA Tournament games than any other coach. He has won 34 games going 34-18 recording a .653 winning percentage.
• This season he is making his 25th appearance on the Ichabod bench in the tournament, which is the most by any MIAA coach.
• Bob Chipman's five tournament titles is the most by any coach. Tom Smith (MWSU), Steve Tappmeyer (NWMSU) and Ron Shumate (Southeast Missouri) and Kim Anderson (UCM) each have four titles.
• Overall, here's how the Ichabods have fared against MIAA opponents in the conference tournament by round and in Kansas City.
• First Round games were added for the MIAA Tournament starting in 2013 as the league expanded to 15 teams. The top four teams in the final standings received an automatic bye to Kansas City for the quarterfinals.
Team 1st Rnd    Qrts.   Semis   Finals  In KC   Total
UCM       —          4-0        1-1        —        3-1       5-1
ESU         —          4-1       —         —        3-1       4-1
FHSU      1-0          —          1-0       —        1-0       2-0
MSSU      —          1-0        2-1        0-1       1-1       3-2
MWSU    0-1          —          2-2     1-2       1-1       3-4
NSU        0-1          —          —       —         —       0-1
NWMSU   —         2-2        0-2        1-1       0-2       3-4
PSU         —          1-0        2-0        2-0       2-0       5-0
SBU        1-0          1-0        1-1        1-0       —       4-1
UCO        —          0-1        —         —        0-1       0-1
UNK        —           —         —         —        —        0-0
--- vs former members
MS&T    —          1-1        —         —        1-0       1-1
UMSL      —          1-0        —         —         —       1-0
SEMO    —           —          —       —         —       —
TSU         —          2-0        1-0         —        —       3-0
UNO        —           —           —       0-1       0-1       0-1
Totals    2-2        17-5       10-7    5-5      12-8    32-18
 
MIAA Tournament Schedule
Monday, February 27, 2017 (Campus Sites)
Game 1: #9 Lincoln 72, #8 Lindenwood 61                                            
Game 2: #5 Fort Hays State 61, #12 Northeastern State 53
Game 3: #7 Central Oklahoma 62, #10 Emporia State 49                   
Game 4: #6 Washburn 89, #11 Southwest Baptist 70                           
                                                  
Thursday, March 2, 2017 (Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Mo.)
Game 5: #3 Nebraska-Kearney vs. #6 Washburn         12 p.m.
Game 6: #2 Central Missouri vs. #7 Central Okla.  2:30 p.m.
Game 7: #1 Northwest Missouri vs. #9 Lincoln          6 p.m.
Game 8: #4 Missouri Southern vs. # Fort Hays St.  8:30 p.m.
 
Saturday, March 4, 2017 (Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Mo.)
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6            12 p.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8       2:30 p.m.
 
Sunday, March 5, 2017 (Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Mo.)
Game 11: Semifinal Winners                               3:30 p.m.
 
 Ichabod basketball history
•   The Ichabods are 1,540-1,058-2 (.592) all-time in the 112th year in the program's history.
•   Washburn is the fifth-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 567-266 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
•   The Ichabods have recorded 26 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 422-85 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
•   The 2016-17 season marks the 32nd 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
•   The winner of the Washburn/Nebraska-Kearney game will face the winner of the Central Missouri/Central Oklahoma game at noon on March 4 at Municipal Auditorium in the MIAA Tournament Semifinals.