Opening Tip
• The Washburn men's basketball team wraps up a mini two-game road trip at Pittsburg State on Saturday in search of its 13th win in a row.
• The Ichabods are 14-3 and 8-0 in the MIAA coming off a 86-78 win at Missouri Southern last time out in Joplin on Wednesday.
• The Gorillas are 11-7 and 4-5 in the MIAA and have won their last two games after an 87-67 win over Emporia State on Wednesday.
• This season the Gorillas are 8-2 at home this season.
• The Ichabods lead the all-time series with Pittsburg State 102-77 and have won 15 of the last 18 meetings in the series.
• The Ichabods are making their first appearance in Pittsburg since a 76-63 win on Dec. 16, 2015.
• Against the Gorillas, Washburn will be in search of its 13th-straight win and its first 9-0 start in MIAA play since the 1993-94 season when the Ichabods opened conference play by winning their nine MIAA games en route to the MIAA regular season title going 15-1 in conference play.
• The last time the Ichabods started the MIAA slate 8-0, during the 2003-04 season, Washburn's first loss in league play came at Pittsburg State in a 77-72 defeat.
• Javion Blake leads the Ichabods in scoring at 16.2 ppg hitting a team-high 40 3-pointers on 85 attempts.
• Javion Blake became the 24th member of the Ichabod 1,000-point club and only the 14th to reach at least 1,000 points in under three full seasons in an Ichabod uniform with 13 points against Central Oklahoma lifting his career total to 1,017 points.
• Javion Blake has moved into 19th on the all-time scoring chart after passing Shannon Kruger (1998-2002) scored 1,014 career points on the chart.
• Brady Skeens leads the team on the glass with 10.2 rebounds a game adding 13.6 points per game shooting 73 percent from the field hitting 91 of 125 attempts with 2.1 blocks per game.
• Washburn is second the MIAA in blocks (4.1) trailing Central Oklahoma who is averaging 5.5 blocks per game.
• Washburn is second in assists averaging 15.9 per contest and second in field goal percentage at .492 and Pittsburg State is second at .495 in the league rankings.
• The Ichabods are ranked first in field goal defense holding opponents to 39 percent shooting and Pittsburg State is ranked fourth at 42 percent.
• Washburn is second in rebounding offense at 39.1 per game and third in rebounding defense at 31.3 per game and ranked second in the MIAA in defensive rebounds with 28.9 per game and ranked second in rebounding margin at +7.8 per game.
• Brady Skeens leads the MIAA in rebounds at 10.2 per game and is second in the MIAA in blocks with 2.1 per game and 10th in steals per game with 1.3 … he is also first in field goal percentage (.728) … his field goal percentage is also first in the nation and his 32 total blocks is 25th while his total rebounds is 25th in the national rankings.
• Javion Blake made his 75th consecutive start against Missouri Southern starting every game of his Washburn career.
• Javion Blake also went over the 100 career 3-point field goals made chart and now has 125 in his junior season which is 10th on the all-time made chart.
• Ichabod opponents have attempted nine more free throws than Washburn has this season (391 to 382) and has made 20 more hitting 283 compared to 263 for Washburn … in MIAA play, Washburn has attempted 40 more free throws than its opponents making 24 more overall.
• Cameron Wiggins moved into eighth on the Ichabod all-time 3-point chart sitting at 156 and needs four more to move into seventh passing Jordan Canfield (1992-97) who his 159.
• Brady Skeens moved into fourth on the all-time Ichabod rebounding chart passing Ryan Murphy who had 738 from 1999 to 2003 … Skeens now has 824 at Washburn … in third place on the career chart is Ewan Auguste who had 888 from 1997 to 2001.
• Skeens also went over the 200 block mark for his career against Central Oklahoma and the Ichabod all-time leader now has 206, which is 106 more than Ewan Auguste who is second on the chart with 100 blocks.
• Randall Smith has 272 career assists which is seventh on the Ichabod career charts needing five to move into the top five all-time at Washburn.
• David Salach moved into the top 10 sitting seventh on the all-time blocks chart and now has 71.
 
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.

Coaches
Washburn Ichabod head coach Brett Ballard …
• is 14-3 in his first season as the Ichabods' head coach and 47-33 overall in his third year as a head coach.
• was named the Washburn Ichabod men's basketball head coach on April 6, 2017 after spending the 2014-15 to 2016-17 seasons as an assistant coach with the Wake Forest basketball program after working under head coach Danny Manning 2014-17 seasons and at the University of Tulsa during the 2012-14 seasons.
• he helped Wake Forest to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2009-10 season following the 2016-17 season. 
• while at Tulsa, the Golden Hurricane played in the postseason both years, including earning a No. 13 seed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament. Tulsa also participated in the 2013 CBI, finishing that season with a winning record of 17-16 overall.
• before joining Manning at Tulsa, Ballard spent two seasons as the head basketball coach at Baker University going 33-30 overall, including a 21-12 mark in his final season at the helm in 2011-12. 
• prior to taking over the head coaching position at Baker, Ballard spent seven years on Bill Self's staff at Kansas, his alma mater. 
• he played two years for the Jayhawks under head coach Roy Williams from 2000-02 after transferring from Hutchinson Community College in his hometown of Hutchinson, Kan. In his two seasons as a Jayhawk, the team reached the 2001 NCAA Sweet Sixteen and appeared in the 2002 NCAA Final Four in Atlanta.
• he earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Kansas in 2003 earning an Academic All-Big 12 selection as a senior for his efforts in the classroom.
• is 0-0 against Pittsburg State.
 
Pittsburg State head coach Kim Anderson …
• is in his first season leading the Gorillas. He has a 11-7 record. Anderson (Missouri, '79) became the Gorillas' 15th all-time head coach on Apr. 10, 2017, after coaching the past three seasons at his alma mater – the University of Missouri.
• has a 312-169 (.648) record in 16 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship as head coach at the University of Central Missouri as well as two more Division II Final Four appearances (2007, 2009) while compiling a 274-95 (.743) record at the school.
• led UCM to seven trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament and seven 20-win seasons.  In his final season with the Mules he guided the squad to a 30-5 overall record and the D2 national title.
• and his Mules' teams captured six MIAA regular season titles (2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) and four MIAA Tournament titles (2005, 2007, 2009, 2013).
• was selected the MIAA Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2010, and the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year in 2014..
• is 15-11 against Washburn, all while at Central Missouri.
 
Last Time Out For the Ichabods
Washburn 86, Missouri Southern 78 -- Jan. 17, 2018
JOPLIN, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabods continued one streak and snapped a pair of others as they picked up an 86-78 win over Missouri Southern. With the win, Washburn won its 12th game in a row improving to 14-3 and 8-0 in the game while in the process recording its first win in Joplin since Jan. 21, 2006 ending an eight-game losing streak in the Leggett and Platt Center. The win also ended a five-game winning streak by the Lions in the series.
The Ichabods led by as many as 15 in the game as a pair of Tyler Geiman free throws capped a 7-0 run pushing Washburn to a 59-44 lead. The Lions chipped away cutting the lead back to 11 before Cameron Wiggins hit a pair of free throws with 6:07 left.
The Lions (11-7, 6-3 MIAA) came back and cut the lead to as few as six at 69-63 with 2:56 to play in the game, but a mini 4-0 run pushed the Ichabod advantage back to 10 on free throws by David Salach and Javion Blake.
The teams combined for 22 free throws (with 20 for Washburn) the final 1:46 of the game as the Lions would get no closer than seven with nine seconds to play in the game.
The Ichabods led at the half 29-22 after holding the Lions to 5 of 23 shooting from the field. The Lions were able to keep the lead under double figures as MSSU hit 9 off 11 free throws compared to 2 of 5 for Washburn. The Ichabods also forced 12 Lion turnovers in the first half. Randall Smith led the Ichabods with seven points in the opening frame.
Isaac Clark led four Ichabods in double figures with 22 points on 8 of 13 shooting adding a career high eight rebounds.  Brady Skeens recorded his 29th career double double and his fourth of the season with 15 points, 13 rebounds adding four blocks playing 37 of 40 minutes. Javion Blake scored 12 points and Randall Smith had 10.
C.J. Carr led the Lions with a game-high 28 points.
The Ichabods dominated on the glass outrebounding the Lions 50 to 37 and held the Lions to 36 percent shooting going 22 of 62 from the field. Washburn was 26 of 62 overall hitting 4 of 18 from deep.
Washburn finished 30 of 43 from the free throw line and the Lions were 26 of 33 as the teams combined for 76 free throws and 61 fouls.
 
About The Pittsburg State Gorillas
• The Gorillas are 11-7 and 4-5 in the MIAA and have won their last two games.
• Three of their five MIAA losses have been under five points.
• Xavier Adams leads the team in points and rebounds at 18.3 ppg and 7.6 rpg.
• Donovan Franklin is scoring 15.7 ppg, while Grant Lozoya is at 13.1 ppg. Demetrius Levarity and Jabari Antwine each score 10.1 ppg.
• The Gorillas are scoring 86.9 ppg and they are allowing 74.6 ppg.
• The Gorillas are the top-ranked scoring offense in the MIAA and ranked 10th in scoring defense.
 
Series History with Pittsburg State
• Saturday's meeting will be the 180th between these two schools in a series that dates back to the first meeting on Feb. 19, 1920.
• The two games on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20 of 1920 were both played in Topeka inside an empty Thomas Gymnasium because of a flu outbreak in Topeka.
• Washburn leads the all-time series 102-77.
• The Ichabods have won the last 15 of the last 18 meetings including eight of the last 10.
• The Ichabods are 31-3 in Lee Arena against PSU and 33-15 against the Gorillas in MIAA play. The home team is 32-10 in the last 42 regular season meetings, dating back to 1996-97.
• The series goes back to 1919-20 and it has been played at least once a year since 1941-42.
• Since the 1956-57 season, the Ichabods are 26-30 in Pittsburg while going 10-11 in Pittsburg since becoming a member of the MIAA.   
• In Topeka, Washburn leads 69-22 all-time.
 
Last time out for Pittsburg State
(Jan. 17, 2018) -- PITTSBURG -- The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team outscored Emporia State University, 15-7, over the final 6:41 of the first half to turn a six-point game into a 14-point halftime advantage and the Gorillas cruised to an 87-67 victory over the Hornets Wednesday (Jan. 17) at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court.
Xavier Adams and Jabari Antwine scored 20 points apiece to pace a balanced Pitt State offense. The Gorillas (11-7, 4-5 MIAA) shot 60.4 percent from the field, making 29 of 48 shots in the contest. Pitt State also outscored ESU (8-9, 3-5 MIAA), 20-9, at the free throw line as the Gorillas converted 20 of 24 charity attempts.
Deitrich Cole, Jr. scored a season-high 15 points and blocked three shots for the Gorillas. Jaxon Holden, who returned to the Pitt State lineup after missing five games due to illness, added 12 points, while Demetrius Levarity also chipped in with 12.
Adams added seven rebounds, five assists and four steals to go with his 20-point scoring night. 
Stephan Limuel posted a double double with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. ESU shot just 38.5 percent from the field in the contest, making 25 of 65 shots. The Hornets utilized 16 offensive rebounds in the game. 
 
Washburn Ichabod Basketball HIstory
•    The Ichabods are 1,554-1,062-2 (.592) all-time in the 114th 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 579-268 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 431-85 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
•    The 2017-18 season marks the 33rd 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 Ichabods return to Lee Arena for games with Southwest Baptist on Jan. 24 and Central Missouri on Jan. 27.