• The Washburn Ichabods will be back in action on Jan. 2, 2021 for the first time since Dec. 17 when they travel to Tahlequah, Okla., to face Northeastern State starting a three-game roadtrip.
• The Ichabods, who are ranked No. 10 in the latest NABC Coaches Poll, defeated Central Missouri 80-60 last time out on Dec. 17 in Lee Arena.
• The RiverHawks are 1-6 this season after falling to Northwest Missouri on Dec. 31 in a 74-55 loss.
• The Jan. 2 meeting between the Ichabods and the RiverHawks will be the 15th between the two schools with Washburn leading 8-7 having won the last six meetings going 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.
• The Ichabods are 3-4 in meetings in Tahlequah and 8-5 in MIAA matchups overall.
• The 2020-21 season marks the 116th season of Ichabod basketball.
  • Tyler Geiman leads the team in scoring (15.3 ppg), assists (6.7 apg - which leads the MIAA and is fourth the NCAA), rebounds (6.3 rpg) and steals (1.8 spg) … Geiman is also moving up the career scoring chart sitting at 937 points as an Ichabod.
• Jalen Lewis is averaging 13.7 ppg hitting 19 of 34 3-point attempts this season (55.9 percent).
• Drew Maschoff is averaging 12.8 ppg adding 6.0 rpg and 4.0 apg.
• Jonny Clausing is scoring 9.8 ppg with 4.7 rpg and a team-high 1.3 bkpg.
• The 2020-21 Washburn Ichabod basketball season will be one for the record books as the 22-game schedule will consist of only games against MIAA opponents as regional crossovers and non-conference matchups have been scrapped thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• From a 16-13 team last season, Washburn returns four starters and 91 percent of its scoring, 86 percent of its rebounding, 94 percent of assists and 89 percent of minutes played a year ago while adding a returner from the 2018-19 season who returns from an injury.
• Ichabod head coach will be going for career coaching win No. 100 against Rogers State. He is 68-31 at Washburn and went 33-30 at Baker. WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD
• is 68-31 in his fourth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 101-61 overall in his seventh year as a head coach.
• has led the Ichabods to two NCAA postseason appearances in both seasons at Washburn.
• 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 4-0 against Northeastern State.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE HEAD COACH JA HAVENS
• is 1-6 in his first season as the RiverHawks' head coach and 132-80 in his eighth season overall as a head coach.
• Havens played at Northeastern State for two seasons (1996-98) under NSU Hall of Fame head coaches Ken Hayes and Larry Gipson. 
• Havens previously coached at East Central University (Ada, Okla.) where he was head coach for seven seasons, carrying a record of 131-74, and was the fastest coach in ECU history to win 100 contests. 
• Havens previously coached at East Central University (Ada, Okla.) where he was head coach for seven seasons, carrying a record of 131-74, and was the fastest coach in ECU history to win 100 contests.
• He has never coached against the Ichabods.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
WASHBURN 80 (6-0)
CENTRAL MISSOURI 60 (1-5)
TOPEKA, Kan. – The No. 10-ranked Washburn Ichabods moved to 6-0 on the season with an 80-60 win over Central Missouri on Thursday night in Lee Arena.
The Ichabods jumped out to a 24-6 lead with 10:06 to play in the first after an 11-0 run. Washburn would go on to lead by as many as 23 in the first half taking a 46-25 lead into the break paced by nine 3-pointers while holding the Mules to 0 of 10 from deep.
Central Missouri (1-5) used a 15 to 3 run over the first 4:25 of the second half trimming the Ichabod lead down to nine at 49-40 with 14:50 to play. Washburn put the game away with a 12 to 4 run over the next 6:25 of the game stretching the lead back to 18 leading to the 20-point win, breaking the all-time series score with the Ichabods leading 53-52 in 105 meetings.
Jalen Lewis led the Ichabods with 16 points going 4 of 8 from 3-point range with Drew Maschoff adding 14 followed by Tyler Geiman's 13 and Levi Braun's 12. Maschoff had a game-high nine rebounds and five assists and Will McKee had eight rebounds. Geiman added five assists as did Maschoff.
Central Missouri was led by Gavin Pinkley's 21 points.
The Ichabods finished 24 of 51 from the field for the game hitting 15 3-pointers in 34 attempts for a 44 percent clip. UCM was 4 of 21 from 3-point range. The 15 3-pointers is tied for fifth all-time at Washburn for a single game.
Washburn had a 41 to 29 advantage on the glass and the Ichabod bench outscored the Mules 31 to 8.
  • The RiverHawks are 1-6 this season after falling to Northwest Missouri on Dec. 31 in a 74-55 loss. and are 0-4 in home games this season.
• Brad Davis scored all of his 17 points in the second half against the Bearcats.
• Brad Davis and Troy Locke are leading the team in scoring at 13.0 ppg. Trey Sampson is scoring 11.4 ppg and Rashad Perkins is scoring 11.4 ppg.
• The RiverHawks are scoring 72.3 ppg while allowing 82.3 ppg. • Saturday's meeting will be the 16th all-time between the two schools and the Ichabods lead 8-7.
• The Ichabods have won the last six meetings in the series.
• The Ichabods and RiverHawks played in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with Washburn falling 64-59 on March 15, 2003 in Stephenville, Texas.
• The RiverHawks went on to win the NCAA National Championship in 2003.
• Washburn is 3-4 in games played in Tahlequah and the Ichabods are 5-2 in games played in Lee Arena.
  Feb. 13, 2020 -- TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Washburn Ichabods became the 10th program in NCAA Division II history to reach the 1,600-win plateau hitting a season-high 17 3-pointers in an 86-72 win over Northeastern State on Thursday in Tahlequah. Washburn returns to action on Saturday at MIAA newcomer Rogers State.
Washburn (14-9, 9-5 MIAA) trailed by nine at 32-23 with 5:39 to go but they flipped the script on the RiverHawks (15-9, 8-7 MIAA)  taking a 37-34 lead into the break after finishing the frame on an 11-0 run over the final 3:14 of the half and a 14-2 over the final 5:39 of the half keeping the RiverHawks scoreless the last 3:14 of the half overall. During the run to end the half, the Ichabods hit 5 of 6 shots from the field including 4 of 5 from deep holding the RiverHawks to 1 of 6 from the field.
In the second half, the Ichabods outscored the RiverHawks 29-11 over the first 10 minutes of the half as they hit 9 of 15 shots while the RIverHawks were 4 of 16 from the field. Washburn as the Ichabods would lead by as many 22 in game.
The Ichabods were led by Tyler Geiman who scored 24 points on 8 of 13 shooting hitting 6 of 10 3-pointers while collecting a game-high seven rebounds adding five assists and three steals. He paced four other Ichabods in double figures with Drew Maschoff scoring all 13 points in the second half with Jalen Lewis scoring 12 on four 3-pointers with Connor Deffebaugh and Tyler Nelson each scoring 10.
Caleb Smith led the RiverHawks with 14 points.
Washburn shot 53 percent from the field in the game hitting 16 of 28 shots in the second half for a 57 percent clip going 30 of 57 for the game. The Ichabods held the RiverHawks to 13 of 33 shots in the second half and 27 of 66 for the game.
Washburn had 21 assists on 30 made field goals.
  •  The Ichabods are 1608-1090-2 all-time in the 116th year in the program's history.
•  Washburn is the 10th-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 626-287 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
•  The Ichabods have recorded 28 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.
  •  The Ichabods are 458-94 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
•  The 2020-21 season marks the 37th season of play in Lee Arena.
•  The Ichabods are 36-1 all-time in home openers.
•  The Ichabods recorded a school-best 28-game winning streak from Nov. 19, 1993 to Feb. 8, 1995 in Lee Arena.
  • Washburn continues its three-game roadtrip at top-ranked Northwest Missouri on Jan. 7 and Jan. 9 at Missouri Western before returning home to face Missouri Southern on Jan. 14.