•The (No. 11/NABC)/(No. 17/D2SIDA) will open the 2021-22 season on Friday in Kansas City at historic Municipal Auditorium when they will take on the Northern State Wolves at 12:45 p.m. on the first day of action of the Central Regional Challenge hosted by Pittsburg State.
•The following day the Ichabods will wrap up the two-day event with Augustana (S.D.) starting at 6 p.m.
•The 2021-22 season marks the 117th season of Ichabod basketball.
•Washburn was picked second both the MIAA Coaches and Media preseason polls.
•Friday's game will be the second time in head coach Brett Ballard's five years on the Ichabod bench they have opened the season with Northern State … the very first game of Ballard's tenure on the Ichabod sideline was against the Wolves in 2017.
•This season the Ichabods return 85 percent of their scoring, 67 percent of their rebounds, 84 percent of their field goals, 93 percent of their 3-pointers, 83 percent of their free throws and 89 percent of their minutes played from a season ago.
•Washburn was tabbed 17th in the final NABC poll from last season and reached the NCAA regional semifinals before losing to eventual champion Northwest Missouri going 20-7.
•The Ichabods won the MIAA Tournament Championship played at Northwest Missouri last season.
•The Ichabods are led by senior guard Tyler Geiman who was a third-team D2CCA All-American and first-team all-MIAA after averaging 20.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 6.0 apg starting all 27 contests.
•The Ichabods also return honorable mention all-MIAA selection and MIAA Tournament Most Valuable Player in junior Jalen Lewis who averaged 13.4 ppg. Jonny Clausing was an honorable mention all-MIAA pick after scoring 9.6 ppg with 4.6 rpg shooting 61 percent from the field.
•Northern State enters Friday's game with a 1-1 record after falling to No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri 68-55 in St. Joseph, Mo. before topping Rockhurst 77-59 on Nov. 7.
•Augustana will open its season on Friday against Southern Arkansas at 6 p.m. in Kansas City before facing the Ichabods the following day at 6 p.m. •Tyler Geiman led the team in scoring last season (20.8 ppg - 3rd in the MIAA), assists (6.2 apg - 1st in the MIAA and is 3rd in the NCAA), rebounds (6.5 rpg - 10th in the MIAA), second in steals (1.6 spg - 6th in the MIAA) and minutes (36.0 mpg - 2nd in the MIAA and 2nd in the NCAA) … he also ranked 11th in the MIAA in field goal percentage (.518).
•Jalen Lewis averaged 13.6 ppg (17th in the MIAA) hitting 71 of 144 3-point attempts this season (49 percent) … he is second in the MIAA in 3-point field goal percentage he is third in the MIAA in 3-pointers per game at 2.7 … he scored a career-high 29 points against Missouri Western in the MIAA Tournament semifinals and went over the 1,000-point mark against Missouri Western in the regional quarterfinals.
•Tyler Nelson averaged 11.0 ppg … he tied for sixth in the MIAA in steals at 1.6 per game … he has reached double figures in 10 of the last 12 games averaging 15.2.
•Jonny Clausing averaged 9.6 ppg with 4.6 rpg and 1.0 bkpg … he also led the MIAA in field goal percentage at 61 percent last season.
•Levi Braun averaged 6.6 ppg last season … 54 of his 57 field goals during the season were from 3 and he has attempted only 10 shots inside the 3-point line … Braun's 54 3-pointers was third on the Ichabod freshman chart and his 110 attempts are fourth.
•Connor Deffebaugh averaged 5.6 ppg with 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game last season.
•Rathen Carter averaged 4.4 ppg with 2.4 rpg.
•Tyler Geiman became the 26th member of Washburn's 1,000-point club at Missouri Western … his career total is 1,387 in 114 career games, which is ninth all-time on the Ichabod chart … next on the chart is Dan Buie who scored 1,484 in two seasons from 1995-97.
•Jalen Lewis is currently 27th on the Ichabod all-time scoring chart with 1,016 career points in 88 career games.
•Tyler Geiman became the first Ichabod to have at least 1,000 points, 500 assists, 500 rebounds and 100 steals going over that mark against Missouri Western last season … he became the 12th Ichabod to reach at least 1,000 points and 500 rebounds … he was the seventh Ichabod to reach at least 1,000 points and 100 steals … he was also the 10th Ichabod to reach at least 1,000 points and 200 assists and now the first Ichabod to reach at least 1,000 points and 500 assists in a career … if that's not enough he recorded the first triple double in Washburn history with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against Northeastern State on Feb. 23. WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD
•is 82-38 in his fifth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 115-68 overall in his eighth year as a head coach.
•has led the Ichabods to three NCAA postseason appearances in four full 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 0-2 against Northern State.
• has never coached against Augustana.
 
NORTHERN STATE HEAD COACH SAUL PHILLIPS
•enters his third year at the helm in the fall of 2021, as the 22nd head men's
basketball coach in program history. He is just the sixth head coach for the Wolves since 1946.
•in his second season on the Northern bench, Northern went 19-2 overall en route to their fourth straight NSIC North Division and NSIC Tournament Championships (overall champion was not award). In addition, NSU earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Central Region and played host, reaching the regional championship contest. Phillips was named the NSIC North Division Coach of the Year.
•has never coached against Washburn.
 
AUGUSTANA HEAD COACH TOM BILLETER
•enters his 18th season at Augustana, Billeter has led the Vikings to over 300 wins and the 2016 NCAA Division II National Championship. He has directed the Vikings to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, two NSIC Championships, two NSIC Tournament Championships, and has coached eight players to nine conference player of the year awards.
•Led the Vikings to the 2016 National Championship with a 90-81 win over Lincoln Memorial.
•is 1-1 against Washburn.
  •The Wolves are ranked No. 15 in the NABC Preseason Coaches poll and received votes in the D2SIDA poll.
•Northern State is 1-1 after splitting a pair of games at the SCB Hall of Fame Classic falling to Northwest Missouri 68-55 before topping Rockhurst 77-59.
•Jordan Belka leads the team in scoring at 19.5 ppg and Sam Masten is averaging 13.5 ppg and Jacksen Moni is scoring 11.5 ppg.
  •Friday's meeting is the third all-time between the Ichabods and the Wolves.
•NSU has won both meetings winning the last meeting 91-75 on March 10, 2018 in Maryville in the NCAA Regional quarterfinals and they won the first meeting in the series on Nov. 10, 2017 in St. Joseph, Mo. 69-57. MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabod men's basketball team had its season come to an end after running into a hot-shooting Northern State squad in a 91-75 in the first round of the NCAA Central Regional Tournament. The Ichabods wrap up the season with a 22-10 record.
The Ichabods were down 12 at the break at 47-35 as the Wolves (32-3) pushed their lead to 12 three times in the first half. In the second half, the Ichabods cut the lead to seven after a lay up by Tyas Martin, but Northern State came back and pushed the lead back to 12 with 61-49 with 13:46 to go and the Ichabods would not get within 13 the rest of the game despite shooting 48 percent from the field going 28 of 58 overall and 14 of 29 in each half.
Brady Skeens led the Ichabods with 18 points adding seven rebounds to finish his career with 1,229 points with 990 rebounds and a Washburn career record of .688 from the field after hitting .724 of his shots this season.
Javion Blake had 17 points and Tyas Martin had 13 points for the Ichabods. Randall Smith had five assists in his final game in an Ichabod uniform.
Northern State shot a blistering 68.6 percent in the game after opening the first half on a 19 of 27 pace for a 70 percent average from the field including 9 of 15 from 3-point range taking a 47-35 lead into the locker room at the break.
Washburn was outrebounded 26 to 21 in the game and committed only seven turnovers while forcing 13 for the Wolves leading to 15 points for the Ichabods.
  •The Augustana men's basketball team was picked fourth in the NSIC South Division Preseason Coaches' Poll and also earned a No. 4 selection in the overall NSIC poll.
•Augustana's Tyler Riemersma being tabbed the Vikings' Player to Watch by the NSIC Coaches. He has averaged a double-double the past two seasons. In 2021, Riemersma recorded 13.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per outing. He also led Augustana with a .523 shooting percentage..
•Other returners include Adam Dykman, Dylan LeBrun and Isaac Fink, all of whom were starters in 2021 and averaged double-digit points. Dykman tallied 12.7 points per game while LeBrun was at 12.5 points per outing. Fink totaled 10.3 points per contest.
  •The Ichabods and the Vikings have only met twice and have split both games.
•The Ichabods won the last meeting when the Vikings were ranked No. 1 in an 88-86 win in Las Vegas. Augustana won the very first meeting in the series 87-83 in Sioux Falls. LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- For the first time since the 2004 season the Washburn Ichabod men's basketball team topped the No. 1-ranked team as they opened the 2015-16 season with a bang knocking off top-ranked Augustana 88-86 in the season lid-lifter.
Washburn held the Vikings without a field goal for nearly two minutes down the stretch after taking an 84-83 lead with 2:31 to play in the game. With the Ichabods (1-0) holding a 1-point lead, the Vikings (0-1) turned the ball over back to the Ichabods and Randall Smith hit two free throws Washburn up 86-83.
After a pair of free throws pulling the Vikings within one at 86-85, Cameron Wiggins hit both free throws again going up three at 88-85. Washburn then fouled Augustana sending the Vikings to the line for the one-and-one and after hitting the first attempt, the Vikings intentionally missed the second and the Ichabods grabbed the rebound sealing the win.
The Ichabods were led by Cameron Wiggins who scored a career-high 19 points hitting 6 of 10 field goals including 4 of 6 attempts from 3-point range. He also added five rebounds. Smith finished with 17 points adding five assists and Javion Blake had 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Washburn outscored the Vikings 48 to 22 in the paint and outrebounded Augustana 36 to 30.
Washburn trailed 49-45 at half as both teams had a good shooting first half. Augustana was 16 of 27 including 6 of 13 from 3-point range and the Ichabods wre 19 of 32 for a 59.4 percent mark. In the second half the Ichabods were 17 of 33 for a 52 percent clip while holding the Vikings to 11 of 28 for a 39 percent average.
  • The Ichabods are 1621-1097-2 all-time in the 117th 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 639-294 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
• The Ichabods have recorded 29 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 15 NCAA Tournament bids going to three Elite Eight's appearing in the 2001 NCAA National Championship game.
  • The Ichabods are 465-95 (.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.
  •The Ichabods will be on the road on Wednesday Nov. 17 when they will travel to Liberty, Mo., to take on the William Jewell Cardinals. The game will be the first time the Ichabods and Cardinals have played each other since Dec. 11, 1998 in Topeka. The match-up will be the first in Liberty since Dec. 1, 1988.