•The No. 25 (NABC)/No. 19 (D2SIDA) Washburn Ichabods will open the 2021 postseason as they will host Rogers State at 6 p.m. Wednesday night in Lee Arena in the MIAA Basketball Championship Tournament presented by Citizen's Bank & Trust.
•Washburn (16-6, 16-6 MIAA) is coming off a 73-70 win over Emporia State in the regular season finale after rallying from a 14-point halftime deficit.
•Rogers State is 11-11, 11-11 MIAA after falling at Northeastern State 78-76 on Feb. 27.
•The Ichabods swept the two regular season meetings against the Hillcats winning 81-74 on Dec. 12 in Claremore and 88-77 in Topeka on Feb. 4.
•The Ichabods are 38-23 all-time in the MIAA Championship Tournament.
•The Ichabods are 2-2 in first round games (when the tournament was 12 teams) … 19-7 in the quarterfinals, 12-7 in the semifinals and 5-7 in championship games.
•In games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 16-13.
•In MIAA Tournament games played in Lee Arena, the Ichabods are 21-5.
•As the No. 2 seed, the Ichabods are 6-4 overall in the tournament.
•The Ichabods have never faced the Hillcats in the conference tournament.
•Washburn leads the all-time series with the Hillcats 2-1 winning the last two contests.
•The only meeting between the two schools in Topeka was the one on Feb. 4 earlier this season.
•The Ichabods are second in the MIAA in scoring at 82.6 ppg and the Hillcats are sixth averaging 76.0 ppg.
•The Ichabods are ranked fourth in the MIAA in scoring defense allowing 73.5 ppg while the Hillcats are eighth allowing 75.9 ppg.
•The Ichabods are ranked second in the league in field goal percentage at 48 percent and Rogers State is 10th at 45 percent … defensively the Ichabods are second in opponent field goal percentage at 44 percent while the Hillcats are eighth at 47 percent.
•The 2020-21 season marks the 116th season of Ichabod basketball. •Tyler Geiman leads the team in scoring (21.0 ppg - 3rd in the MIAA), assists (6.2 apg - 1st in the MIAA and is 3rd in the NCAA), rebounds (6.5 rpg - 8th in the MIAA), steals (1.7 spg - 7th in the MIAA) and minutes (36.3 mpg - 2nd in the MIAA) … he also ranks 12th in the MIAA in field goal percentage (.529).
•Jalen Lewis is averaging 12.5 ppg hitting 54 of 110 3-point attempts this season (49 percent) … he is tied for fifth in the MIAA in 3-pointers per game at 2.5.
•Tyler Nelson is scoring 11.4 ppg averaging recording back to back career-high last week scoring 24 points against Northeastern State and then 25 against Missouri Southern.
•Jonny Clausing returned to action at Central Missouri after missing the previous seven games with an injury …he is scoring 9.9 ppg with 4.0 rpg and 1.0 bkpg … he also leads the MIAA in field goal percentage at 61 percent.
•Levi Braun is averaging 7.4 ppg this season … 49 of his 52 field goals this season have been from 3 and he has attempted nine shots inside the 3-point line … Braun's 49 3-pointers is fourth on the Ichabod freshman chart and his 101 attempts are fifth … the Ichabod freshman 3-point record is 58 set by Jalen Lewis during the 2018-19 season.
•Jace Williams is averaging 5.7 ppg with 4.3 rpg recording 20 blocks tallying his first career double double at Washburn with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Rogers State.
•Connor Deffebaugh is scoring 5.5 ppg with 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
•Rathen Carter is scoring 4.8 ppg with 2.5 rpg.
•Will McKee is scoring 3.4 ppg with 4.4 rpg.
•Tyler Geiman became the 26th member of Washburn's 1,000-point club at Missouri Western … his career total is 1,308 in 110 career games, which is 11th all-time on the Ichabod chart … Greg "Buzz" Wilson is 10th with 1,323 career points.
•Jalen Lewis is currently 32nd on the Ichabod all-time scoring chart with 928 career points.
•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 … 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 is 81 of 120 from the free throw line in the last five minutes of games (68 percent) compared to its opponents connecting on 120 of 158 attempts (76 percent).
•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. WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD
•is 78-37 in his fourth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 111-67 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 2-1 against Rogers State.
 
ROGERS STATE HEAD COACH JUSTIN BARKLEY
•is 218-105 in his 11th season at Rogers State.
•served as the Hillcats' assistant coach from 2008-2010, became the third head coach in the brief history of the program when he took over in 2010.
•helped guide the Hillcats to a 52-13 record as an assistant where they claimed the school's first Sooner Athletic Conference regular season championship, reached the NAIA National Tournament, and achieved a No. 1 national ranking in 2008-09.
•Scored six points in 32 minutes with six rebounds and six assists against the Ichabods  as a player at Northeastern State (his alma mater) in the NCAA South Central Regional Semifinal game when his RiverHawks topped the Ichabods 64-59 on March 15, 2003 in Stephenville, Texas - NSU would go on to win the NCAA National Championship that season.
•is 1-2 against the Ichabods.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
#25 WASHBURN 73 (16-6, 16-6 MIAA)
EMPORIA STATE 70 (11-11, 11-11 MIAA)
TOPEKA, Kan. – The No. 25-ranked Washburn Ichabods came back from a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat the Emporia State Hornets, 73-70, in the regular season closer.
Emporia State opened scoring with a layup 30 seconds into the game to take an early 2-0 lead. The Hornets held on to the lead until a three-pointer by Jalen Lewis tied the game up at nine with 13:41 on the clock. Emporia answered with a jumper a minute later to retake the lead but two made free throws by Tyler Nelson soon tied the game again at 11 with 12:24 left. The Ichabods took a short lead for about four minutes until the Hornets tied it up at 17 with 8:02 on the clock. From here, Emporia held on to its lead, only letting the Ichabods get within three points in the last seven and a half minutes of the first half. Emporia went on a 22-8 run in that time as the Ichabods trailed the Hornets, 39-25, at halftime.
The Ichabods came in to the second half with more drive, going on a 8-0 run to cut their deficit to six points with 16:18 left on the clock. Washburn continued to fight back and chip away at its deficit, only for Emporia to answer and extend its lead once again. With under five minutes left in the game, the Ichabods went on a 8-0 run to take its first lead of the second half (65-63) thanks to a dunk by Jace Williams with 2:30 left on the clock. The Hornets tied it up at 65 a short 13 seconds later. Washburn regained the lead for good just 15 seconds later as Lewis sank a three-point shot with 2:02 left. As the Hornets attempted to take control again, the Ichabods answered to make sure that didn't happen. Washburn kept their defense up in the final minute to ensure the 73-70 victory over Emporia State.
Tyler Geiman led the team with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Lewis recorded 13 points and was 4-for-7 from three-point range. Jonny Clausing rounded out the double-digit point leaders with 12 points on the night.
The Ichabods recognized two student-athletes on their Senior Day- Will McKee and Jace Williams. McKee has recorded 330 points and 308 rebounds in his three seasons. McKee will graduate with a bachelor's degree in finance. Williams currently leads the team with 21 blocks this season and has notched 369 points and 276 rebounds in his four seasons. Williams is majoring in mass media and will be returning for his final season with the Washburn football team in the fall.
Jumah'Ri Turner led the Hornets with 24 points, while Austin Downing had a team-high eight assists.
  •The Hillcats are 11-11 overall after falling to Northeastern State in the regular season finale on Saturday 78-76.
•Davin Pullum leads the team in scoring 16.0 ppg and Darraja Parnell is scoring 12.8 ppg. Jett Sternberger is averaging 12.7 ppg and Brewster Peacock is scoring 10.7 ppg.
•Devin Pullum is the only Hillcat to play a game in Lee Arena … as a member of Eastern New Mexico's team, he was held scoreless in 17 minutes in an Ichabod 94-56 win on Nov. 24, 2018.
•Rogers State was picked fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
  •Saturday's meeting with the Hillcats will be only the fourth between the two schools with the Ichabods leading 2-1.
•The Hillcats won the first meeting on Feb. 15, 2020 in Claremore, Okla. 80-62.
•The two teams have never met in the MIAA Tournament.
  TOPEKA, Kan. – The No. 17-ranked Washburn men's basketball team used only seven players and five of them reached double figures as the Ichabods shot 62 percent in the second half enroute to 53 points as they topped Rogers State 88-77 on Thursday night in Lee Arena.
With the Ichabods leading 78-74 after the Hillcats used a 7-0 run turning Washburn's 11-point advantage to four the Ichabods responded with a 10-0 run over their own pushing the lead back to 14 with 15 seconds to play then Rogers State hit a 3-pointer with five seconds to play.
The Ichabods led 35-32 at the half, but the Hillcats came out with a 9-0 run in the first 92 seconds taking a 41-35 lead. With Rogers State holding a 44-36 with 17:13 to play, Washburn's Tyler Geiman scored 12-straight points for the Ichabods pushing the home squad's lead to 48-44 with 14:44 to go. Rogers State came back again with one of the 11 lead changes in the game to take a lead at 54-52 with 11:38 remaining, but another 10-0 by Washburn pushed the lead to 62-54 than four when Levi Braun's sixth 3-pointer of the game jump started the final push by the Ichabods to the win.
Geiman led the Ichabods (12-3, 12-3 MIAA) with 29 points adding eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals and Jace Williams recorded his first double double as an Ichabod with 10 points and a career-high 10 rebounds adding two blocks. Braun finished with 18 on 6 of 9 shooting from deep adding a career-high seven rebounds while Rathen Carter had 11 and Tyler Nelson scored 10. The game was the first time since last season at Missouri Western on Feb. 29, 2020.
Darraja Parnell led the Hillcats (6-9, 6-9 MIAA) with 15 points.
The Ichabods finished 14 of 29 (after starting the game 1 of 7 from deep) compared to 6 of 26 for the Hillcats. Washburn was 12 of 14 from the free throw line and the Hillcats hit 19 of 26. Washburn finished 31 of 61 from the field for a 51 percent clip and the Hillcats were at 46 percent hitting 26 of 56 shots. Washburn forced 16 turnovers leading to 27 points and the Ichabods also had a 23 to 4 advantage in fast break points.
  •The Ichabods are 38-23 all-time in the MIAA Championship Tournament.
• The Ichabods are 2-2 in first round games (since expanding to 12 teams) … 19-7 in the quarterfinals, 12-7 in the semifinals and 5-7 in championship games.
•In games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 16-13.
•In quarterfinal games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 9-5. In semifinal games played in Municipal the Ichabods are 5-3 and in championship games in Kansas City the Ichabods are 1-5.
•As the No. 1 seed, the Ichabods are 21-3, at No. 2 they are 6-4, at No. 3 they are 2-3, at No. 4 they are 2-3, as the No. 5 seed they are 0-1, at No. 6 the Ichabods are 4-5, at No. 7 they are 0-1 and as the No. 8 seed they are 3-3.
•Former head coach Bob Chipman has won more MIAA Tournament games than any other coach. He has won 34 games going 34-19 recording a .653 winning percentage.
•Chipman and NWMSU's Ben McCollum are the only MIAA coaches to win five tournament titles. Tom Smith (MWSU) and Steve Tappmeyer (NWMSU), Ron Shumate (Southeast Missouri) and Kim Anderson (UCM/PSU) 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             —               2-0            —              2-0            3-0
MSSU        —              1-0             2-1             0-1             1-1             3-2
MWSU       0-1             0-1             2-2            1-2             1-1             3-7
NSU           0-1             —               —               —               —               0-1
NWMSU     —              2-2            0-2            1-2             0-4            3-7
PSU           —              1-0             3-0            2-0            3-0            6-0
RSU           —             
UCO           —              0-1             —               —              0-1             0-1
UNK           —              1-1             —              —              1-1             1-1
--- vs former members
MS&T        —              1-1             —               —              1-0             1-1
UMSL         —              1-0             —               —               —               1-0
SEMO         —              —               —               —               —               —
SBU           1-0             2-0            1-1             1-0             —               5-1
TSU            —              2-0            1-0              —             —               3-0
UNO           —              —               —               0-1             0-1             0-1
Totals         2-2            19-7           12-7           5-7             16-13        37-21
  •The Ichabods are 1617-1096-2 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 636-293 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 464-95 (.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 winner of the Rogers State/Washburn game will advance to the final four of the MIAA Tournament to be played at the highest remaining seed winning on Wednesday night. The semifinals will be played on Friday and the championship game will be Saturday.