OPENING TIP
• The Washburn Ichabods will open the 120th season of men's basketball with a pair of games in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium starting on Friday at 3 p.m. when they will face Sioux Falls. Washburn will then face the preseason No. 1, and defending NCAA Division II Champion Minnesota State Mavericks at 3 p.m. on Nov. 9.
• The Ichabods had their lone exhibition game on Oct. 29 facing NCAA Division I ranked Kansas falling 84-53 in Allen Fieldhouse.
• The Sioux Falls Cougars will be playing their first games of the season in Kansas City.
• The Mavericks opened the season with a pair of losses to fellow ranked teams at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic falling to No. 19-ranked Florida Southern 91-86 in overtime and the No. 9-ranked North Georgia the following day in a 57-49 loss.
• The Ichabods finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-11 record advancing to the MIAA Tournament semifinals.
• The Ichabods have recorded 30, 20-win seasons and four under Ichabod head coach Brett Ballard in his seven seasons receiving  four NCAA postseason berths.
• The 2024-25 season marks the 120th season of Ichabod basketball.

Preseason look
• The Ichabods return four players who started at least half of last season's 30 games that saw the Ichabods go 19-11 overall reaching the MIAA Tournament semifinals. In all, eight players return who saw action last year for the Ichabods.
• Washburn returns to all-MIAA performers in senior Andrew Orr at 13.3 ppg and 5.6 rpg who was a second-team all-MIAA pick last season and Sam Ungashick was an honorable mention selection after averaging 12.2 ppg and 3.8 rpg. Other starters returning include Brady Christiansen at 7.9 ppg and 6.6 rpg and Michael Keegan at 7.4 ppg and 5.3 rpg. Jack Bachelor started 11 games and averaged 11.5 ppg and 3.8 rpg with 3.9 apg.
• Overall the Ichabods return 85 percent of their scoring, 75.5 percent of the rebounds, 86 percent of their field goals and 90 percent of their 3-pointers from last season including 85 percent of the minutes played last season.

ICHABOD BITS
• The Ichabods hit 235 3-pointers last season, the ninth-most in program history in a single season while their 626 attempts tied for sixth all-time.
• The Ichabods shot .750 (415 of 553) from the free throw line this season … that is the best mark by an Ichabod team since the 1966-67 season when they shot .742 percent (525 of 708) … the Ichabod single season record for free throw percentage is .763 set in the 1968-69 season (728 of 954).
• Second-team all-MIAA selection Andrew Orr who was a third-team all-MIAA pick as a sophomore, led the Ichabods in scoring at 13.3 ppg adding 5.6 rebounds, 24 blocks and 54 assists. This past season as a junior, Orr was 18th in the MIAA in scoring, 13th in rebounding, ninth in field goal percentage hitting 161 of 297 shots for a 54 percent average, 15th in blocks at 0.8 per game. He has reached double figures in 20 games.
• Sam Ungashick earned MIAA Honorable Mention all-MIAA honors last season, was second on the team in scoring averaging 12.2 ppg adding a team-high 41 steals averaging 1.4 per game. He also averaged 3.8 rebounds per game and shot 40 percent from 3-point range hitting 48 of 121 and 82 percent of his free throws going 55 of 69. He scored a season-high 26 points at Missouri Western on Dec. 16 and has reached double figures in 17 games. Ungashick also led the Ichabods in minutes played at 30.2 per game.
• Jack Bachelor scored 11.5 ppg last season and lead the team with 116 assists and was named the MIAA Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 8 … Bachelor scored 344 points as a freshman, which is fourth on the Ichabod freshman season scoring chart and his 46 3-pointers are fifth.
• Brady Christiansen averaged 8.3 ppg with a team-high 6.6 rpg as a sophomore … he was fifth in the MIAA in rebound average and is fourth in the MIAA in offensive rebounds averaging 2.5 per game … he has also moved into the top 50 all-time at Washburn in rebounds with 388 entering his junior season.
• Brayden Shorter averaged 7.9 ppg and 2.8 rpg as a freshman last season.
• Michael Keegan averaged 7.4 ppg with 5.3 rpg averaging as a junior.
• Jake Schadegg averaged 5.0 ppg and 1.4 apg last season as a junior.
• Zaid Dajani averaged 1.6 last season as a sophomore.
• Washburn finished second the MIAA in 3-pointers made per game last season at 7.8 per contest and the Ichabods are also ranked third in 3-point field goal percentage at .375.
• The Ichabods were second in the MIAA in scoring last season averaging 76.3 ppg and ranked eighth in scoring defense allowing 70.7 ppg.
• Washburn led the MIAA in rebound margin at +6.2 last season.
 
COACHES
WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD ...
• is 137-75 in his eighth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 170-105 overall in his 10th year as a head coach.
• has led the Ichabods to four NCAA postseason appearances in seven 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 and Tulsa basketball programs after working under head coach Danny Manning 2012-17 seasons.
• he helped Wake Forest to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2009-10 season following the 2016-17 season.
• 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.
• he is 1-0 against Sioux Falls in his career and he is 1-0 against Minnesota State.
 
SIOUX FALLS HEAD COACH CHRIS JOHNSON ...
• is in his 18th season as the Cougars' head coach going 267-198 at Sioux Falls and he is 283-213 in his 19th head coaching season overall.
• has led the Cougars to an NAIA Sweet 16 appearance, two GPAC post season tournament championships, 10 NSIC tournament appearances, six 20-win seasons, and one NSIC South Division title.
• he is a 1998 graduate of Dutch of Central College.
• is 0-1 against the Ichabods.
 
MINNESOTA STATE HEAD COACH MATT MARGENTHALER ...
• is in his 24th season as the Mavericks' head coach going 488-213 overall.
• has led the Mavericks to the 2024 NCAA National Championship.
• is a 1991 Western Illinois graduate.
• is 1-1 against the Ichabods.
 
ABOUT SIOUX FALLS
• The University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball team was picked to finish 7th in the NSIC Preseason Poll.
• Noah Puetz was named USF's Preseason Player to Watch. He averaged 11.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while playing an average of 25.7 minutes per game.
• The USF team finished last year at 13-17 and 9-13 in conference play.
• The Cougars have seven seniors on the squad.
 
SERIES HISTORY SIOUX FALLS
• The Ichabods and the Cougars have met only two times and like the upcoming meeting, two previous two were played on a neutral court.
• Washburn leads the series 2-0 winning the last meeting on Nov. 11, 2023 in Kansas City in an 82-80 win.
• Washburn won the first match up 85-72 in Emporia on Dec. 6, 1980.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS AGAINST SIOUX FALLS
(Nov. 11, 2023) KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabods opened the 2023-24 hoops season with an 82-80 win using a 5-0 spurt in the waning moments of the game holding off a late charge by Sioux Falls at the Central Regional Challenge in Municipal Auditorium on Saturday afternoon.
With the score tied at 68 with 6:06 to go in the game, Washburn's Brady Christiansen hit a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 71-68 and less than 30 seconds later, he hit two free throws pushing the lead to five with 5:28 to go.
The Cougars pulled within two with under four minutes to play, but a 3-pointer by Jake Schadegg again moved the Washburn lead back to five at 76-71. Sioux Falls cut the lead to two points two times in the final 30 seconds, but jumpers by Jack Bachelor and Michael Keegan kept USF (0-1) down again as Washburn picked up the two-point win in the first meeting between the two schools in more than 40 years.
Washburn trailed 39-38 at the break after leading by no more than five points in the first 20 minutes. Overall there were 18 lead changes and 17 ties in the game.
Andrew Orr scored 24 points on 8 of 13 shooting adding an 8 of 8 performance from the free throw line. Eleven of his points came in the second half. Jake Schadegg scored a career-high 14 points hitting four 3-pointers on six attempts with Brady Christiansen scoring 13 points adding a team-high eight rebounds. Jack Bachelor scored 12 points off the bench in his collegiate debut. Sam Ungashick had seven points with seven assists and two steals and Michael Keegan had three blocks with five boards and three assists.
Kenji Scales scored 22 to lead Sioux Falls.
Washburn finished 28 of 57 from the field in the game shooting 49 percent overall. The Ichabods were 18 of 22 from the free throw line. The Cougars held a 37-29 advantage on the glass. Washburn's bench outscored the USF bench 33-16.
 
 
ABOUT MINNESOTA STATE
• The Minnesota State men's basketball team has been ranked #1 in the NABC Preseason Coaches Poll. MSU, which won the NCAA Championship last season with a 35-2 record, received 393 points and 10 first-place votes, to secure the top-spot in the poll. This marks the third time in team history that the Mavericks have been ranked #1 in the NABC Poll.
• The Mavericks, like the Ichabods, also faced off against an NCAA Blue Blood in a 98-67 loss to Kentucky on Oct. 29. Freshman Harrison Braudis and senior Carson Schweim both finished with a team-leading 13 points as both connected on three shots from three-point range. Graduate senior Drew Daniel and junior Malcolm Jones each recorded eight points of their own, with Jones also hauling in a team-leading six rebounds.
• The Mavericks opened the season with a pair of losses to fellow ranked teams at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic falling to No. 19-ranked Florida Southern 91-86 in overtime and the No. 9-ranked North Georgia the following day in a 57-49 loss.
• David Harmon leads the team in scoring after two games at 13.5 ppg adding 3.5 rpg … Harris Braudis is averaging 13.0 ppg and Kyreese Willigham is averaging 12.0 ppg.
 
SERIES HISTORY MINNESOTA STATE
• The Ichabods and the Mavericks have played three times in their history, but not since a 78-71 overtime win by the Ichabods on Nov. 8, 2019 in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium.
• The win by the Ichabods snapped a two-game losing streak to the Mavericks with the win.
• The teams also met on a neutral site in a 77-70 Maverick win on Nov. 14, 2014 at the Pentagon Basketball Showcase in Sioux Falls, S.D.
• The first meeting was on Dec. 20, 1949 in Enid, Oklahoma in a 74-45 Ichabod loss.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS AGAINST MINNESOTA STATE
(Nov. 8, 2019) KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabods opened the 2019-20 season with a 78-71 win over Minnesota State on Friday afternoon in Municipal Auditorium.
The Ichabods the entire first half, minus the first points of the game for the Mavericks and would then go on to lead 33-24 at the break after forcing MSU into 12 turnovers leading to nine Ichabod points.
The second half saw the Ichabods pushed the lead to 14 at 38-24 with 18:32 to go, but the Mavericks cut the lead to three with an 11-0 run . A 3-pointer by Jalen Lewis ended the run with 16:21 to play. Washburn stretched the lead back to six after a layup by Tyler Geiman.
MSU cut the and tied the score at 58, but a Johnny Clausing tip-in pushed Washburn back in front, but again MSU tied the score at 60 with 2:20 to go. Neither team would score in regulation after with the score knotted at 62 the final 1:29 of the game.
In the extra frame the Mavericks, who were picked to win the Northern Sun, scored the first points to go up 64-62, but Isaiah Thorne hit a 3-pointer to push the lead back to Washburn and with the score tied at 65, Clausing hit a pair of free throws to go up 67-65 with 3:36 to play as the Mavericks would not get closer than two the rest of the way as the Ichabods led by as many as seven at the final horn.
Lewis led the Ichabods with a career-high 22 points hitting 11 of 12 free throws. Maschoff had 14 and Geiman had 12 points, a career-high 11 rebounds and seven assists playing 42 minutes of the game.
Cameron Kirksey led MSU with 27 points and Kelby Kramer had 18 rebounds and eight blocks.
Washburn was 1 of 5 in from the field in the overtime on Thorne's 3-pointer, but hit 13 of 16 free throws to secure the win.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
(October 29, 2024) LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod men's basketball team opened the 2024-25 exhibition slate with an 84-53 loss at No. 1 Kansas on Tuesday night in Allen Fieldhouse. Washburn fell behind 11-2 four-plus minutes into the first half as the Jayhawks pushed their lead to 16 leading 38-22 at the break after hitting 15 of 28 shots from 3-point range holding the Ichabods to 9 of 31 shooting from the field in the opening stanza.
The top-ranked Jayhawks pushed their lead to 63-28 with 13:28 to play in the second half. Washburn improved its shooting in the second half to 40 percent hitting 12 of 30 shots in the frame to finish 21 of 61 (34 percent) overall going 6 of 20 from 3-point range.
Jack Bachelor led the Ichabods with 13 points adding five rebounds and five assists with no turnovers in 31 minutes of play. Tyson Ruud scored 10 points adding seven rebounds off the bench. David Coit led four Jayhawks in double figures with 19 points hitting 5 of 10 3-point attempts.
The Ichabods were outrebounded 42 to 32 and each team had 16 turnovers.
 
ICHABOD BASKETBALL HISTORY
• The Ichabods are 1,688-1,133-2 all-time in the 118th year in the program's history.
• Washburn is the 10th-winningest program in NCAA Division II history by victories.
• Washburn is 692-325 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
• The Ichabods have recorded 30 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 16 NCAA Tournament bids going to three Elite Eight's appearing in the 2001 NCAA National Championship game.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
• The Ichabods are 499-103 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
• The 2024-25 season marks the 39th season of play in Lee Arena.
• The Ichabods are 38-1 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.
 
UP NEXT
•  The Ichabods will open the home slate on Nov. 12 against Ottawa at 7 p.m. in Lee Arena.