• The newly-minted No. 1-ranked Washburn Ichabods will host Emporia State on Wednesday night in Lee Arena at 7:30 pm in their second-meeting in the last 11 days.
• The Ichabods improved to 15-0 and 6-0 in the MIAA after blasting Northwest Missouri 96-66 in a 30-point win last time out on Jan. 11.
• The Hornets are 4-11 this season and 1-5 in the MIAA after falling 69-67 at home to Nebraska-Kearney on Jan. 11.
• The Ichabods defeated Emporia State on Jan. 4 in Emporia 105-77 in the second-largest victory margin in series history.
• The Ichabods were last ranked No. 1 in the nation on Jan. 27, 1992.
• Playing as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation in the NCAA ranks, the Ichabods are 3-2 topping Central Missouri Jan. 15 in their first game as the No. 1 team before falling to Pittsburg State on Jan. 18 by one …after going 2-0 the following week after wins over Emporia State and Missouri Western, the Ichabods moved back into the top spot on Jan. 27, 1992 at topped Fort Hays State on Jan. 27 and Northwest Missouri on Jan. 29 before falling at Truman on Feb. 1.
• The top-10 rankings places the Ichabods in the top five for seven-straight weeks for the first time in program history.
• The Ichabods are off to their best start to begin the season at 15-0 since starting the 2003-04 season 16-0 en route to the MIAA regular season championship.
• The Ichabod record for the most wins to start the season is 19 coming in the 1992-93 season.
• The Ichabods are now one of two undefeated teams remaining in the NCAA Division II ranks joining No. 2 Daemen (14-0).
• 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.
  • Andrew Orr became the 28th member of the Ichabod 1,000 point club with a free throw at Fort Hays State earlier this season … he now has 1,095 career points moving into 20th all time passing … next on the scoring chart are Todd Alexander and Tom Carlson with 1,099 points.
• Michael Keegan has 896 career points in 111 career games as an Ichabod and he has moved into sixth all-time at Washburn in career blocks with 91 … he also moved into the top 10 on the all-time steal chart with 129 sitting seventh.
• The Ichabods are seventh in the nation in rebound margin at +10.1 and 11th in scoring defense at 63.7 ppg and fifth in scoring margin at +21.1 … in five MIAA games, the Ichabods are +22.6 in scoring margin leading the MIAA … the next closest team is Central Oklahoma at +6.3 ppg.
• Jacob Hanna is 24th in the nation in free throws made with 81 and 21st in attempts with 107.
• Andrew Orr is 18th in the nation in field goal percentage at 63.6.
• Michael Keegan is 20th in the nation and leading the MIAA in steals with 36 and he is ranked 21st in steals per game at 2.40 per game.
• Brayden Shorter is fifth in the nation in 3-pointers per game at 3.67 and he's ranked seventh in total 3-pointers made at 55.
• Brayden Shorter has 98 career 3-pointers in 44 career Ichabod games … Jalen Lewis, the Ichabod all-time 3-pointer leader hit his 100th career 3-pointer in career game No. 49 … Tyler Geiman is second on the career chart with 250 career 3-pointers and he hit is 100th career 3-pointer in game No. 69.
• Jacob Hanna is closing in on 1,000 points in his collegiate career between Washburn and Illinois-Springfield - between both schools he has scored 962 career points.
• The Ichabods have 1,691 all-time program wins in. The Ichabods would be the seventh NCAA D2 program to reach the 1,700 win mark.
   • The last time the Ichabods were ranked No. 1 in the nation …
• No. 1 song - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - George Michael/Elton John
• No. 1 movie - Hook
• Loaf of bread: $0.73
• Gallon of gas:  $1.07
• Dozen eggs: Around $0.93
• Pound of chicken: $0.88 pound
• Gallon of milk: $1.17 WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD ...
• is 152-75 in his eighth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 185-108 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.
• is 8-6 against Emporia State.
 
EMPORIA STATE HEAD COACH Tom Billeter ...
• is 494-286 in his 27th season as a head coach and is 4-8 in his first season at Emporia State.
• went 393-224 in 21 years at Augustana winning the 2016 National Championship
• led the Vikings to nine NCAA Tournaments, three regular season NSIC Championships, two NSIC Tourney Championships and 18 consecutive winning seasons.
• is 2-3 against Washburn (0-1) and at Augustana (2-2).
  • The Hornets are 4-11 this season and 1-5 in the MIAA after falling at home to Nebraska-Kearney 69-67 last time out.
• Malik Edwards, Jr. is averaging 13.3 ppg leading the team and Brayson Laube is scoring 11.1 ppg while Arman Lewis is scoring 11.0 ppg.
  • The meeting on Wednesday will be the 223rd meeting between the two schools and the Ichabods lead at 114-108. This is the most-played series for Washburn
• The Ichabods snapped a four-game losing streak with their win on Jan. 4 in Emporia.
• The two teams started the series in 1905-06, Washburn's first recorded year of basketball, and they have met every year since the 1945-56 season.
• The home team has won 17 of the last 23 meetings.
• The Ichabods are 45-60 against the Hornets on the road.
• Washburn is 5-1 against Emporia State in MIAA Postseason tournament games.
  (Jan. 11, 2025) TOPEKA, Kan. – The No. 2 ranked Washburn Ichabods led for all but 19 seconds in a 96-66 win over Northwest Missouri on Saturday afternoon in Lee Arena.
Washburn jumped out to a 9-1 lead and never looked back as the Ichabods snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Bearcats in Lee Arena recording their first win since Feb. 9, 2013 in an 80-67 victory. After the initial burst by the Bearcats (4-11, 2-4 MIAA) pulled within three at 13-10 with 14:39 to play in the opening half before an Ichabods 11-3 run with points by four different Ichabods propelled Washburn to a 48-30 lead at the break.
Washburn shot 59 percent in the opening half hitting 19 of 32 shots while holding the Bearcats to 33 percent shooting on 8 of 24 from the field.
Washburn scored 12 of the first 16 points of the second half starting the frame 5 of 5 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers by Jack Bachelor followed by a swipe and steal dunk by Michael Keegan putting the Ichabods up 60-34 just before the first media timeout. Another 3-pointer by Bachelor pushed the lead to 27 and Northwest would get no closer than 23 the rest of the way before the Ichabods stretched out the final margin to as many as 34 with 70 seconds to play in the game.
All five Ichabod starters reached double figures led by Brayden Shorter's 18 points. Andrew Orr had 16 with fie boards and Jacob Hanna had 13 points with four steals. Bachelor had 11 points adding five assists. Brady Christiansen had seven points and a game-tying-high six rebounds.
Northwest was led by Trey Moala's 13 points and six boards.
Washburn finished 60 percent from the field connecting on 39 of 65 shots overall holding the Bearcats to 39 percent at 22 of 57 made attempts. Washburn also outrebounded the Bearcats 34 to 33 and forced 18 Northwest turnovers leading to 27 Ichabod points. Washburn also outscored the Bearcats 58 to 32 in the paint while shooting a blistering hot 31 of 42 from the field on 2-point baskets for a 74 percent clip. • The Ichabods are 1,691-1,133-2 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 699-325 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.
  • The Ichabods are 505-104 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
• The 2024-25 season marks the 40th season of play in Lee Arena.
• The Ichabods are 39-1 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 wrap up their current four-game homestand with Newman on Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. before setting out on the road for contests at Northwest Missouri (Jan. 22) and Missouri Western (Jan. 25) before beginning another three-game stretch in Lee Arena with Fort Hays State (Jan. 30), Nebraska-Kearney (Feb. 1) and Central Missouri (Feb. 8).