• The No. 1-ranked Washburn Ichabods men's basketball team returns to the road for a stretch of three games beginning in Hays, America as the Ichabods will face Fort Hays State on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum in a battle of the MIAA's high scoring offense against the MIAA's lowest scoring defense.
• Washburn is 20-0 (10-0 MIAA) this season - one of two remaining undefeated teams along with Cal State East Bay in Division II – after beating Missouri Western 90-78 on Jan. 23 in Topeka.
• The Tigers are 15-4 this season and 6-3 in the MIAA having won their last five in a row after turning back Central Oklahoma 58-53 on Jan. 24 …the Tigers received votes in this week's NABC poll sitting 29th overall.
• The Ichabods defeated the Tigers on Dec. 6 in Topeka in a 73-66 win …the 73 points was a season-low for the Ichabods this season.
• The Ichabods have the No. 1-ranked scoring offense in the MIAA putting up 89.2 ppg just ahead  of Northeastern State's 87.8 ppg and Missouri Southern's 86.8 ppg.
• Defensively, the Ichabods have the No. 2-ranked scoring defense allowing 61.8 ppg behind Fort Hays State's 59.9 ppg.
• The Tigers are averaging 71.6 ppg ranking 13th in the MIAA stats.
• The Tigers are 9-1 in home games this season with the lone loss coming on Nov. 16 to Concordia-St. Paul in a 78-68 defeat …since then the Tigers have won their last eight games in a row.
• Washburn is 19-4 playing at the No. 1-ranked team in the country in its NCAA program history.
• The Ichabods are coming off one of the best seasons in program history with an NCAA Final Four appearance, an NCAA Central Regional Championship and an MIAA regular season title with a 30-4 overall record after going 17-2 in MIAA play.
• The Ichabods have recorded 32, 20-win seasons in program history and six under Ichabod head coach Brett Ballard in his nine seasons receiving four NCAA postseason berths coaching the 2024-25 squad to only the program's second 30-win season in school history.
• The 2025-26 season marks the 121st season of Ichabod basketball.
•  The Washburn Ichabods were picked atop the MIAA Preseason Coaches and Media polls released Oct. 6 by the league office. In the MIAA Coaches Poll, Washburn received 13 of 14 first-place votes, tallying 169 points, finishing ahead of Rogers State which had one first-place vote and 141 total points. In the MIAA media poll, the Ichabods received 23 of 25 first-place votes from the media for 346 total points. Fort Hays State had one first-place vote and 297 points, and Rogers State had a first-place vote and 286 total points.
  • The Ichabods recorded their 32nd, 20-win season in program history and their sixth under head coach Brett Ballard in his ninth season on the Ichabod bench with the win over Missouri Western last time out.
• The Ichabods lead the nation in scoring margin in the NCAA D2 ranks at +27.4 ppg and are ranked first in field goal percentage at 52.8 percent - also leading the MIAA … Washburn is seventh in assists per game (18.7), 10th in assist/turnover ration (1.51), second in effective field goal percentage (.593) and second in rebound margin (+12.2) … Washburn is seventh in scoring defense (61.8 ppg) - a category Fort Hays State leads the nation in, sixth in fastbreak points (19.7 ppg), 10th in defensive field goal percentage (.387) sixth in turnover margin (+6.0) and eighth in turnovers forced per game (+18.4).
• Washburn has not been outrebounded in a game this season and have only been tied twice (vs Lubbock Christian and Emporia State).
• Dillon Claussen is sixth in the nation in field goal percentage at 65.9 which also leads the MIAA … Jeremiah Jones is first the nation in total steals with 66 and is ranked third in steals per game at 3.30 per contest.
• Jack Bachelor is 35th in the nation in total assists with 91 and 12th in assist to turnover ration at 3.14 to 1.
• The Ichabods' 20-game winning streak is the longest in the nation ahead of Cal St. East Bay's 18-game winning streak.
• The Ichabods have the third-longest road game winning streak in the nation at seven. Michigan Tech has won its last 10 and Eastern New Mexico has won its last eight.
• The 20-game winning streak by the Ichabods is the third-longest in program history.
• Washburn's 25-game homecourt winning streak is second in the nation behind Nova Southeastern's 96-game winning streak.
• The Ichabods' 25-game homecourt winning streak is the second-longest in program history trailing only the 28-game streak from Nov. 19, 1993 to Feb. 8, 1995.
  • With the win, Washburn cemented its 32nd, 20-win season in program history and the sixth under head coach Brett Ballard in his ninth season on the Ichabod bench.
• The now 25-game homecourt winning streak is tied for second for the longest in program history, trailing only the 28-game streak from Nov. 19, 1993 to Feb. 8, 1995.
• Bryson Smith tied a Washburn-high with six assists.
• The Ichabods have now won six in a row against the Griffons overall moving to 8-2 in the last 10 games and have won the last five matchups in Topeka.
  WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD ...
• is 187-79 in his ninth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 220-109 overall in his 11th year as a head coach.
• has led the Ichabods to five NCAA postseason appearances in eight seasons at Washburn as well as the 2021 MIAA Tournament Championship and the 2025 MIAA Regular season title.
• 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 10-2 against Fort Hays State.
   
FORT HAYS STATE HEAD COACH MARK JOHNSON ...
• is the all-time coaching wins leader in FHSU history with a career record of 488-234 in his 25th season at FHSU.
• has led the Tigers to eight NCAA Tournament appearances in his time at FHSU.
• became the all-time wins leader in Fort Hays State history on January 11, 2014 in a victory at home over Lincoln University, recording his 258th win.
• has coached four All-Americans, 69 all-conference selections, a conference player of the year, two conference freshmen of the year, and four conference defensive players of the year in his time at FHSU.
• is 16-21 against the Ichabods.
  • The Tigers are 15-4 (6-3 MIAA) winning their fifth game in a row with a 58-53 win over Central Oklahoma on Jan. 24
• Dan Mukuna leads the team in scoring at 18.8 ppg adding a team-high 7.5 rpg … Kyle Grill is scoring 13.6 ppg with 5.6 rpg and Jahvari Martino is scoring 11.5 ppg.
• The Tigers are receiving votes in the latest NABC Top 25 poll.
  • Washburn leads the all-time series 102-72 and Thursday's meeting will be the 175th between the two schools.
• The Ichabods have won 19 of the last 25 in the series.
• In Lee Arena, the Ichabods are 25-8 all-time against Fort Hays State going 11-13 in road games since joining the MIAA.
• Fort Hays State is 5-2 against WU in overtime games.
• The Ichabods are 3-0 against Fort Hays State in the MIAA Tournament including a 77-53 semifinal win in the 2018 event in Kansas City.
• The series with the Tigers is the third-most played series in Ichabod history trailing Emporia State (225) and Pittsburg State (189).
  (Dec. 6, 2025) TOPEKA, Kan. – The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods stayed perfect on the season with a 73–66 win over Fort Hays State inside Lee Arena on Saturday afternoon, improving to 10–0 overall and 2–0 in conference play.
The Ichabods trailed 34–33 at halftime after a slow offensive start, shooting just 37.1% from the floor and 2-of-12 from three while Fort Hays State knocked down 47.8% of its shots before the break. Washburn outscored the Tigers 40–32 in the final 20 minutes taking control by attacking the paint, dominating the glass and converting turnovers into points.
Bryson Smith finished with a Washburn-high 22 points while going 11-of-12 at the free-throw line. He added five rebounds, one assist and four steals scoring 15 of his 22 points in the second half, including a perfect 9-of-10 showing at the line in crunch time to secure the win. Dillon
Claussen scored 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting and knocking down 7-of-8 free throws while grabbing six rebounds and finishing with a team-best +10 plus/minus when he was on the floor. Claussen drew eight fouls and anchored the inside presence that turned the tide.
Brady Christiansen provided major rebounding help with eight boards, five points, two assists and two steals while going 3-of-4 at the stripe. Washburn collect 38 rebounds overall compared to Fort Hays State's 26, including a 16–3 advantage on the offensive glass that led to 16 second-chance points.
Washburn also forced 21 turnovers, turning them into 20 points, while giving up only 13 points off its own miscues. The scoring edge inside was equally important, outscoring the Tigers 34–24 in the paint and grabbing an eight-point edge in fast-break scoring.
Fort Hays State led for more than 16 minutes, including a 34–33 edge at halftime, and used a 10-point burst in the second half to pull within striking distance late. Lucas Hammeke carried the offense with a game-high 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 8-of-10 at the line, and Kyle Grill added nine points and four steals. But Washburn's defense limited the Tigers to 39.1% shooting after the break, and their three-point shooting cooled to just 3-of-19 overall.
The decisive stretch came early in the second half when Washburn ripped off a 9–0 run to take its biggest lead of the game at 52–41 with 12:00 to play. Claussen, Smith and Christiansen all scored during that push as the Ichabods took control on both ends — at one point forcing six turnovers in a span of five minutes. The Tigers never fully recovered, getting no closer than four the rest of the way as Washburn converted free throws down the stretch to close out its 10th straight victory to open the season.
Washburn's bench added 16 points with key early contributions from Marcus Glock and Sam Ungashick, and the team finished with six steals in each half along with six total blocked shots. Every Ichabod who played collected at least one rebound, and all but one recorded a point or assist, reflecting the balanced response needed to shake off the early shooting struggles.
  (Jan. 23, 2026) TOPEKA, Kan. – The No. 1-ranked Washburn Ichabods stayed unbeaten and in control Friday night, rolling past Missouri Western 90–78 at Lee Arena behind efficient shooting, balanced scoring and several timely runs that kept the Griffons at arm's length.
The Ichabods (20-0, 10-0 MIAA) weathered an early back-and-forth stretch that featured six ties and one lead change in the opening minutes before exploding offensively. After Missouri Western briefly led 3–0, Washburn responded with a surge fueled by transition baskets and inside touches, eventually stretching the margin to as many as 22 points late in the first half turning an Ichabod 42-30 lead with 5:34 to go in the frame, to a 22-point lead with 2:44 to play in the half on a 12-2 run going up 54-32.
However, Missouri Western closed the half on a 10-2 run, trimming the Washburn advantage back to 14 at 56-42. The Ichabods shot a scorching 81.5 percent from the field and 75 percent from deep in the opening period, building the lead.
Missouri Western (13-8, 5-5 MIAA) made multiple pushes in the second half, trimming the deficit into single digits midway through the period, but every run was answered. A sequence of interior buckets and fast-break finishes helped Washburn stabilize the lead, and a late push pushed the margin back into double figures down the stretch. The Ichabods finished with 25 fast-break points and 48 points in the paint, consistently beating the Griffons down the floor and attacking the rim.
Washburn placed eight players in the scoring column with several delivering standout performances. Dillon Claussen led the way with 18 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting while adding six rebounds and four assists. Sam Ungashick provided a major spark off the bench, knocking down shots in transition and finishing with 17 points on 7 of 9 shooting from the field. Tyson Ruud chipped in 15 points and five rebounds, while Bryson Smith contributed eight points and a game-high six assists. Marcus Glock added seven points and Jeremiah Jones finished with nine points, five rebounds and three steals.
As a team, Washburn shot 63.2 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three, turning 20 Missouri Western turnovers into 20 points. The Ichabods also dominated bench production, outscoring the Griffons' reserves 39 to 9.
Missouri Western was led by Ty Henry and William Kiburis with 19 points apiece, while Noah King added 13.
  • The Ichabods are 1,728-1,137-2 all-time in the 121st year in the program's history.
• Washburn is the seventh-winningest program in NCAA Division II history by victories.
• Washburn is 728-328 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
• The Ichabods have recorded 31 20-win seasons and they have two 30-win seasons after going 35-4 during the 1986-87 NAIA Championship season and after the 2024-25 season's 30-4 record.
• Washburn has won 22 conference championships including 11 MIAA titles.
• Washburn has received 16 NCAA Tournament bids going to four Elite Eight's appearing in the 2001 NCAA National Championship game.
  • The Ichabods are 524-104 (.831) all-time in Lee Arena.
• The 2025-26 season marks the 41st season of play in Lee Arena.
• The Ichabods are 40-1 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 will face Nebraska-Kearney on Jan. 31 in Kearney and then Central Missouri on Feb. 7 in Warrensburg before returning home on Feb. 12 hosting Arkansas-Fort Smith and Northeastern State on Feb. 14.