• The No. 1-ranked Washburn Ichabods men's basketball squad continues its three-game road trip at Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday at 3 p.m.
• Washburn is 21-0 (11-0 MIAA) this season - one of two remaining undefeated teams along with Cal State East Bay in Division II – after rallying for an overtime win at Fort Hays State on Thursday night in an 81-73 win in Hays.
• The Lopers are 10-12 this season and 3-8 in the MIAA after falling at home to Central Missouri 92-53 on Thursday night.
• The Lopers have dropped their last two games and are 6-4 at home this season.
• Washburn won the first meeting on Dec. 4 in Topeka with the Lopers 92-64 turning a two-point halftime deficit into a 28-point win outscoring UNK 53-23 in the second half.
• The Ichabods have the No. 1-ranked scoring offense in the MIAA putting up 88.8 ppg just ahead  of Northeastern State's 87.3 ppg and Missouri Southern's 86.8 ppg.
• Defensively, the Ichabods have the No. 2-ranked scoring defense allowing 62.3 ppg behind Fort Hays State's 61.0 ppg.
• The Lopers are averaging 78.0 ppg and allowing 82.9 ppg ranking ninth and 13th in the MIAA rankings this season.
• Washburn is 20-4 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 earlier this season.
• 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' 21-game winning streak is the longest in the nation ahead of Cal St. East Bay's 19-game winning streak.
• The Ichabods have the longest road game winning streak in the nation at eight tied with two other schools.
• The 21-game winning streak by the Ichabods is the third-longest in program history.
• The 21-game winning streak by the Ichabods to start the season is the second-longest streak to start a season trailing last season's 22-game streak.
• 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. • The Ichabods have the third-longest road game winning streak in the nation at eight. Michigan Tech has won its last 10 and Eastern New Mexico has won its last eight.
• The 21-game winning streak by the Ichabods is the fourth-longest in program history.
• Washburn started the 2024-25 season 21-0 before losing its 23rd game of the season.
• Washburn improved to 47-40 in overtime games and 3-5 against the Tigers in overtime games.
• Brett Ballard is 9-7 in overtime games as the Ichabod head coach.
• The 14 rebounds by Jeremiah Jones were a career-high, as were the 12 field goal attempts.
• Jones has 70 steals this season, the Ichabod single season record is 82, set by Will McNeill in 2012-13. Ahead of Jones on the chart is Michael Keegan, who had 73 last season.
• Bryson Smith tied a career-high with six rebounds against the Tigers.
• Brady Christiansen's 10 free throws and 12 free throw attempts were both career highs.
  WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD ...
• is 188-79 in his ninth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 221-109 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 11-1 against Nebraska-Kearney.
   
NEBRASKA-KEARNEY HEAD COACH MARTY LEVINSON ...
• is 22-28 in his second season at UNK.
• the Grand Island native is a Bellevue West High School and UNK graduate, played high school, college, and professional basketball in the state, and held coaching positions at Grand Island Central Catholic, UNK, Central C.C.-Columbus, and assisted with Everything to Gain (ETG), one of the top AAU programs in Nebraska.
• having worked at the collegiate level for the past 17 years, Levinson has been a successful head coach at Central C.C. (2012-14), Southern Arkansas University Tech (2018-23) and Trinity Valley, Texas (2023-24). He was the first-ever coach in SAU Tech history, building the program up from the ground floor.
• has amassed a career record of 191-94 (.670 winning pct.) at the junior college level having been named District Coach of the Year five times and Region C.O.Y on four occasions. Finally, he saw five of his teams qualify for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournament, finishing as high as third.
• is 0-3 against the Ichabods.
  • The Lopers are 10-12 this season and 3-8 in the MIAA after falling at home to Central Missouri 92-53 on Thursday night.
• Ja'Bryant Hill leads the team in scoring at 16.9 ppg while Anthony Swift is scoring 13.0 ppg with a 7.1 rpg followed by Kendrick Gilbert at 11.5 ppg and Wade Williams at 10.1 ppg.
• Hill is ninth in the MIAA in scoring while Swift is fourth fifth in rebounding … Hill is also fourth in assists at 5.1 per game and second in minutes per game at 32.5. • Saturday's meeting will be the 53rd in the series with the Ichabods leading 27-25.
• The Ichabods won the last meeting on Dec. 4, 2025 in Topeka in a 92-64 win in a game the Ichabods trailed by two at the break but outscored the Lopers 53 to 23 in the second half.
• All-time in games in Kearney, the Ichabods are 9-17 and Washburn leads 17-7 in games played in Topeka.
• The Ichabods have won 10 of the last 11 overall meetings and the last seven in a row including the last three in Kearney and the last six in Topeka.
• The two teams have only played twice in the MIAA Tournament with the teams splitting a pair of games.
• The series started in 1951 with the Ichabods winning 94-64 on Dec. 14 in Kearney.
  (Dec. 4, 2025) TOPEKA, Kan. – The No. 2 ranked Washburn Ichabods turned a tight first half into a dominant victory, defeating Nebraska-Kearney 92-64 in its MIAA opener at Lee Arena. The Ichabods improved to 9-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play after erasing a 41-39 halftime deficit with a commanding second half that saw them outscore the Lopers 53-23.
Nebraska-Kearney (4-4, 0-1 MIAA) controlled much of the first half, building its largest lead of seven points at the 14:59 mark. Washburn responded with a 9-0 run midway through the period, highlighted by Marcus Glock's 3-pointer and Bryson Smith's transition basket, to briefly take the lead. The Lopers regained momentum late in the half behind Clayton Moore and Kendrick Gilbert, who combined for 17 first-half points, and went into the break ahead by two.
The second half was all Washburn. The Ichabods opened with a 7-0 spurt to reclaim the lead and then delivered the knockout blow with an 11-0 run starting at 6:03, fueled by defensive stops and fast-break finishes. Washburn's relentless pace produced 26 fast-break points and 54 points in the paint for the game. The Ichabods also dominated the glass, grabbing 40 rebounds to UNK's 33, and converted nine offensive boards into 16 second-chance points.
Marcus Glock led Washburn with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including three triples, adding two assists and two steals. Bryson Smith matched him with 15 points and five rebounds, while Dillon Claussen contributed 13 points, four rebounds, and two blocks. Tyson Ruud recorded his first a double-double with 13 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Jack Bachelor chipped in 12 points and five assists, and Amalachi Wilkins provided a spark off the bench with eight points on perfect shooting and four rebounds.
Washburn finished the night shooting 50 percent from the field, 31 percent from three-point range, and 76 percent at the line. The Ichabods forced 18 turnovers, turning them into 23 points, and held UNK to just 20 percent shooting in the second half after the Lopers hit 48.5 percent before halftime.
  (Jan. 29, 2026) HAYS, Kan. – The No. 1-ranked Washburn Ichabods survived a late push and an overtime test from the Fort Hays State, pulling away in the extra frame for an 81–73 win Thursday night at Gross Memorial Coliseum to remain undefeated improving to 21-0 overall and 11-0 in MIAA play, while the Tigers fell to 15-5 overall and 7-4 in league action.
Washburn led 47-46 with 10:31 to go in regulation before Fort Hays State went on a 12–3 run, taking a 58-50 lead with 5:13 to go. Washburn trailed by six with 55 seconds to play before a Bryson Smith layup and a Jeremiah Jones steal and layup cutting the Tigers' lead to 66-64 with 29 seconds to go. The Tigers hit two more charity stripes with 20 seconds left, going back up two, but again Smith scored on a drive with 14 seconds left. The Tigers drew a foul with 13 seconds to play, leading by two, but missed both free throws, and after a Jones rebound, Dillon Claussen was fouled with 0.9 seconds to play, and he connected on both free throws, sending the game to overtime.
In the extra session, Washburn outscored the Tigers 13–5, holding Fort Hays State, who received votes in this week's NABC Top 25 Coaches Poll, without a field goal in overtime while converting 5-of-6 free throws and forcing a pair of turnovers. Washburn only trailed by one at 69-68, but had six points from Smith and five from Bachelor, including a 3-pointer with 39 seconds to play, with the Ichabods holding a one-point lead. On the Tigers' ensuing possession, Jones swiped another ball and went the distance with a dunk as Washburn would lead 79-73 with 31 seconds. Smith wrapped up the scoring with two free throws with 22 seconds to play, sealing the win.
The Ichabods shot 24-of-62 (39 percent) from the field, and finished 28-of-39 (72 percent) at the free-throw line. Washburn held a 36–28 advantage in points in the paint and added 14 second-chance points while forcing 16 Tiger turnovers. Fort Hays State shot 23-of-58 (40 percent) overall and 6-of-18 (33 percent) from three-point range, but went 0-for-5 from the field in overtime.
Brady Christiansen led the Ichabods with 18 points going 10 of 12 from the free throw line adding five boards. Bachelor logged 42 minutes and led Washburn with 17 points with three assists and two steals and Jones recorded his first double double as an Ichabod with 14 points and 14 rebounds adding four steals. Smith tallied 16 points with six boards going 8 of 9 from the free throw line, while Dillon Claussen added nine points and seven rebounds.
Fort Hays State was led by Dan Mukuna with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Kyle Grill had 13 points and eight rebounds.
Washburn held the lead for 32:00 of game time and recorded six lead changes and seven ties, with its largest lead coming at 10 points in both halves.
Washburn also outrebounded the Tigers 45-38 including 16 on the offensive end for the Ichabods.
  • The Ichabods are 1,729-1,137-2 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 729-328 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
• The Ichabods have recorded 32 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 face Central Missouri on Feb. 7 in Warrensburg before returning home on Feb. 12 hosting Arkansas-Fort Smith and Northeastern State on Feb. 14.