• The No. 1-ranked Washburn Ichabods men's basketball team returns to the court for its first game in a week as they travel to Warrensburg, Mo. to face the Mules on Saturday at 3 p.m.
• Washburn is 22-0 (12-0 MIAA) this season - one of two remaining undefeated teams along with Cal State East Bay in Division II – after topping Nebraska-Kearney 89-67 on Jan. 31 in Kearney.
• The Mules are 17-7 this season and 8-4 in the MIAA and have won their last two including a 61-49 win at Fort Hays State on Jan. 31 in Hays.
• Washburn won the first meeting on Dec. 13 in Topeka with the Mules 78-72 in double overtime.
• The Ichabods have the No. 1-ranked scoring offense in the MIAA putting up 88.8 ppg just ahead  of Missouri Southern's 86.3 ppg and Northeastern State's 86.1 ppg.
• Defensively, the Ichabods have the No. 2-ranked scoring defense allowing 62.5 ppg behind Fort Hays State's 61.0 ppg.
• The Mules are averaging 82.2 ppg and allowing 71.7 ppg ranking fifth and seventh respectively on the MIAA team stat charts.
• Washburn is 21-4 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 are second in the nation in scoring margin in the NCAA D2 ranks at +27.9 ppg and are ranked second in field goal percentage at 51.7 percent - leading the MIAA … Washburn is 10th in assists per game (18.1), 17th in assist/turnover ration (1.48), third in effective field goal percentage (.582) and second in rebound margin (+11.5) … Washburn is seventh in scoring defense (62.5 ppg) - seventh in fastbreak points (19.1 ppg), eighth in defensive field goal percentage (.388) sixth in turnover margin (+6.0) and 10th in turnovers forced per game (+18.2).
• 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 ninth in the nation in field goal percentage at 63.2 … Jeremiah Jones is first the nation in total steals with 73 and is ranked third in steals per game at 3.32 per contest.
• Jack Bachelor is 54th in the nation in total assists with 94 and 22nd in assist to turnover ration at 2.61 to 1.
• The Ichabods' 22-game winning streak is the longest in the nation ahead of Cal St. East Bay's 20-game winning streak.
• The Ichabods have the longest road game winning streak in the nation at nine.
• The 22-game winning streak by the Ichabods is the second-longest in program history.
• The 22-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 97-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. • On top of his career-high 27 points, Claussen also had career highs in field goals made (11) field goals attempted (16), 3-pointers made (3).
• In the second half scoring 18 points, Smith was 5 of 8 from the field with a 3-pointer and was 7 of 7 from the free throw line.
• The 22-game winning streak to open the season this year ties the Ichabod high with the 22 set last season.
• The 22-game winning streak is tied for the third longest in program history behind 25 games between Jan. 17, 1987 and Nov. 23, 1987 and a 23-game streak between Dec. 17, 1987 and March 8, 1988.
• Jeremiah Jones now has 73 steals this season, the Ichabod single season record is 82, set by Will McNeill in 2012-13. Jones has tied Michael Keegan, who had 73 last season for third. Jones needs four steals to break the junior class record of 76 set in 2012.
• The Ichabods have now won eight in a row over the Lopers and lead the all-time series 28-25.
  WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD ...
• is 189-79 in his ninth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 222-109 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 12-2 against Central Missouri.
   
CENTRAL MISSOURI HEAD COACH ADAM BOHAC ...
• is 45-37 as the head coach at Central Missouri in his third season and 349-178 in his 18th season overall.
• he was named the 25th head coach in the 118-year history of Central Missouri Mules basketball in March of 2023 after 15 seasons as head coach of the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm where he had an overall record of 312-146 including 221-98 in GAC play.
• his teams have made nine post season appearances including four of the previous six seasons being in the NCAA Tournament. In 2022-23, the Storm reached the Sweet Sixteen and in 2019-20 were a two-seed in the tournament.
• he is 2-3 against the Ichabods going 1-3 at UCM last season and winning a singular meeting as Southern Nazarene's head coach.
  • The Mules are 17-7 (8-4 MIAA) after defeating Fort Hays State last time out 61-49 in Hays.
• Freshman Lazerek Houston leads the team in scoring at 21.0 ppg and he is fifth in the nation overall … he is also first in the nation in field goal attempts (381), field goals made (178), fourth in total points (481), and fifth in assists with 121.
•  Jevon Hill is seventh in the nation in total 3-pointers made per game with 3.43, first in total 3-pointers made with 79 overall and he is sixth in 3-pointers per game attempted at 174 while averaging 14.3 ppg … Kyran Tilley is also scoring double figures at 12.9  and Trinell Parker is scoring 11.0 ppg.
• The Mules are receiving votes in the latest NABC Top 25 poll.
• The Mules are scoring 82.7 ppg while allowing 71.7 and they have attempted exactly 100 more 3-pointers than their opponents this season (633 to 533) and have made 249 compared to 176. • Saturday's meeting will be the 116th between these two teams with Washburn leading the series 62-53.
• Washburn is 38-19 against the Mules in Topeka and 19-31 in games played in Warrensburg.
• The Mules' have not won in Topeka since a 63-55 win over Washburn on Jan. 27, 2018 - a losing streak of eight games.
• The Ichabods have won 20 of the last 28 meetings including 13 of the last 15 and 10 of the last 11 including the last four.
• The Ichabods are 5-1 all-time against Central Missouri in the MIAA Tournament.
• The last time the teams met in the conference tournament was during the 2010 season when the Ichabods as the No. 8 seed topped the No. 1-seeded Mules 79-60.
  (Dec. 13, 2025) TOPEKA, Kan. – The No. 2-ranked Washburn erased multiple deficits and outlasted Central Missouri in a double-overtime thriller 78-72 on Saturday afternoon at Lee Arena to remain unbeaten as Brady Christian scored eight points in the second overtime to move Washburn to 11-0 overall and 3-0 in MIAA play.
The Ichabods leaned on balanced scoring, timely defense and clutch execution over the final 10 minutes in the two overtime periods, finishing the game with a decisive 15-9 advantage in the second overtime after the teams were deadlocked at 63 following the first extra period.
Washburn trailed by as many as seven points in the first half but closed the opening period strong and carried that momentum into the second half, where the game tightened into a possession-by-possession battle. Washburn shot 42.3 percent in the second half and forced key turnovers late to send the game to overtime tied at 56.
In the first overtime, Washburn matched Central Missouri point for point, shooting 46.2 percent and knocking down four three-pointers. Dillon Claussen sparked the Ichabods with aggressive drives and a go-ahead three-point play late in the period, while Jeremiah Jones delivered momentum-shifting defense recording seven steals in the game leading directly to transition points. Still, the teams finished the extra session even at 7-7, forcing a second overtime.
Washburn took control for good in the second overtime. Claussen opened the period with a free throw and followed with strong finishes at the rim as part of a game-defining 9-0 run that stretched the lead to six. Christiansen and Jack Bachelor combined to go 7-of-10 at the foul line in the second overtime, while Claussen capped the run with a fast-break dunk off a Jones steal to push the margin to 78-69 in the final seconds. Washburn shot 50.0 percent in the second overtime and outscored Central Missouri 15-9 in the decisive frame.
Claussen led all Washburn scorers with 21 points, adding seven rebounds, four assists and four blocks in 40 minutes. Jones finished with 13 points and seven steals. Bachelor chipped in 16 points, while Christiansen added 12 points overall with a team-high eight rebounds. Tyson Ruud provided a spark off the bench with nine points and seven boards.
As a team, Washburn held a 44-18 advantage in points in the paint, turned 23 Central Missouri turnovers into key scoring opportunities and finished with a 19-11 edge in fast-break points. Washburn outscored the Mules 12-0 in the paint in the overtime periods and hit 7 of 10 free throws in overtime. Washburn also forced the Mules into five turnovers in the overtime frames while committing zero in the extra minutes. (Jan. 31, 2026) KEARNEY, Neb. – The top-ranked Washburn kept its unbeaten season intact Saturday afternoon, using balance, depth and a pair of timely scoring bursts to pull away from Nebraska-Kearney for an 89-67 road win at the Health & Sports Center. Washburn will return to action on Saturday at Central Missouri wrapping up a stretch of seven of its last 10 games on the road in Warrensburg.
The Ichabods had to navigate a competitive opening stretch that featured six lead changes and four ties in the first 10 minutes. UNK grabbed an early 6-3 edge, but Washburn answered with a transition-heavy surge keyed by Dillon Claussen and Jack Bachelor to regain control. A 9-0 Washburn run late in the first half created separation, highlighted by back-to-back threes from Claussen and Brady Christiansen, pushing the margin to double digits.
Washburn closed the half on a 17-5 run overall and carried a 44-29 lead into the break after shooting 44 percent from the floor and forcing 10 Loper turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
The Ichabods quickly stretched the advantage in the second half. Claussen opened with a three and Bryson Smith followed with a layup to ignite another push that ballooned the lead to 20 at 53-33 with 15:34 left. Nebraska-Kearney countered with its best stretch of the afternoon, trimming the deficit to eight behind Ja'Bryant Hill and Clayton Moore during a 9-0 Loper run midway through the half.
Each time UNK threatened, Washburn responded. Smith attacked the rim for consecutive scores, Bachelor knocked down a pair of threes, and Claussen controlled the paint to steady the lead. The Ichabods eventually built their largest cushion at 22 points with 2:46 remaining and closed out the win from the free throw line.
Claussen led four Ichabods in double figures with a career-high 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting, adding eight rebounds and two assists. Smith finished with 19 points - with 18 coming in the second half - and four rebounds, Bachelor added 17 points and six boards, and Christiansen chipped in six points and four rebounds. Washburn shot 44.4 percent (28-63) from the field, hit 10-of-28 from three and went 23-of-30 at the line while holding a 39-36 rebounding edge and scoring 34 points in the paint.
Moore paced Nebraska-Kearney with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Hill added 19 points. The Lopers shot 40.0 percent (22-55) overall and 32.0 percent (8-25) from deep.
Washburn improved to 22-0 overall and 12-0 in conference play, controlling the game for more than 35 minutes and turning 19 UNK turnovers into 21 points while getting 17 points from its bench in another complete performance by the nation's top-ranked team.
  • The Ichabods are 1,730-1,137-2 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 730-328 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 returns home on Feb. 12 hosting Arkansas-Fort Smith and Northeastern State on Feb. 14. After another road stretch with games at Central Oklahoma on Feb. 19 and Rogers State on Feb. 21, the Ichabods will wrap up the last week of the regular season hosting Pittsburg State on Feb. 25 and then will end the regular season hosting Missouri Southern at 1 p.m. in the MIAA Game of the Week facing the Lions on 38 The Spot in Kansas City.