• The No. 3 nationally ranked and 2026 MIAA Regular Season Champion Washburn Ichabods will make their 15th MIAA Tournament title game appearance on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. when they will face Rogers State in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium.
• The Ichabods (30-1, 18-1 MIAA) clinched their 12th outright MIAA title and their second in a row earlier this season.
• The Ichabods are in the MIAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed for the second consecutive season.
• The Ichabods are 23-4 as the MIAA's No. 1 seed at the tournament and they are making their 19th consecutive tournament appearance - the longest active streak in the MIAA.
• The Ichabods are coming off an 85-69 win over Missouri Western to reach the title game.
• Rogers State picked up a 72-70 win over Missouri Southern to move into its first MIAA Championship game as a member of the conference.
• The Ichabods defeated the Hillcats in their only meeting this season in an 81-64 win at Rogers State.
• The Ichabods are looking for their first MIAA Tournament Championship since 2021 and their first one in Kansas City since March 4, 2012 when Washburn topped Pittsburg State 67-63 in the championship game.
• The Ichabods recorded their second consecutive 30-win season with the win over the Griffons.
• Washburn recorded its 29th consecutive home win breaking the previous 28-game streak from Nov. 19, 1993 to Feb. 8, 1995.
• The Ichabods have the No. 1-ranked scoring offense in the MIAA putting up 86.9 ppg ahead  of Missouri Southern's 83.4 ppg.
• Defensively, the Ichabods have the No. 1-ranked scoring defense allowing 62.0 ppg ahead of Fort Hays State's 63.3 ppg.
• The Hillcats have the No. 8 scoring offense at 77.2 ppg and the No. 5 scoring defense allowing 70.4 ppg.
• 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 two of the three Ichabod  program's 30-win seasons in school history in back to back seasons.
• 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 … and the second-consecutive 30-win season in back-to-back seasons.
• The Ichabods are first in the nation in scoring margin in the NCAA D2 ranks at +24.7 ppg and are ranked fifth in field goal percentage at 50.9 percent - leading the MIAA … Washburn is seventh in assists per game (18.7), ninth in assist/turnover ratio (1.52), seventh in effective field goal percentage (.578) and second in rebound margin (+10.6) … Washburn is fourth in scoring defense (62.1 ppg), 11th in fastbreak points (17.9 ppg), eighth in defensive field goal percentage (.396), seventh in turnover margin (+5.7) and ninth in turnovers forced per game (+18.0).
• Dillon Claussen is 12th in the nation in field goal percentage at 61.5 … Jeremiah Jones is first the nation in total steals with 99 and is ranked third in steals per game at 3.2 per contest … he set an MIAA Tournament single game record with eight steals against Missouri Western last time out … the MIAA single-season steals record is 114 set by Eddin Santiago from Missouri Southern during the 2000-01 season.
• Jack Bachelor is 58th in the nation in total assists with 140 and 17th in assist to turnover ratio at 2.76 to 1 … Bachelor is third on the active NCAA D2 chart in assist to turnover ratio and ranked ninth out of all NCAA levels at 2.74.
• Brady Christiansen is ninth on the NCAA active D2 chart with 745 career rebounds … he also moved into the top 50 all-time at Washburn in scoring with 885 career points.
• Jeremiah Jones is ranked third in career steals on the active NCAA D2 chart and No. 32 out of all NCAA levels.
• Sam Ungashick has scored 969 collegiate points with 610 coming at Washburn with 359 being scored in his lone season at Benedictine as a freshman before joining the Ichabods.
• Washburn's 29-game homecourt winning streak is second in the nation behind Nova Southeastern's 100-game winning streak.
• The Ichabods' 29-game homecourt winning streak is the longest in program history.
  • The Ichabods are in their first MIAA Tournament Championship since 2021 and their first one in Kansas City since March 4, 2012 when Washburn topped Pittsburg State 67-63 in the championship game.
• Washburn improved to 5-7 all-time against the Griffons in the MIAA Tournament.
• Washburn is now 46-27 all-time in the MIAA Tournament.
• The Ichabods are looking for their seventh MIAA Tournament title. Washburn's MIAA Tournament titles have come in 1992, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2012 and 2021 … the 2012 title was the only one coming in Kansas City.
• Jeremiah Jones eight steals is also an Ichabod MIAA Tournament single game record snapping Kevin Smith's six from March 2, 1993.
• Washburn is 23-4 all-time in the MIAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed.
• The Ichabods are 2-0 all-time against Rogers State, with both wins coming in the MIAA Tournament Quarterfinals. WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD ...
• is 197-80 in his ninth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 230-110 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 10-3 against Rogers State.
 
ROGERS STATE HEAD COACH JUSTIN BARKLEY ...
• is 311-164 in his 16th season at Rogers State.
• served as the Hillcats' assistant coach from 2008-2010, became the third head coach in the brief history of the program when he took over in 2010.
• helped guide the Hillcats to a 52-13 record as an assistant where they claimed the school's first Sooner Athletic Conference regular season championship, reached the NAIA National Tournament, and achieved a No. 1 national ranking in 2008-09.
• scored six points in 32 minutes with six rebounds and six assists against the Ichabods as a player at Northeastern State (his alma mater) in the NCAA South Central Regional Semifinal game when his RiverHawks topped the Ichabods 64-59 on March 15, 2003 in Stephenville, Texas - NSU would go on to win the NCAA National Championship that season.
• is 3-10 against the Ichabods. • Sunday's meeting with the Hillcats will be the 14th between the two schools with the Ichabods leading the series 10-3 with the Ichabods winning the last six in the series.
• The Hillcats won the first meeting on Feb. 15, 2020 in Claremore, Okla. 80-62, but have lost three of the last four.
• In games played in Claremore, the Ichabods are 3-3 while going 7-0 in games played in Topeka.
• The Ichabods are 2-0 against the Hillcats in the MIAA Tournament winning a 78-59 decision on March 3, 2021 in Topeka in the quarterfinals in the tournament played during the COVID pandemic and an 87-64 win in the 2024 MIAA Tournament quarterfinals in Kansas City.
  (Feb. 21, 2026) CLAREMORE, Okla. – The No. 3-ranked Washburn Ichabods wrapped up the regular season road portion of their schedule with an 81-64 road victory over Rogers State on Saturday afternoon, improving to 26-1 overall and 16-1 in MIAA play.
Washburn wasted little time asserting itself. An early 6-0 run set the tone as the Ichabods pounded the ball inside and converted in transition. Dillon Claussen established position on the block for a pair of quick buckets, and Bryson Smith attacked off the bounce to force the Hillcats into early foul trouble. The Ichabods never trailed, methodically building a lead that reached double digits midway through the first half.
A key stretch came when Washburn pieced together an 8-0 run, sparked by defensive stops and crisp ball movement. Brady Christiansen buried a perimeter jumper, Jack Bachelor knocked down a three from the wing, and Claussen capped the surge with a strong finish inside.
By halftime, Washburn held a 40-28 advantage, shooting a blistering 55.2 percent in the opening 20 minutes.
The second half followed a similar script. Each time Rogers State threatened to chip away at the deficit, Washburn answered. Smith drew nine fouls on the afternoon and made a living at the free-throw line where he went 11-of-13 for the game. His 26-point effort was a Washburn career-best for the senior.
Claussen complemented Smith's production with 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting, adding four boards and tying a career high with six assists.
Off the bench, Marcus Glock provided a spark with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including two 3-pointers. Jeremiah Jones added eight points and a team-high six rebounds, helping the Ichabods secure a 33-21 edge on the glass.
In total, Washburn shot 51.7 percent (31-of-60) from the field and converted 13-of-17 free throws. The Ichabods dominated the paint with a 42-26 scoring advantage inside and turned 13 Hillcat turnovers into 15 points. They also owned a 20-7 edge in second-chance points.
Defensively, Washburn limited Rogers State to 48 percent shooting overall and just 31.8 percent from three-point range..
  (March 7, 2026) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The No. 3 Washburn Ichabods collected their second-consecutive 30-win season advancing into the MIAA Tournament Championship game with an 85-69 win over Missouri Western on Saturday in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium. The Ichabods will face Rogers State in the championship game at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday after the Hillcats' 72-70 win over Missouri Southern.
The Ichabods jumped out to a 15-6 lead starting the game 6 of 11 from the field as Jack Bachleor led with eight early points. Bachelor would go on to score 18 points in the first 20 minutes as the Ichabods took 38 percent shooting including 3 of 14 from three as the Washburn carried a 10-point lead at 41–31 lead into the break.
Washburn (30-1) continued its steady play in the second half, matching Missouri Western basket-for-basket before gradually stretching the advantage to a game-high 22 midway through the frame. The Griffons (21-11) did trim the lead to nine with 4:17 to play, but a 3-pointer from Bachelor sparked a 14-7 advantage for the Ichabods the rest of the stretch as the Ichabods won their seventh in a row over the Griffons in the 16-point win.
Bachelor led the Ichabods with a career- and game-high 27 points. Bachelor connected on seven 3-pointers also adding six assists and three boards.  Brady Christiansen recorded his sixth double double of his Ichabod career with 17 points and 10 rebounds going 7 of 8 from the field and 3 of 4 from deep. Tyson Ruud made his second start of the season and recorded 16 points on 7 of 9 shooting adding five rebounds and a block. Jeremiah Jones scored eight points, and an MIAA Tournament game record of eight steals recording six in the first half alone. Bryson Smith added six points, four assists and two steals. 
The Ichabods were efficient as a team, shooting 49 percent from the field (33-of-68) and 44 percent from three-point range (12-of-27). Washburn also made the most of its opportunities in transition and in the paint, scoring 17 fast-break points and 40 points inside compared to two and 16 respectively for the Griffons.
Missouri Western was paced by Ty Henry, who scored 15 pacing four Griffons in double figures. Missouri Western finished shooting at 44 percent from the field going 9 of 24 from deep.
Washburn also held advantages in second-chance scoring (15 to 2) while outrebounding the Griffons 38 to 30 and forced 16 Western turnovers.
  • The Ichabods are 46-27 all-time in the MIAA Championship Tournament in 33 appearances.
• Overall in the MIAA Championship game the Ichabods are 6-8.
• The 46 wins are the second-most in MIAA Tournament history behind Northwest Missouri's 57 wins.
• Washburn's six tournament titles are tied for second behind Northwest Missouri's 12 and tied with Central Missouri.
• Washburn's MIAA Tournament titles have come in 1992, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2012 and 2021 … the 2012 title was the only one coming in Kansas City.
• The Ichabods now have the longest active streak of consecutive tourney appearances with 19 … UCM owns the men's all-time record for most consecutive appearances with 38.
• The Ichabods are 2-3 in first round games (since expanding to 12 teams) … 23-8 in the quarterfinals, 14-8 in the semifinals and 6-8 in championship games.
• In games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 22-17.
• In quarterfinal games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 12-6. In semifinal games played in Municipal the Ichabods are 7-4 and in championship games in Kansas City the Ichabods are 1-6.
• As the No. 1 seed, the Ichabods are 23-4, at No. 2 they are 9-4, at No. 3 they are 2-1, at No. 4 they are 5-3, as the No. 5 seed they are 0-1, at No. 6 the Ichabods are 4-5, at No. 7 they are 0-1 and as the No. 8 seed they are 3-3.
• Overall, here's how the Ichabods have fared against MIAA opponents in the conference tournament by round and in Kansas City.
• First Round games were added for the MIAA Tournament starting in 2013 as the league expanded to 15 teams. The top four teams in the final standings received an automatic bye to Kansas City for the quarterfinals.
Team       1st Rnd  Qrts.          Semis       Finals       In KC         Total
UCM         —              4-0           1-1            —              3-1            5-1
ESU          —              5-1           —             —              4-1            5-1
FHSU        1-0            —             2-0            —              2-0            3-0
MSSU       —              1-0           2-1            0-1            1-1            3-2
MWSU    0-2            0-1          4-2            1-2            2-2            5-7
NSU          0-1            —             —             —             —             0-1
NU            —              —              —              —              —              0-0
NWMSU   —            2-2           0-2            3-3            0-5            4-8
PSU          —              1-0           3-0            2-0           3-0            6-0
RSU          —              2-0            —              —              1-0            2-0           
UCO         —              1-2           1-0           —              2-2            2-2
UNK          —              1-1            —              —              1-1            1-1
--- vs former members
LU             —              —              —              —              —              0-0
MS&T      —              1-1           —             —              1-0            1-1
UMSL       —              1-0           —             —             —             1-0
SEMO      —              —             —             —             —             —
SBU          1-0            2-0           1-1            1-0           —             5-1
TSU          —              2-0           1-0             —             —             3-0
UNO         —              —             —             0-1            0-1            0-1
Totals       2-3            23-7         14-8         6-8            20-16       45-27
  • The Ichabods are 1,738-1,138-2 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 738-329 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
• The Ichabods have recorded 32 20-win seasons and they have three 30-win seasons after going 35-4 during the 1986-87 NAIA Championship season, after the 2024-25 season's 30-4 record and the 2025-26 season's 30-1 season.
• Washburn has won 23 conference championships including 12 MIAA titles.
• Washburn has received 17 NCAA Tournament bids going to four Elite Eight's appearing in the 2001 NCAA National Championship game.
  • The Ichabods are 528-104 (.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 have a current 29-game homecourt winning streak from the start of the 2024-25 season to their last win over Missouri Southern breaking the previous school-record 28-game winning streak from Nov. 19, 1993 to Feb. 8, 1995 in Lee Arena.
  • The Ichabods will discover their NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday, March 8 on the NCAA selection show that can be viewed on NCAAsports.com.