By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's men's basketball team will be up early on Saturday morning to open WU's 119th season of hoops with an 11 a.m. game against Sioux Falls in the Central Region Challenge at Muncipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
The Ichabods will also be in action on Sunday, hosting Minnesota State Moorhead at 12 p.m in Municipal.
Junior Andrew Orr returns to lead Washburn's men's basketball team after earning third-team All-MIAA honors last season. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn men's basketball Brett Ballard and his Ichabods will be looking to return to MIAA and NCAA prominence this season after slipping to 14-15 a year ago. [File photo/TSN]
Coming off an up-and-down 14-15 season, the Ichabods were picked sixth in the MIAA preseason coaches poll and seventh in the media poll. After advancing to the NCAA Tournament four times in the previous five seasons under coach Brett Ballard, the Ichabods will be looking to return to MIAA and national contention this season, returning starters Andrew Orr, Michael Keegan and Levi Braun to build around.
"We're definitely ready to get going,'' Keegan said. "We had two scrimmages already so we're ready to go out and play other teams week-in and week-out. Practice has been going really well for the most part. We have a really competitive group and we just get after it. We're scrappy. I've got bruises, cuts, scratches from every practice every day.''
Ballard also gives the Ichabods high marks for their work over the offseason and in preseason preparations.
"I think it's been great,'' Ballard said. "We've had a great summer, a great fall, academically, in the weight room, in practice, in the community. I'm really pleased with what our guys have given us and you hope to see that translate to the court.
"We're to the point where it's time to go see where you're at when it matters, when we're keeping score.''
Junior Michal Keegan is one of three returning starters for the Washburn men's basketball team entering the 2023-2024 season. [File photo/TSN]
Former Hayden standout Levi Braun is a returning starter for Washburn men's basketball, canning a team-high 61 3-pointers a year ago. [File photo/TSN]
Orr was a third-team all-MIAA pick last season after averaging 13.9 points and 5.9 rebounds while Keegan averaged 8 points and 5.6 rebounds and Hayden product Braun averaged 8.6 points and canned 61 3-pointers.
The Ichabods have eight other returners from last year's team, including Jarmell Johnson (7.9 points, 3.5 rebounds per game), Brady Christiansen (4.9 points, 6.6 rebounds), Jordan Vincent (4.0 points), Zaid Dajani, Jake Schadegg, Emmanuel Byrd, Zach Davidson and Kevin Eman.
Washburn has five newcomers on its roster, including Benedictine transfer Sam Ungashick, Kansas City Kansas Community College transfer Bradley Lightbourne, former Washburn Rural star Jack Bachelor and fellow freshmen Brayden Shorter and Tyson Ruud.
Overall, the Ichabods return 67 percent of their scoring, 80 percent of their rebounding, 67 percent of their field goals, 60 percent of their 3-pointers, 50 percent of their assists and 62 percent of their steals from a year ago.
"You can tell from the energy in practice that it's game week,'' Keegan said. "We've been practicing for a while so the energy second, third week, it can die down a little bit but it's game week now and everybody knows it and you can just feel a different energy in the gym. I think everybody's excited to get out there and get going.''
Sioux Falls posted a 19-11 record a year ago while Minnesota State Moorhead went 25-7 in 2022-23 and advanced to the NCAA Central Region Tournament.
The Ichabods will face William Jewell in Liberty, Mo. next Wednesday before playing their home opener on Saturday, Nov. 18, when they will take on Rockhurst at 2 p.m. in Lee Arena.
