By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
When Andrew Orr first stepped on the basketball court for Washburn University in 2021, his career goals were pretty simple.
"I wanted to play, I wanted to be a contributor,'' Orr said. "It was really about having a good college experience when I first came here and basketball was a bonus.''
Washburn senior Andrew Orr scored 14 points in Saturday's 82-56 win over Peru State and is on the verge of becoming the 28th member of the Ichabods' 1,000-point club. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Fast forward to his senior season for the Ichabods and the 6-foot-8 frontliner is just nine points away from becoming 28th member of the Ichabods' coveted 1,000 point club entering Thursday's 7:30 p.m. MAA opener at Nebraska-Kearney.
"I was just happy I was getting to come here, so to be even close to something like that is more than a dream, it's awesome,'' Orr said.
Obviously, Orr's main focus is on doing whatever he can to help the 7-0 and No. 3-ranked Ichabods continue their success and the former Blue Valley North Class 6A state champ said the 1,000-point club is probably something he'll appreciate down the road after his playing days are done.
"One of my friends was talking to me about this the other day and it's like you don't realize how good something is until it's already happened,'' Orr said. "So I'm going to try to appreciate it when it happens, hopefully the next game or two, but I think I'll definitely appreciate it more when I come back here when I'm older and I'm watching Washburn play and I can undertand that I was part of that culture and part of that legacy.''
Washburn coach Brett Ballard said that reaching the 1,000-point milestone will be a great accomplishment for Orr.
"You score 1,000 points in college in four years and that says you've been very good, and he didn't really play much his freshman year,'' Ballard said. "I knew what his family was about, I knew he was well-coached in high school, I knew he was a great kid with a great motor and those young men usually figure it out. Not always, but usually, so I thought he could be very solid for us.
"You always hope they take that jump and he's continued to work and his body has really filled out so physically he's gotten better and he's just an every day guy with a great attitude.''
Washburn senior Andrew Orr (24) enters Thursday's game at Nebraska-Kearney with 991 career points after scoring 14 points in the Ichabods' 82-56 win over Peru State Saturday [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Ichabods are coming off an 82-56 non-conference win over Peru State last Saturday and continue to be ranked No. 3 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Top 25 poll and fourth in the latest D2CIDA poll.
All five Ichabod starters reached double figures in the win over Peru State, paced by Orr's14 points.
Brayden Shorter scored 12 points with eight rebounds while Jacob Hanna had 11 points and nine boards, Michael Keegan finished with 11 points and seven boards and Jack Bachelor had 10 points and nine assists.
WU's ranking is the highest by an Ichabod team since earning a No. 2 ranking on Dec. 18, 2012. The last time the Ichabods were ranked No. 3 in the nation was on Nov. 30, 2004.
Nebraska-Kearney is off to a 1-5 start this season after falling on the road to Chadron State, 87-71 on Saturday.
The Ichabods are 21-23 all-time in their MIAA openers dating back to 1991 when Washburn became a full member of the league.
Washburn will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak in its MIAA opener. The Ichabods' last win in its first MIAA game of the season came on Nov. 19, 2020 at Fort Hays State in an 80-78 win.
Chase Thompson leads three Lopers averaging in double figures at 16.0 points per game and adds 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 42 percent from 3-point range.
Ja'Bryant Hill is averaging 15.8 points and Allen Taylor 15.5 points.
The Ichabods will wrap up the week at Fort Hays State on Saturday. The Tigers were ranked No. 2 in the MIAA preseason coaches poll behind Washburn.
