By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Slowly but surely, Washburn University men’s basketball coach Brett Ballard is starting to get more company on the Ichabod sidelines.
Ballard has played just seven players for the bulk of Washburn’s last two games due to injury and illness, but he could have more weapons at his disposal in the very near future, perhaps as early as Saturday’s 3 p.m. MIAA game at Central Missouri.
The Ichabods have played their last seven games without 6-foot-9 junior Jonny Clausing (foot injury) and have also been without 6-7 junior Will McKee (knee), but both appear to be close to returning to action.
"We're close,'' Ballard said of about the return of Clausing and McKee. "I think Jonny's really close and I would imagine that if things go well he'll play Saturday and Will's knee is feeling better. I don't know if he'll be ready Saturday or not but those guys dressed out (Tuesday) and warmed up so we're inching closer and it was nice looking over and seeing them.
"It kind of made me want to put them in, but they weren't quite ready yet. But we're getting there and I think with that depth we could be very dangerous down the stretch here.''
Washburn, No. 16 ranked in the NABA Division II rankings, will take a 13-3 record overall and in the MIAA into Saturday’s game against Centennial Missouri (6-11, 6-11), which has dropped its last three games.
Washburn is coming off an 87-72 home win over Lincoln in a Tuesday night makeup game while Central Missouri is coming off an 86-67 loss at Missouri Southern.
The Ichabods took an 80-60 win over the Mules on Dec. 17 at Lee Arena..
Senior point guard Tyler Geiman is in the midst of an outstanding season for the Ichabods, leading the team in scoring (20.8 points per game), assists (6.1 average), rebounds (6.5), steals (1.8) and minutes played (36.4 per game).
Junior Jalen Lewis is averaging 11.9 points and has hit 39 of 77 3-pointers while Clausing is averaging 10.6 points and 4.1 rebounds while blocking 1.3 shots per game.
Redshirt freshman Levi Braun, a Hayden product, is averaging 9.6 points with 48 3-pointers in 86 attempts.
Braun leads the MIAA in 3-pointers per game at 3.0 and 3-point field goal percentage (.558).
Koray Gilbert leads Central Missouri with a 13.2 scoring average while Cameron Hunter (11.8), Ja'Cor Nelson (11.6) and Gaven Pinkely (10.6) also average in double figures. Pinkley also leads the team in rebounding with a 4.6 average..
Washburn women return to the court on Saturday to take on No. 20 Central Missouri in a 1 p.m. contest.
Washburn is 7-9 overall and in the MIAA after falling at Northeastern State in a Tuesday makeup game and will be facing a Central Missouri team that is 15-2 after a 79-72 win over Emporia State on Tuesday.
The Jennies are on an 8-game winning streak.
Central Missouri took a 67-45 decision over the Ichabods earlier in the season.
Senior Hunter Bentley leads Washburn with a 16.7 scoring average while junior Nuria Barrientos averages 10.8 points and 8.8 rebounds.
Nija Collier is averaging 15.3 points and 7.8 rebounds for the Jennies.
Graycen Holden averages 13.2 points and 6.1 rebounds for Central Missouri while Brooke Littrell averages 10.2 points and Olivia Nelson 10.
