By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University Ichabods will open the 120th season of men's basketball at 7 p.m. Tuesday with an exhibition game against No. 1-ranked Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse.
Senior Andrew Orr is a top returner for Washburn men's basketball after earning second-team All-MIAA honors last season. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn junior Sam Ungashick earned All-MIAA honorable mention last season in his first year at WU. [File photo/TSN]
The meeting will be the first between the two schools since the Ichabods fell 89-54 in an exhibition game on Dec. 3, 2020.
Washburn finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-11 record while advancing to the MIAA Tournament semifinals while Kansas is coming off a 23-11 campaign where it advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time in the last 34 years, a run that started in 1990.
For the second straight season and fifth time in poll history, Kansas men's basketball enters the season ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press.
Ichabod head coach Brett Ballard spent seven years on Bill Self's staff at KU after graduating in 2003. He was the director of basketball operations for his final two seasons on staff, and prior to that, served as the administrative assistant/video coordinator for four years and a volunteer student assistant for one year.
Washburn has recorded 30 20-win seasons and four under Ichabod head coach Ballard in his seven seasons, receiving four NCAA postseason berths.
The Ichabods return four players who started at least half of last season's 30 games and eight players return who saw action last year.
Washburn returns two All-MIAA performers in senior Andrew Orr (13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds per game), who was a second-team All-MIAA pick last season and Sam Ungashick, who received honorable mention after averaging 12.2 points and 3.8 rebounds.
Other returning starters include Brady Christiansen (7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds) and Michael Keegan (7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds).
Washburn Rural product Jack Bachelor started 11 games and averaged 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a freshman.
Overall, the Ichabods return 85 percent of their scoring, 75.5 percent of the rebounds, 86 percent of their field goals, 90 percent of their 3-pointers and 85 percent of the minutes played last season.
Washburn ranked second in the MIAA in scoring last season, averaging 76.3 ppg and ranked eighth in scoring defense allowing 70.7 points. Washburn led the MIAA in rebound margin at plus 6.2 boards last season.
Ballard is 137-75 in his eighth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 170-105 overall in his 10th year as a head coach.
Kansas received 30 of a possible 60 first-place votes from the AP panel in its preseason poll while Alabama is ranked second and had 14 first-place votes, followed by UConn, Houston and Iowa State to round out the top five.
KU returns three starters, led by Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Hunter Dickinson, a 2024 Consensus second-team All-American, All-Big 12 first team and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year selection last season. The center was the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double (17.9 points, 10.9 rebounds) last year.
Graduate guard Dajuan Harris Jr. has been a starter each of the last three seasons and was the 2023 Big 12 Defensive player of the Year. A three-time all-league honoree, Harris has led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio two of the last three seasons and has ranked in the top five in the conference in assists per game each of the last three years.
Two-time All-Big 12 selection and the 2023 Big 12 Most Improved player KJ Adams, Jr. is also back as a returning starter. Kansas has nine newcomers on its roster that includes six upperclassmen transfers.
Washburn is the 10th-winningest program in NCAA Division II history by victories. Washburn is 692-325 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
Washburn will open the regular season against Sioux Falls at 3 p.m. on Nov. 8 in Kansas City's historic Municipal Auditorium in the first of two games against Northern Sun foes as part of the Central Regional Challenge.
The Ichabods will then take on the defending NCAA Division II Champions at 3 p.m. on Nov. 9 when Washburn battles Minnesota State at 3 p.m.
The Ichabods will open the home slate on Nov. 12 against Ottawa at 7 p.m. in Lee Arena.
