By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabods will be in action at Lee Arena for the first time this season when the Ichabods host William Jewell at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Washburn men's basketball will play its home-opener on Wednesday night against William Jewell. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The 1-1 Ichabods are coming off a 75-46 win over No. 18-ranked win over Augustana last Saturday after dropping a 79-73 season-opening decision to Henderson State last Friday.
William Jewell is also 1-1, defeating Davenport 90-76 before losing to Purdue Northwest, 77-62, at the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge last weekend.
Washburn fell 56-52 at William Jewell last season.
The Ichabods are 37-1 all-time in home openers, with the lone loss coming in 1990 to Friends in an 89-88 setback. Since then the Ichabods have won their last 31 Lee Arena debuts.
Washburn posted a 22-11 record last season, recording the program's 30th 20-win season and the fourth under Ichabod coach Brett Ballard in his five seasons.
Washburn reached the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs a year ago, falling to eventual 2022 champion Northwest Missouri. The Ichabods reached their fourth NCAA postseason in five years under head Ballard last season.
The Ichabods were tabbed fourth in both the MIAA Preseason Coaches and MIAA Preseason Media polls for the 2022-2023 season.
Former Hayden standout Levi Braun, Connor Deffebaugh and Jaden Monday lead the Ichabods in scoring after two games, with all three averaging 12.5 points.
Monday scored a career-high 22 points against Augustana while Braun tied a career-high with 21 points in the season opener against Henderson State, hitting 7 of 9 3-point attempts.
Deffebaugh scored 15 points in the opener and 10 against Augustana while dishing out a career-high seven assists in Saturday's win.
Andrew Orr is scoring nine points and six rebounds while going 9 of 18 from the field.
Michael Keegan is averaging three points through the Ichabods' first two games but leads the team in blocks (2.5 averae) and rebounds (8.5).
Ballard, 105-50 in his sixth season at Washburn, will be looking for his first win against William Jewell, going 0-2 against the Cardinals at Baker before WU dropped last year's contest.
Jordan Jermain averages 19 points for William Jewell while Mason Alexander averages 13 points and 5.5 rebounds.
Mason Alexander's father, Todd, scored 1,099 points at Washburn from 1990-1993, finishing his WU career as the all-time leader in 3-pointers with 212 in 93 games.
After the William Jewell game Washburn will hit the road for a pair of road games, starting with Friday's game at Rockhurst.
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