By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 10-ranked Washburn University men's basketball team will be in Lee Arena for the first time in the 2024-25 season Tuesday as the Ichabods host Ottawa in a 7 p.m. contest.
Washburn senior Andrew Orr is averaging 20 points and 7.0 rebounds for the 2-0 Ichabods while shooting 64 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods are 2-0 this season after a pair of double-digit wins at the Central Regional Challenge in Kansas City, Mo., topping Sioux Falls on Friday and No. 1-ranked and defending national champion Minnesota State Saturday in an 85-68 win.
The next NABC and D2CIDA national polls will be released on Tuesday.
Senior Andrew Orr leads Washburn with a 20-point scoring average after 21 and 19-point outings in KC. Orr is also averaging seven rebounds a game while shooting 64 percent from the field and 87.5 from the free throw line.
Former Washburn Rural star Jack Bachelor is averaging 14 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Ichabods and is shooting 88.9 percent from the free throw line.
Five WU players are averaging in double figures in the early going and seven are averaging at least 7 points a game.
Newcomer Jacob Hanna is averaging 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists while Brady Christiansen is averaging 11.5 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 steals and Brayden Shorter is averaging 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds.
Standout Ichabod guard Sam Ungashick has yet to play this season as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery.
Ottawa, which will play Tuesday's game as an exhibition, enters the game with a 4-1 record after a 79-77 win over Culver-Stockton last Wednesday.
The Ichabods lead the all-time series with Ottawa 58-17 and have won the last 25 meetings.
The next win in Lee Arena will be the Ichabods' 500th victory all-time on the home court. Washburn enters the game 499-103 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena in its 39th season of play in the arena.
The Ichabods are 38-1 all-time in home openers, with the lone loss coming on Nov. 16, 1990 in an 89-88 loss to Friends. Since then the Ichabods have won 33 straight.
Washburn finished the 2023-24 season with an 19-11 record, advancing to the MIAA Tournament semifinals.
The Ichabods have recorded 30 20-win seasons and four under Ichabod head coach Brett Ballard in his seven seasons, receiving four NCAA postseason berths.
The 2024-25 season marks the 120th season of Ichabod basketball.
Keith Robinson leads the Braves with an 18.6 scoring average while hitting a team-high 11 3-pointers this season and is also averaging a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game.
Jayden Hibbitt is averaging 15.6 points and 6.8 rebounds while Deondre Buggage is averaging 15.4 points.
As a team the Braves are averaging 81.1 points while allowing 79.7 points per game.
OU will be wearing black bands on its grey and gold jerseys and an AC patch on its white jerseys to honor former Braves men's basketball coach Andy Carrier. Carrier was an assistant for Bob Chipman on the Ichabods' 1986-87 NAIA national championship team and passed away on July 1, 2024 in Olathe.
The Ichabods return to Kansas City, Mo. for the second time in a week to take on Rockhurst at 7 p.m. Friday.
