Games 8 & 9: Newman (3-4, 0-2 MIAA) vs. Emporia State (6-2, 1-1)
Wednesday, December 8, 2021 | 7:30 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Fugate Gymnasium)
Audio:  Newman Jets Audio Network | Video:  MIAA Network
 
vs. Washburn (4-4, 1-1)
Saturday, December 11, 2021| 3:30 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Fugate Gymnasium)
Audio:  Newman Jets Audio Network | Video:  MIAA Network
 
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
The Jets are back home in Wichita looking for their first MIAA win of the season this week.
 
LAST TIME OUT
For the second straight game, the Jets couldn't hold a late lead and the Missouri Southern Lions nipped the Jets 74-70 in Joplin Saturday, December 4.  Newman and MSSU played the first 15 minutes of the game within a seven-point spread where neither team had more than a two-possession lead.  The Jets were poised to go into the half down by just a point or possibly in the lead when Israel Barnes missed a jumper in the lane through Lion contact and Christian Bundy hit a three-pointer on the other end for MoSo to close the first half.  NU scrapped to its biggest lead of the game at 66-60 with just over six minutes to go but the Lions erased it with a 12-0 run as the Jet offense went stagnant over the three-minute span.  The Jets cut the lead twice to four but couldn't get closer while missing 9 of 11 field goals to end the game.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
A Jets game-tying 3-pointer misfired with less than one second as NU fell 71-66 at Pittsburg State earlier last week.
 
SCOUTING THE SQUADRON
Newman ended last year's pandemic-abbreviated season 4-18 while playing all 22 games within the MIAA.  The Jets return 10 players from a year ago, including two of their top three scorers from that team.  The Jets will suit up four players classified as juniors this season who played at that classification a year ago, but plan to utilize the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic.  The Jets welcome five new freshmen to the program and they are joined by three sophomores and three other juniors.  Transferring into the Jets program are Clay Center High School product Anthony Atkinson (Barton County), former Wichita Southeast High School star Israel Barnes (Texas-Permian Basin, Weber St.), A. J. Morris (Alcorn St.), and Damani Thomas (Niagara).
 
TOP RETURNERS
Junior guard Branden Bunn is the Jets' leading returning scorer after scoring 11.8 ppg a year ago.  Bunn also led the Jets in 3-pointers connecting on 42.5% of his attempts.  Bunn also proved a valuable addition to the Jets defense by leading the Navy & Red with 24 steals last season.  Redshirt junior forward Deandre Johnson is NU's leading returning rebounder after snatching 4.3 rpg for the Jets last year.  Sophomore guard Ian Lee returns to pilot the Jets offense after tallying the second-most assists for NU a year ago with 46 dimes against just 40 turnovers.  Lee is also the best returning free throw shooter from last year's team after connecting on over 86% of his tries from the line.
 
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Like many teams around the country, Emporia State found consistency fleeting in last season finishing 11-12 with an 11-11 record in MIAA play.  It was the seventh straight losing season for the Hornets since ESU's 18-13 mark while going 10-9 inside 'The Association'  in Shaun Vandiver's only winning season as head coach in Emporia in 2013-14.  Emporia State ended its season with a first-round loss in the MIAA Tournament to eventual national champion Northwest Missouri.  The Hornets are seeking their third NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2007.  ESU went 1-1 last week with an 11-point win against Nebraska-Kearney and a two-point overtime loss to Fort Hays State.
 
Washburn men's basketball enjoyed a return to prominence in 2020-21 with a 20-7 record and a 16-6 mark in MIAA play.  The Ichabods capped off the season by winning its sixth MIAA Tournament, making a return to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years.  It was the 'Bods' first MIAA title since sweeping the regular season and postseason crowns in 2012.  The Ichabods topped the 20-win plateau for the fourth time in five seasons and have posted six-straight winning seasons since a 16-16 campaign in 2014-15.  The Ichabods have notched five straight years with a winning mark in MIAA play since going 11-11 inside 'The Association' in 2015-16 as part of a 15-13 season.  Washburn is looking for its 16^th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022.  Washburn split its MIAA games last week with a 68-58 loss to Fort Hays State coming before a last-second 79-77 victory over Nebraska-Kearney.
 
The Ichabods visit NU's travel partner Central Oklahoma on Thursday, December 9.
 
THE SERIES
Emporia State leads the all-time series 22-14 and has won back-to-back games in the series after NU had taken the last three from the Hornets.  The Navy & Red lead 8-5 in NU's NCAA Division II era and the series is tied 2-2 as MIAA conference foes.
 
Washburn leads the all-time series 26-7 and has won five straight and 6 of 7 from the Jets.  NU trails 7-2 in its NCAA Division II era to the Ichabods and Washburn leads 3-0 in MIAA games.  Both of NU's wins in its DII era have come in Wichita.
 
PREVIOUS MATCHUP
Emporia State started the game on a 10-2 run and shot 61% from the field in an 89-59 victory over the Jets in Wichita January 30, 2021.  The Hornets bludgeoned the Jets with big margins in paint scoring (52-22) and points off turnovers (24-6).   NU cut its early deficit to two but was outscored by the Hornets 30-15 to end the first half.  ESU led by as many as 33 in the second half and was never threatened on the way to sweeping the season series.  Tyjil Hereford scored a career-high 15 points to pace the Jets.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
After a Jacob Birnbaum three opened the scoring for NU, Washburn roared in front with an 11-0 run and  led by as many as 21 in the first half on the way to a 95-69 victory in Wichita January 28, 2021.  NU trailed 44-25 at the half and could never get back in the game thanks to the Ichabods shooting a blistering 68% from the field in the second period on the way to 64% shooting in the game.  The Jets have never allowed an opponent to shoot 65% from the field in a game, but the Ichabods came close as four 'Bods scored in double-figures with Jalen Lewis and Tyler Geiman each topping the 20-point mark.  Joel Boyce scored 25 of his own for the Navy & Red in the loss.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
CAPTAIN OF THE FLEET
R. J. Allen begins his fifth season as the head coach of the Jets in 2021.  It will be his 11th season with the program.  Allen has compiled a record of 47-60 over his first 4 years in Wichita with a 7-34 record in MIAA play.  Allen has coached a player to the All-MIAA team each of his first two years in the league.  Joel Boyce was named All-MIAA Honorable Mention in 2021 while Marshawn Blackmon earned Third Team recognition in 2020.  During the Jets' last year in the Heartland Conference, Allen led NU to a 20-9 overall record while finishing third in the Heartland Conference at 11-5.  The 20 wins tied the NU record for victories in their NCAA Division II era.  NU also finished the season in the Top 10 of the South Central Regional Rankings.  Allen was named the 2018 Heartland Conference Coach of the Year in his first season at the helm at Newman after guiding the Jets on a dramatic turnaround in the second half of the season that saw NU finish 14-14 overall and third in the conference with a 10-6 record.
 
Allen arrived in Wichita in 2011 and spent six seasons as an assistant and eventually associate head coach under Mark Potter, NU's all-time winningest coach.  The Jets won 88 games over those 6 years and made four trips to the Heartland Conference Tournament and the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after going 20-8 in 2012-13.  He was also on the bench when the Jets knocked off No. 2 seed Lubbock Christian in the first round of the 2016 Heartland Conference Tournament to earn its first ever postseason victory as an NCAA program.
 
Allen is no stranger to the Air Capital after growing up in Wichita and playing his prep years for his dad, Ron, at Wichita East High School.  Allen was a two time All-City and All-State selection and helped lead the Blue Aces to the 2002 6A state championship.  Following high school, Allen stayed local playing two years at Hutchinson Community College.  The Blue Dragons dominated during Allen's career going 57-9 over the two-year span with a 41-1 record in Jayhawk Conference play and winning the conference title in 2004.
 
REIGNING OVER THE SWARM & BUILDING THE 'BODS
Craig Doty is in his fourth season in Emporia and brings with him a national championship tradition.  Doty entered the season 35-46 overall with the Hornets and 23-37 in MIAA play.  Doty's overall record is 197-95 entering the 2021-22 campaign with an impressive 29-6 mark in the postseason.  Doty joined Emporia State after spending two seasons at Graceland of the Heart of America Conference (NAIA) where he went 49-22 from 2016 to 2018 while winning the 2018 NAIA Division I national championship.  Before that, Doty went 113-28 in four seasons at NJCAA Rock Valley, leading the Golden Eagles to four NJCAA Tournament berths and two NJCAA Division III national titles.  As an assistant coach, Doty spent time at Sioux Falls, Riverland Community College (Minn.), Central Wyoming College and Morningside College (Iowa).
 
Brett Ballard began his tenure as the head coach of Washburn men's basketball with the unenviable task of replacing legend Bob Chipman.  Through his first four seasons, Ballard seems to be up to the challenge.  Entering his fifth year on the bench in Topeka, the Ichabods were 82-38 under his direction with a 45-15 record inside the MIAA.  Ballard has directed the 'Bods to NCAA Tournament appearances in three of his first four seasons and he is the winningest coach through his first four seasons in program history.  Ballard won his first MIAA title in 2021 on a dramatic half-court shot to stun top-seed Northwest Missouri in a true road game.  Ballard joined Washburn after spending three seasons as an assistant at Wake Forest to head coach and former Jayhawk Danny Manning, whom he also assisted for two seasons at the University of Tulsa.  Ballard's first head coaching job was at NAIA Baker in Baldwin City, Kan.  Prior to that, Ballard served his alma mater as the director of basketball operations, video coordinator, and student assistant for Bill Self at the University of Kansas over a seven-season stretch.  A Hutchinson, Kan. native, Ballard started his collegiate career as a Blue Dragon at Hutchinson Community College before transferring to KU to play for Roy Williams.  Ballard's teams went 59-11 in Lawrence with two trips to the NCAA Tournament including a berth in the 2002 Final Four.
 
NEW MANAGEMENT
Kyle McLeroy begins his first year as assistant coach at Newman after spending the previous two years as a graduate assistant at Dallas Baptist University, a former Heartland Conference rival of the Jets.  Serving under long-time head coach Dr. Blake Flickner, McLeroy helped lead the Patriots to a 38-14 record over his two seasons.  DBU also earned a berth into two NCAA Tournaments with McLeroy on the bench.
 
McLeroy prepped at Cypress Ranch High School in Cypress, Texas before beginning his collegiate career at the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor.  As a freshman, he helped the Crusaders to a 25-3 record and a No. 5 ranking in the NCAA Division III Top 25.  He redshirted the next season and then transferred to NCAA Division I Sam Houston State.  There he led the Bearkats to a combined 50-20 record over his two seasons and helped set a new NCAA DI-era program record with 26 wins in the 2014-15 season.  Sam Houston State played twice in the Southland Conference Tournament championship game and made two appearances in the College Insider Tournament.
 
CLOSE CALLS
The Navy & Red have played in four games decided by six points or less this season, going 1-3 in such games.  Down-to-the-wire basketball is nothing new for the Jets as Newman played in 11 games last year in which the score of the game was within six points at some point in the final minute of regulation.  The Jets finished 3-8 in games last year where the final score was decided by a margin of 10 points or less.
 
LOSE OUR NUMBER
While the Jets have played in plenty of close games as an MIAA member, none of the games last year were close against either of the Turnpike Tussle rivals.  Washburn's closest victory over their five-game winning streak against the Jets is 13 points and they have won by at least 25 points in each other game.  Though NU has gotten the better of the Hornets in the schools' NCAA Division II contests, Emporia State turned the tables on the Jets last season by sweeping the series with a pair of wins of at least 30 points.  Prior to last season, the Hornets had never beaten the Jets by more than five in NU's Division II history.
 
TURNPIKE TUSSLE
Emporia State and Washburn are each other's primary rivals and they call their rivalry the Turnpike Tussle.  Named for the toll road completed in 1956 connecting Kansas City, Topeka, Emporia, Wichita, and the Oklahoma border, the Turnpike Tussle is one of the MIAA's fiercest rivalries.
 
SECURITY!!!
After ranking last in the MIAA a season ago in ball security (turnovers per game and turnover margin), the Jets shot up the rankings last week in both categories.  Newman committed just 14 total turnovers in last week's games and moved up from 11^th in turnovers per game to a tie for sixth this week with just 12.0 giveaways per contest.  The Jets' +2.57 turnover margin is fifth best in the league, up one spot from last week.  Washburn and Emporia State are also in the top five in the league in turnover margin with the Ichabods sitting second (+6.25) and the Hornets third (+6.13).  The stats suggest Washburn and Newman might be poised to turn around their seasons:  they are the only two teams without a winning record inside the top nine teams in turnover margin in the MIAA this year.
 
I DON'T BELIEVE IN COINCIDENCES
Both Emporia State teams are bringing the top scorer in the league with them to Fugate Gymnasium this week.  Entering this week's games, Tray Buchanan paces the Hornets scoring 27.1 ppg.  Meanwhile Wichita-native Tre'Zure Jobe is leading the MIAA scoring 22.9 ppg.
 
I THINK IT'S STUCK…
After hitting over 30% from deep range in each of their first three contests of the year, NU has been stuck between 26.1% and 26.7% over the last four and has gone 2-2 in such games.  The Jets have connected on 24 trifectas over the span while their opponents have nailed 35.  Over the first three games of the season, NU made 23 3-pointers while their opponents swished just 11.  The Jets were 1-2 in those games. 
 
LEADING 'THE ASSOCIATION'

• Through the end of non-conference play, Ian Lee was tied for fifth in the MIAA in free throw percentage (.875).
• A. J. Morris was tied for seventh in the MIAA in steals per game (2.0) ahead of non-conference play.
• Newman's 47% shooting from bonus distance against Tabor ranked ninth among MIAA members ahead of conference play.
• The Jets' 10 steals against Southwest Minnesota State tied for ninth most in the league this year ahead of MIAA action.  The Jets also recorded 10 thefts in a win over Sterling College.
• The Jets' 22 free throws against Sterling were tied for fifth most in the league this year through the non-conference schedule.
• In the same game against the Warriors, the Jets attempted 27 free throws, good for seventh most in the league through the non-con.
• The Navy & Red committed the second-most fouls in any game featuring an MIAA member ahead of the conference slate when they hacked 27 times in a season-opening loss at Concordia-St. Paul.

 
NU STATS 'N STREAKS

• At the conclusion of non-conference play, the Jets were 11^th in the MIAA in scoring averaging 70 ppg.  The Jets were eighth in defense surrendering 66.8 ppg.
• The Jets can end a two-game losing streak with a win on Wednesday.
• Junior transfer guard Israel Barnes has scored in double figures in all three games he has played in after missing the start of the year with turf toe.  Barnes turned in a career high 21 points in the Jets' defeat @ Pittsburg State.
• Freshman guard Stevie Strong scored a career-high 22 points in NU's loss at Missouri Southern.  In the game he also connected for a career-high four 3-pointers.  It was strong's second 20-point performance of the year.
• Strong has never missed a free throw in his NU career, making all 15 of his tries to start his career.
• Junior forward Deandre Johnson was a perfect 5 of 5 from the field scoring a season-high 11 points in NU's loss at Missouri Southern.  It is the only time in Johnson's career he has shot 100% from the field while taking at least five shots.
• Second-year freshman forward Angelo Santiago grabbed a career-high nine rebounds in NU's loss to MSSU.
• Sophomore Damani Thomas collected a career-high 11 points in Newman's 59-53 win over Tabor on November 18, 2021.
• Graduate guard A. J. Morris notched an NU-career-best 11 points in the Navy & Red's season opening loss @ Concordia-St. Paul.
• The Jets are looking for their first winning season since 2018-19 when Newman finished 20-9 while tying for third in the Heartland Conference.  NU also seeks its first 10-win season since that same campaign.  2018-19 was also the last season NU participated in the postseason, losing in the first round of the final Heartland Conference Tournament to Rogers State.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
Newman wraps up the 2021 portion of the schedule with a road trip to Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State next weekend.