Games 23 & 24:
Newman (7-15, 3-13 MIAA) vs. Washburn (10-11, 7-8 MIAA)
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 | 7:30 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Fugate Gymnasium)
Audio:  Newman Jets Audio Network (Play-by-Play:  Blake Cripps) | Video:  MIAA Network | Live Stats:  NU Athletics
 
@ Emporia State (17-6, 11-6 MIAA)
Saturday, February 11, 2023 | 3:30 p.m. | Emporia, Kan. (White Auditorium)
Audio:  Newman Jets Audio Network (Play-by-Play:  Blake Cripps) | Video:  MIAA Network | Live Stats:  ESU Athletics
 
MAKING THEIR MOVE
Newman men's basketball looks to make a push to MIAA Madness against two in-state foes this week.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Stevie Strong poured in 40 points and the Jets swept the season series from Nebraska-Kearney with an 84-74 win on Hall of Fame Day Saturday Feb. 4 at Fugate Gymnasium in Wichita.  The game started anything but promising for the Jets as the Navy & Red trailed 38-21 with just under five minutes to play in the first half, but a Jacob Joe 3-pointer sparked a 19-3 run for the Navy & Red (including 17-straight points) to tie the game just before half.  A late basket for the Lopers gave UNK a 2-point edge going into the break.  The Jets quickly gathered the lead and didn't give UNK a chance to come back shooting over 62% from the field in the second half.  The Jets outhustled the Lopers outscoring them 12-0 on the fast break and 22-6 in second chance points.  Strong's 40-point outing matched his career high from earlier this season.  Sam Somerhalder earned his first double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
The Ichabods find themselves in the middle of the pack entering the week in eighth place in the MIAA standings after losing both of their games last week.  Washburn posted its sixth straight winning season in 2021-22 by finishing 22-11 with a 16-6 record inside the MIAA.  The 'Bods were unable to defend their MIAA Tournament title from the year before, falling in the championship match against eventual national champion Northwest Missouri.  Despite the setback, Washburn returned to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year and for the fourth time out of the last five years.  It was also the fourth time WU has crested 20 wins in the Brett Ballard era.  The program seeks its 17^th NCAA Tournament appearance this March.
 
Inside the conference, Washburn sits sixth in offense (69.1 ppg) and eighth in defense (68.5 ppg) in MIAA action.  The Ichabods are led in scoring by Andrew Orr at 13.9 ppg while Michael Keegan paces them in rebounding with 5.8 rpg.  Orr leads the league in field goal percentage shooting an amazing 60.6% from the field while Keegan ranks in the top ten in the league in blocks.
 
The Hornets fell to fourth in the conference standings after dropping both games last week.  Emporia State took a major step forward last season by finishing 20-9 with a 15-7 conference record in 2021-22.  Despite losing to rival Washburn in the first round of the MIAA Tournament, the Hornets improved their win total by nine and won four more MIAA games than the season before.  With the winning record, the Hornets ended a streak of seven-straight losing seasons that had stretched back to 2014-15.  ESU's 20 wins was the first time crossing that plateau since finishing 21-8 and making the NCAA Tournament in 2007.  It was just the third 20-win season in Emporia State's history as an NCAA program.  The Hornets are seeking their third NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2007.
 
Owen Long paces the Hornets at 16.9 ppg ranking sixth in the MIAA in scoring.  Alijah Comithier is ESU's leading rebounder at 5.3 rpg.  Long is the conference's best free throw shooter at 89.8% from the line while Kaden Evans ranks fourth in the league in steals at 1.7 spg.
 
THE SERIES
Washburn leads the all-time series 28-7 and has won seven straight and 8 of 9 from the Jets.  NU trails 9-2 in its NCAA Division II era to the Ichabods and Washburn leads 5-0 in MIAA games.  Both of NU's wins in its DII era have come in Wichita.
 
Emporia State leads the all-time series 25-14 and has won five in a row after NU had taken the last three.  The series is now 8-8 in NU's NCAA Division II era but the Hornets have a 5-2 lead in the MIAA era of the series.
 
PREVIOUS MATCHUP
A late first half run propelled Washburn to a 91-60 victory over the Jets January 26, 2022, at Lee Arena in Topeka, Kan.  The Jets battled hard to trail 28-25 with 5:27 to play in the half, but the Ichabods ended the frame with an 18-4 run to take a commanding 46-29 advantage into the break.  The 'Bods slammed the door with the first nine points of the second half as they stretched the run to a 36-6 run spanning over 14 minutes of game time.  The Jets were never closer than 26 the rest of the way.  Washburn frustrated the Jets into 21 turnovers outscoring the Jets 29-2 off turnovers and 42-22 in the paint.  DeAndre Johnson led the Jets with 11 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
After a strong first half, the Newman offense never got off the ground in the second in an 89-64 loss to #20 Emporia State December 31, 2022, at Fugate Gymnasium in Wichita.  The Jets started well with a 7-0 run, but E-State answered with an 11-2 spurt to take the lead.  A Latik Murphy 3-pointer tied the game at 17 for the Navy & Red when the Hornets made their push.  ESU slammed the Jets with a 14-2 run to take a 31-19 lead with 8 minutes to play in the first half.  NU closed to within six twice in the closing moments of the frame, but a late 6-1 run gave the Hornets a 49-37 halftime lead.  The Jets cut the deficit to eight just minutes into the second half but never got closer as the Hornets gradually built the lead as high as 30.  The Navy & Red shot 57.7% from the field in the first half but struggled to just 25.9% shooting in the second.  Stevie Strong led NU with 23 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
A STRONG STATEMENT
Stevie Strong's 40-point performance on Hall of Fame Day against the Lopers was the fourth 40-point game by a Newman Jet in program history and matched his career high earlier this year.  It is the most points ever scored by a Jet in an MIAA conference game and ties the second most points ever scored by a Jet trailing only the 45 points poured in by Taylor Schieber against Texas A&M International on his Senior Day in Mark Potter's last home game as NU head coach.
 
SINGLE-GAME SCORING
Rk            Player                      Points      Opponent                Date       
1.             Taylor Schieber       45            TAMIU                     2/25/17
2.             Ryan Bradley           40            TAMIU                     2/16/08
                Stevie Strong          40            Concordia-St. Paul  11/11/22
                Stevie Strong          40            Nebraska-Kearney  2/4/23
5.             Reggie Baker           36            at UAFS                   1/22/15  
6.             Reggie Baker           34            St. Mary's                1/31/15
7.             Keaton Schultz        32            at OPSU                   1/23/10
                Taylor Schieber       32            at Rogers State       1/2/17
                Daniel Nwosu Jr.     32            at St. Mary's            1/21/17
                Ben Ayre                 32            at Dallas Baptist      3/2/19
 
It also set a new record of most points in an MIAA game breaking Marshawn Blackmon's record of 30 scored against Central Oklahoma December 21, 2019.  The 13 field goals made in the game tied Reggie Baker and Ryan Bradley's record set in 2008 by Bradley and matched in 2015 by Baker.
 
SINGLE-GAME FIELD GOALS MADE
Rk.           Player                      FG           Opponent                Date       
1.             Ryan Bradley           13            TAMIU                     2/16/08
                Reggie Baker           13            at UAFS                   1/22/15
                Stevie Strong          13            Nebraska-Kearney  2/7/23
4.             Shamar Acuay         12            at TAMIU                 2/7/13
                Reggie Baker           12            St. Mary's                1/31/15
                Reggie Baker           12            at St. Edward's        2/28/15
                M. Blackmon           12            Central Oklahoma   12/21/19
8.             Multiple                  11                           Sixteen Occurrences
 
The 22 field goals he attempted that game is tied for sixth in single-game attempts and is the seventh occurrence of 22 shots by a Jet in a game.
 
JUST HOW STRONG IS THIS GUY?
In just two seasons with the Navy & Red, Stevie Strong is already showing himself to be one of the best pure scorers in the history of the program.  After scoring 58 points last week, Strong is now just six points away from tying Taylor Schieber for 10^th in all-time career scoring.  Strong is just 14 points away from tying Jeremy Espionza for 10^th on the season scoring chart and his career and season averages both rank in the top ten going into this week's action.
 
IS THERE A SHOT HE DOESN'T LIKE?
Stevie Strong is lighting up the scoreboard from the 3-point line in his sophomore season with the Jets.  With seven 3-pointers against the Lopers, Strong passed Allen Wilson and Camilo Londono for ninth in career 3-pointers made and needs nine more to become the ninth Jet to make at least 100 treys in his Newman career.
 
CAREER 3PT FIELD GOALS MADE
Rk.           Player                                      3PTM      Games    Years      
1.             Daniel Nwosu Jr.                     136          58            2015-17
2.             Keaton Schultz                        135          72            2007-11
3.             Taylor Schieber                       118          57            2015-17
4.             Chip Steven                             117          54            2009-11
5.             Christian DeYoung                  114          101          2015-19
6.             Trae Beck                                110          52            2012-14
7.             Ryan McCarthy                        108          103          2011-15
8.             Ben Ayre                                 104          56            2017-19
9.             Stevie Strong                          91            42            2021-23
10.           Camilo Londono                      87            56            2007-09
 
Strong has now passed Ben Ayre for eighth in career 3-pointers attempted and is ten trifectas away from tying Branden Bunn for tenth in season 3-pointers made.  His 7-for-12 performance from outside against UNK set a new career-high for deep balls in a game and tied for fourth in program history in single-game 3-pointers and is the ninth occurrence of seven threes by a Jet.  The 12 attempts tied for ninth and is the eighth occurrence of 12 3-pointers attempted in program history.
 
STEVIE IS LIVING FREE
With seven or more free throws in his last five games, Stevie Strong has rocketed to third in season free throws made and needs just two to tie the record of 126 held by James Pegues with the Jets in 2015-16.
 
SEASON FREE THROWS MADE
Rk.           Player                                      FTM        Games    Year        
1.             James Pegues                         126          30            2015-16
2.             Daniel Nwosu Jr.                     125          28            2016-17
3.             Stevie Strong                          124          21            2021-23
4.             Ben Ayre                                 123          27            2017-18
5.             Ryan Bradley                           113          27            2008-09
6.             Marshawn Blackmon              112          29            2018-19
7.             Marquis Cuyler                        110          25            2013-14
8.             Shamar Acuay                         106          28            2012-13
                Taylor Schieber                       106          27            2016-17
10.           Marshawn Blackmon              103          28            2019-20
 
Strong is also tied for second in free throws attempted in a single season with Pegues in 2015-16.  Strong is now chasing the record of 176 free throws in a single year set by Marshawn Blackmon who hit 176 charity shots for the Jets in 2018-19.  Strong has also burst into the top ten in career free throws made and is two away from pulling into a tie for fifth with Ryan Bradley and Jeremy Espinoza with 194 apiece.
 
CAREER FREE THROWS MADE
Rk.           Player                                      FTM        Games    Years      
1.             James Pegues                         228          56            2014-16
2.             Ben Ayre                                 221          56            2017-19
3.             Marshawn Blackmon              215          57            2018-20
4.             Kevin Bryant                            200          82            2015-18
5.             Ryan Bradley                           194          53            2007-09
                Jeremy Espinoza                     194          52            2013-15
7.             Stevie Strong                          192          21            2021-23
8.             Daniel Nwosu Jr.                     190          56            2015-17
9.             Dametrius Walker                   171          56            2017-19
10.           Marquis Cuyler                        167          53            2012-14
 
COMING ON 'STRONG'
Stevie Strong is continuing to work his way up the Newman men's basketball record books.  Strong is 18 assists away from cracking into that top ten list by tying Ryan McCarthy's 135 assists over his 113 game Newman career.  Strong is now five assists away from tying Ian Lee and Jarvis Jackson for ninth in season assists and his career and season assists per game average both qualify him for those lists.  He's also moving up the steals lists and is six away from tying Chip Steven for 10^th in season steals.
 
NOT REALLY A SURPRISE
Given what you've already read, it probably comes as no surprise that Stevie Strong was named the MIAA Player of the Week for Week 12, the first MIAA weekly award in the history of Newman men's basketball.  Strong, Latik Murphy, Israel Barnes, Joel Boyce, and Marshawn Blackmon had been honored several times with 'notable performances' by 'The Association' but Strong is the first to claim its top weekly honor.  Strong is the first men's player to be honored as conference player of the week since Blackmon was honored for the third time as Heartland Conference Player of the Week following the last week of the regular season in 2018-19.  Blackmon averaged 20.5 ppg and 11.5 rpg in leading the Jets to wins over Rogers State and an impressive road win over regionally-ranked Dallas Baptist to end the regular season.
 
SLOW 'EM DOWN
The Jets are trying to find the right mix defensively moving into the last month of the season.  Five of the Jets' last six opponents have shot over 45% from the field.  The Jets have also allowed teams to shoot over 40% from the 3-point line in four straight and five of the last six games. 
 
WE'LL TAKE THE CHARITY
The Navy & Red have done a great job of producing at the free throw line recently.  The Jets have scored at least 15 points at the line in their last five games and six of their last seven.  This is the longest stretch of the season where NU has hit 15+ free throws consecutively.  The Jets have shot 75% or better from the line in four of the seven games.
 
THROW OUT THE RECORDS
Just because Fort Hays State has a long winning streak in the series doesn't mean the wins have come easy over the Jets.  Including last week's game, 12 of the last 16 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less.  Before the Tigers' 22-point victory in December, the margin had been six points or less in three of the previous four meetings with one of the games being decided in overtime.  In fact, the teams have not played back-to-back games with a winning margin of over 10 points in the last 15 games of the series.  The last time a team had back-to-back double-digit wins was when Fort Hays State knocked off the Jets in Newman's first five meetings with the Tigers after transitioning from NAIA status.  The Jets picked up their first win over the Tigers as an NCAA Division II program in 2012-13 when the Jets won the mythical Kansas Division II state championship by going 4-0 against the in-state schools on the way to a 20-win season and the program's only berth in the NCAA Tournament.
 
CAPTAIN OF THE FLEET
R. J. Allen begins his sixth season as the head coach of the Jets in 2021.  It will be his 12th season with the program.  Allen has compiled a record of 53-81 over his first five years in Wichita with a 10-55 record in MIAA play.  Allen has coached a player to the All-MIAA team each of his first three years in the league.  Israel Barnes received All-MIAA Honorable Mention recognition last season, 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.
 
Allen has a 0-6 record against the Ichabods and is 5-4 against the Hornets
 
BUILDING THE 'BODS & REIGNING OVER THE SWARM
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 five seasons, Ballard seems to be up to the challenge.  Entering his sixth year on the bench in Topeka, the Ichabods were 104-49 under his direction with a 45-15 record inside the MIAA.  In seven years as a head coach, Ballard began the season 137-79 overall.  He has directed the 'Bods to NCAA Tournament appearances in four of his first five seasons and he is the winningest coach through his first five seasons in program history.  Ballard won his first MIAA Tournament 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.  There he led the Wildcats to a 33-30 record.  In his second season with BU, Baker posted a nine-win improvement and qualified for the NAIA Tournament.  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.
 
Ballard is a perfect 6-0 against Newman.
 
Craig Doty is in his fifth season in Emporia and brings with him a national championship tradition.  Doty entered the season 55-55 overall with the Hornets and 38-44 in MIAA play.  Doty's overall record is 217-104 entering the 2022-23 campaign with an impressive 29-7 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).
 
Doty is 5-3 against Newman.
 
SCOUTING THE SQUADRON
The Jets went 6-21 in 2021-22 with a 3-19 record inside the MIAA.  Newman returns four players from last year's squad including second-leading scorer Stevie Strong, who averaged 13.7 ppg.  Strong was also second on the team in steals with 22 and led the Jets in 3-pointers shooting 44-for-138 from outside (31.9%).  Strong also paced the Jets from the foul line with 68 free throws on the way to shooting an impressive 89.5%.  Junior Ian Lee started 23 of 27 games for the Jets last season and dazzled offensively with 83 assists against just 43 turnovers.  Lee was also Newman's third-leading scorer at 9.6 ppg.
 
The Jets will be junior and graduate led this season with no seniors on the roster.  The Jets start the season with seven freshmen on the roster.  The Navy & Red will feature eight transfers this season: five from the junior college level and four from NCAA Division I.  Newman's roster features two graduate students, six juniors, and four sophomores.
 
LEADING 'THE ASSOCIATION'

• Entering the week, former Campus Colt Stevie Strong leads the league in scoring at 18.3 ppg.
• Strong is ninth in the conference in free throw percentage at 79.5%.
• Strong's 3.7 apg ranks him in a tie for fourth in the league in assists.
• Strong's 1.6 assist to turnover ratio is tied for seventh in the MIAA.
• Strong ranks fifth in steals with 1.6 pilfers per game.

 
NU STATS 'N STREAKS

• Stevie Strong has scored in double figures in 23-consecutive games dating back to last season. 
• Strong's 40-point eruption against UNK tied his career high from earlier this year.
• The seven 3-pointers he hit in the same game were also a personal best.
• Junior Latik Murphy built his streak of double digit scoring to five games last week.
• Sam Somerhalder grabbed a career high 11 rebounds in NU's win over the Lopers. 
• He earned his first career double-double with 11 points in the same game.  It was the first double-double by a Jet since Joel Boyce scored 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds against Rogers State January 7, 2021.
• NU committed just five turnovers in their win over UNK, the first time the Jets had five or fewer turnovers as a team since losing to Pittsburg State in December of 2021.  The Gorillas also had five turnovers in that game.
• NU shot over 50% against the Lopers, the first time NU had topped that mark since their last win over Missouri Western January 12.
• The win over the Lopers ended Newman's season-long five-game losing streak.
• In conference games, the Navy & Red rank eighth offensively scoring 67.2 ppg.
• The Jets are ranked 13^th defensively allowing 75.8 ppg against league foes.
• 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.

 
AND THEN…
The Jets welcome the RiverHawks for Homecoming on February 15, then host Rogers State on Saturday.
 
2022-23 MIAA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Week 1:  Bennett Stirtz – Northwest Missouri
Week 2:  Alijah Comithier – Emporia State
Week 3:  Will Eames – Missouri Western
Week 4:  Kaleb Hammeke – Fort Hays State
Week 5:  Diego Bernard – Northwest Missouri (2)
Week 6:  Owen Long – Emporia State (2)
Week 7:  Jaden Wells – Central Oklahoma
Week 8:  Jaden Wells (2) – Central Oklahoma (2)
Week 9:  Owen Long (2) – Emporia State (3)
Week 10:  Diego Bernard (2) – Northwest Missouri (3)
Week 11:  Owen Long (3) – Emporia State (4)
Week 12:  Stevie Strong – Newman
 
2022 MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLLS
Coaches
1.  Northwest Missouri (11) – 167 Points
2.  Central Oklahoma (3) – 158 Points
3.  Fort Hays State – 137 Points
4.  Washburn – 131 Points
5.  Emporia State – 125 Points
6.  Northeastern State – 100 Points
7.  Missouri Western – 93 Points
8.  Missouri Southern – 85 Points
9.  Central Missouri – 73 Points
T-10.  Pittsburg State – 63 Points
T-10.  Rogers State – 63 Points
12.  Nebraska-Kearney – 36 Points
13.  Lincoln – 26 Points
14.  Newman – 17 Points
 
Media
1.  Northwest Missouri (14) – 261 Points
2.  Central Oklahoma (4) – 243 Points
3.  Fort Hays State – 216 Points
4.  Washburn – 209 Points
5.  Emporia State – 181 Points
6.  Missouri Western – 163 Points
7.  Missouri Southern – 146 Points
8.  Northeastern State – 135 Points
9.  Central Missouri – 112 Points
10.  Pittsburg State – 106 Points
11.  Rogers State – 92 Points
12.  Nebraska-Kearney – 67 Points
13.  Newman – 33 Points
14.  Lincoln – 31 Points