LIBERTY, Mo. - The William Jewell men's basketball team is set for a split week as they host No. 11 Washburn on Wednesday in the home opener before traveling to Emporia State on Saturday for a showdown with the Hornets.  

ADMISSION 🎟
🟢 Spectators are permitted. 

BROADCAST 🎥 
• vs. Washburn
• Emporia State (No Video Available)

LIVE STATS 📊
• vs. Washburn
• vs. Emporia State

CARDINAL NOTES

• The Cardinals enter the week sitting at 1-1 on the season after defeating Purdue Northwest before falling late on Saturday to Davenport.
• In the season opener, Jewell forced Purdue Northwest into 23 turnovers which is the second most since 2018, when Jewell had 22 against Southwest Baptist. The only higher number is the 26 forced against No. 12 Bellarmine in 2019.  
• Jordan Jermain picked up right where he left off last winter, averaging 20 points through the Cardinals first two games. After scoring just 40 total points through mid-January of last season, he finished his freshman campaign averaging better than 12 points and 34 minutes over the final 10 contests. Now as a sophomore, he went off for 16 in the season opener, followed by 24 points against Davenport, while shooting better than 46% from the floor. He also enters the week, ranked second in the GLVC with 12 made free throws while shooting 85.7% from the line. 
• Kobe McKinley was superb last weekend, in his first starts since the first two games of his career. Now a junior, he enters the second week of the season leading the GLVC with seven steals. He was also a big piece of the puzzle offensively averaging 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. 
• After the graduation of Eysan Wiley, the Cardinals went looking for immediate production down low and seem to have found it in Heri Tshiyoyo. The junior transfer from Tarleton State poured in a team-high 22 points in his Jewell debut. Over the two-game weekend he averaged 13.5 points and a team-best 8.5 rebounds to go with 1.5 steals. The big man shot 50% from the field and is seventh in the GLVC with an 87.5% clip from the free throw line. 
• The combination of Tshiyoyo and junior Jevaughn Ferguson was a good one through the first weekend. Ferguson averaged a team-best three offensive rebounds per game and 5.5 total while chipping in five points, coming of the bench. 
• The Cardinals were one of the best teams in the nation last weekend at taking care of the basketball. Jewell enters the week ranked first in the conference and ninth in Division II with a turnover margin of 8.5. The Cardinals committed, on average, 14 turnovers while forcing their opponents into a GLVC leading 22.5, sixth best in DII. 
• Mason Alexander will go down as one of the best long-range shooters in program history, moving into ninth all-time with his152nd three-point field goal made last weekend, surpassing Jordan Lewis (2011-15). The senior is now one shy of tying Hall of Famer John Kiely (1985-88) for eighth place on the career chart. 
• Chris McCabe is now in his third season at the helm of the Cardinal program. The 14th coach in program history will look to get Jewell back to the GLVC Tournament for the first time since 2018.
   

ABOUT WASHBURN

• Washburn enters the week at 1-1 overall, coming off a 72-58 loss to Augustana, and were picked No. 11 in the NABC Coaches Preseason Poll.
• Three players averaged double figures last weekend, led by Michael Keegan and Jalen Lewis at 12.5 apiece. Jeremy Harrell addeed 10.5 with 2.0 assists. 
• The Ichabods started the season without the services of returning All-American Tyler Geiman, who missed the first two games. He returned for his fifth year, utilizing the NCAA's additional season of eligibility due to COVID-19, after leading Washburn with 20.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists per night.  
• Much like the Cardinals, the Ichabods were superb at ball security last weekend, ranking tops in the MIAA and 24th in Division II with just 16 turnovers and a turnover margin of 8.5. 
• Washburn is coached by Brett Ballard, now in his fifth season, who led the Bods to an MIAA Tournament title last February.

ABOUT EMPORIA STATE

• Emporia State also enters this week at 1-1, coming off a loss to Arkansas Tech after downing Southwestern Oklahoma to open the season. 
• The Hornets were led in the opening weekend by fifth year transfer Tray Buchanan who averaged 30 points, tops in the MIAA and third in Division II. He made a living at the free throw line, going 23-for-25. 
• Returning All-MIAA performer Jumah'ri Turner added 16 points in each of the first two games. The combination of Turner and Buchanan accounted for nearly 69% of Emporia State's offense in the opening weekend. 
• As a team, the Hornets shoot nearly 46% from the floor and are one of the best free throw shooting teams in Division II at 85.3%, averaging 67 points. 
• Craig Doty is in his fourth season as the head coach at Emporia State after winning three national championships at Graceland (NAIA) and Rock Valley (NJCAA).