Bison Open Season at GAC/MIAA Crossover

WASHBURN (0-0) vs OKLAHOMA BAPTIST (0-0) NEBRASKA-KEARNEY (0-0) vs OKLAHOMA BAPTIST (0-0)

Game 1: Friday, Nov. 10 | 5:30 p.m. Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 11 | 3 p.m.

Sawyer Center | Bethany, Okla.

Live Stats | Live Video

SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist men's basketball officially gets the 2018-19 season underway when they head to Bethany on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 10-11 to compete at the GAC/MIAA Crossover. The Bison will first take on Washburn on Friday at 5:30 p.m. before wrapping up the Crossover against Nebraska-Kearney at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
 
OBU Report

• The Bison will look different under first-year head coach Jason Eaker, only returning four players from last season's team: Brantly Thompson (8.5 ppg), Harrison Stoddart (7.4 ppg), Caleb Norris (4.3 ppg) and Tyler Lester (2.7 ppg)
• There are 10 newcomers on the team, including Division I transfers Davion Turner (Texas-Arlington, 5.4 ppg), Dison Lowery (Wofford, 1.8 ppg), Rashad Lewis (Mercer, 2.8 ppg) and Julian Daughtry (Jackson State, 6.4 ppg), as well as Division II transfer Antonio Wade (Young Harris, 12.3 ppg)
• OBU won its only exhibition game of the season, 120-74, over Barclay College last week with Turner and Lowery each pouring in a game-high 12 points
• The Bison are picked to finish 12th in the Great American Conference this season despite a new head coach and a bevy of new players

Scouting the Ichabods

• Washburn was recently picked to finish third in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association preseason poll
• Head coach Brett Ballard led the Ichabods to a 22-10 overall record for the 2017-18 season, his first at the helm
• Washburn lost to Division I Kansas, 72-59, in exhibition action last Thursday. Javion Blake had a team-high 14 points in the loss
• Blake and Tyas Martin are WU's top two returners, averaging 14.3 and 10.7 points/game, respectively. David Salach is the top returner on the boards, averaging 3.9 rebounds/game

Scouting the Lopers

• Nebraska-Kearney was picked to finish 10th in the MIAA preseason coaches poll after going 16-14 last season under head coach Kevin Lofton
• AJ Jackson is UNK's leading returner, averaging 6.9 points in 22 starts last year. Kyle Juhl also returns after scoring 5.5 points/game a season ago
• Jackson is also the team's leading rebounder among returners, pulling down 4.3 boards/game last year