LINCOLN, Neb. – The Wartburg College Knights men's basketball squad (9-5 overall, 3-2 A-R-C) will look to upset the defending national champion and No. 1 ranked Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves (14-0, 5-0) on Saturday, Jan. 12 with tip-off scheduled for 4 p.m. This will be the first time in program history that Wartburg has faced the number one ranked team in Division III.
 
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The Series
The Knights and Prairie Wolves have faced off 10 times in the history of the two programs, with Nebraska Wesleyan owning the series record at 6-4. The last Knights victory over the Prairie Wolves came on Nov. 30, 2016, in a 92-76 effort in Waverly. The Orange and Black have lost the last four games against Nebraska Wesleyan.
 
Wartburg
The Knights are coming off of an 85-74 victory over Luther College on Wednesday evening. Leading the conference and team in scoring is senior guard Jaran Sabus (Urbandale) at 23.1 points per game. Second in scoring is senior guard Cam Kickbush (Urbandale) with 14.4 points per game and rounding out the top-three is sophomore guard Max Smith Drahos (Cedar Rapids) at 11.7 points per game. Sabus' 5.4 rebounds per game stand as best on the team, while senior center Josh Gehling (Dyersville) stands second at 5.2 rebounds per game (min. 10 games played).
 
Wartburg owns the fourth-best scoring offense in the American Rivers Conference (83.4 PPG), in addition to the second-best scoring defensive unit (74.6 PPG). The 8.8-point differential is second-best in the A-R-C, while their field goal percentage (.498) is also the second-best mark in the conference.
 
Career Record Watch
After scoring 32 points against Luther College on Wednesday evening, Sabus' career points total stands at 1,356 points and is ranked ninth in program history. Sabus trails eighth place by 50 points (1,406), seventh place by 53 points (1,409) and sixth by 90 points (1,446). His 93 made free throws this season give him a career total of 411, good for third in program history. Sabus trails second place by 39 made free throws (450) and first overall by 113 (524).
 
Kickbush's recent three-point surge has moved his career total to 209 made three-pointers, a mark that now stands at third in program history. Kickbush trails second place by nine (218) and first overall by 14 (223).
 
 
Nebraska Wesleyan
The Prairie Wolves enter Saturday's game undefeated, with most recently defeating A-R-C foe Simpson College 96-84. Owning the number one scoring offense in the A-R-C (94.9 PPG), Nebraska Wesleyan averages 19.9 more points per game than their opponents this season (75.1 PPG). Leading the team in scoring is junior guard Nate Schimonitz, whose 19.6 points per game trails Sabus for the lead in the A-R-C. Senior forwards Ryan Garver and Cooper Cook trail Schimonitz in scoring by averaging 15.9 and 15.2 points per game, respectively. Garver leads the conference in assists per game (7), while Schimonitz is ranked second (5.2). Junior center Clay Reimers leads the team in rebounding by pulling in 6.3 boards per game.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan is coached by Dale Wellman, who is coaching in his fifth season with the program. A recipient of the 2018 NABC/NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year, Wellman has led the Prairie Wolves to a record of 97-32 (.751), including winning the 2018 national championship. Wellman is assisted by Casey McGraw and Chris Hamilton.
 
National Stat Rankings
The Knights are ranked in the top-100 of seven statistical categories, which were updated by the NCAA today. The Orange and Black are ranked 24^th in field goal percentage (49.9%), 52^nd in three-point field percentage (38.4%), tied for 58^th in free throw percentage (74.2%), tied for 68^th in scoring offense (83.4 PPG), tied for 69^th in made free throws (219), 70^th in scoring margin (8.8) and are tied for 83^rd in rebound margin (4.5).
 
The Orange and Black have three players ranked in the top-100 of 14 different statistical categories. Cam Kickbush is tied for 43^rd in made three-point field goals (44), tied for 49^th in three-point field goals per game (3.14), tied for 54^th in three-point field goal percentage (43.6%) and is tied for 78^th in three-point field goal attempts (101). Jaran Sabus tied for sixth in made free throws (93), 12^th in free throw attempts (112), 16^th in points per game (23.1), 23^rd in total points (323), tied for 43^rd in total made field goals (107), 71^st in field goal percentage (57.2%), tied for 78^th in total assists (62) and is tied for 88^th in assists per game (4.4). Max Smith Drahos is tied for 74^th in total steals (29) and is tied for 84^th in steals per game (2.07).