Ichabods sign additional players
TOPEKA -- Washburn Ichabod head basketball head coach Bob Chipman has announced the Ichabods have inked Kansas State transfer Marques Hayden, Kentucky Wesleyan transfer Frank Phifer (pronounced Fy-fer) and prep standout Ryan Highfill to join the Washburn basketball program this fall. They join Jabulah (J.B.) Murray, a 6-3, 200-pound guard from Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Calif., who signed last month.
Frank Pfifer, 6-8, 220, Forward (Bronx, NY/Kentucky Wesleyan/Neosho County/Laurinburg Institute)
Frank Pfifer, who will be a senior in eligibility, averaged a team-high 18.4 points and 8.6 rebounds for Kentucky Wesleyan. He had a game-high 17 points in the Panthers 81-51 loss to Louisville in an exhibition game to open the 2004-05 season and he followed that with 15 points and 11 rebounds against Kentucky in another exhibition game less than a week later. Five days following the game with the Wildcats, Pfifer added 21 against Georgia in their final preseason tune-up.
He led Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kan. with 14.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 31 starts. He was named honorable mention all-region and second team all-conference leading the league with a 54.1 percent shooting from the field. He also hit 66.9 percent from the foul line, had 34 assists and 27 steals. He was a second team all-Jayhawk Conference pick as well as a honorable mention all region VI pick his sophomore season. He played his prep career at the Laurinburg Institute in Laurinburg, NC.
Marques Hayden, 6-7, 225, Forward (Oklahoma City, Okla./Kansas State/Putnam City HS)
Marques Hayden, who will be a senior in eligibility, averaged 6.3 points and 5.8 rebounds for Kansas State starting 13 of 15 games. As a sophomore, he saw action in all 28 games as a sophomore with 26 starts. Hayden was one of four players to see action in all 28 games, while he was second on the team in starts (26) averaging 8.0 points on a team-best 53.4 percent (86-of-161) shooting with 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game. He ranked first on the Wildcats and seventh in the Big 12 with a 53.4 field goal percentage. As a freshman, he averaged 7.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game scoring 20 in his first collegiate game against BYU.
Hayden was a four-year starter and letterman at Putnam City (Okla.) High School leading them to a 27-1 record and the 2002 Oklahoma 6A state championship after averaging 17 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 4.0 blocks per game leading to a No. 10 ranking by RivalsHoops.com as a power forward. He was also ranked No. 56 overall by Hoop Scoop magazine’s, No. 99 by Prep Spotlight. Named the Oklahoma 6A, Big City and Metro Athletic Conference Player of the Year as a senior and the MVP of the state tournament. Hayden averaged 17 points, 9.2 rbs, 5.3 assists and 2. 0 blocks per game as a junior.
Ryan Highfill, 6-1, 170, Guard (Gardner, Kan./Gardner-Edgerton HS)
Ryan Highfill, a 6-1, 170-pound shooting guard was a three-sport all-state selection earning the honor in basketball, baseball and football. As a junior hoopster, Highfill averaged 14.3 points and was a first team all-Frontier League pick. As a senior, he averaged 21.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists and was a second team all-state pick. He was also honorable mention all-Metro pick by the Kansas City State and named first team all-Johnson County. He set a school record by making eight 3-pointers in a sub-state game against Lansing as a senior. He will also play in the KBCA All-Star Game this August in Topeka.
On the football field, he had 39 catches for 264 yards. As a senior, he had 45 catches for 762 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also rushed the ball for 633 yards on 98 carries en route to all-league honors He was honorable mention all-state as a junior and first all-state as a senior. He was a two-time second team all-Johnson County pick and a two-time honorable mention all metro pick as well.