Washburn's Brady Skeens set for trip to Brazil

Washburn basketball player Brady Skeens is set to take part in a 10-day tour of Brazil after being selected to play on a Division II select team for USA Sports Tours and Events.

Skeens, an All-MIAA forward who is entering his senior season, will play four games with the USA D-2 men’s team during the tour, which began Monday and will last until August 9.

“I think this will be an incredible opportunity for Brady,” Washburn coach Brett Ballard said in a WU news release. “The basketball piece will be fun and beneficial, but I’m more excited about the fact he will get to experience a new culture and see a very unique part of the world.”

Skeens, a Shawnee Mission Northwest product, is the reigning two-time MIAA defensive player of the year and averaged 14.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 3.2 assists as a junior.

The USA D-2 men’s team will open play Tuesday against an under-22 club team in the city of Jundai.

WU PRODUCT LOONEY NAMED AD AT MISSOURI WESTERN — Former Washburn linebacker Josh Looney is returning to the MIAA as Missouri Western State University’s director of athletics.

Looney, who was announced as Western’s AD on Monday, has been the athletic director at Division II East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania since 2015 and was associate director of NCAA Division II from 2012 to 2015.

Looney played at Washburn from 2002-05 and worked in public relations and marketing for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006 to 2012.

He replaces Kurt McGuffin, who resigned as Missouri Western AD in May after five years to accept the same position at Tennessee-Martin.

“We are thrilled to be joining the Missouri Western family,” Looney said in a Missouri Western news release. “The opportunity to help shape the future vision of Griffon athletics is an honor, and I am grateful to president (Robert) Vartabedian and the search committee for their confidence in me. I look forward to working with all of our fans and constituents to build an athletic program that is recognized for excellence in the classroom, in competition and within the community.”

Looney, an Overland Park native, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Washburn and holds a master of business administration degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

MIAA MEDIA DAY TO BE HELD TUESDAY — MIAA football media day will be held on Tuesday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan.

The press conferences will be streamed live on the MIAA Network and Facebook Live, beginning at 9 a.m. with MIAA commissioner Mike Racy.

Washburn coach Craig Schurig, offensive lineman Bob Marco and linebacker Austin Tillman will take the podium at 9:30 a.m.

Emporia State’s press conference with coach Garin Higgins, quarterback Braxton Marstall and defensive back Marcus Houghton is set for noon.