Road environment no problem for Ben McLemore

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Ben McLemore clenches his fists after a bucket and a foul against Ohio State during the second half on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012 at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.

1. Ben McLemore: Caught fire early and played with aggressiveness throughout. The freshman posted a game-high 22 points on 8-for-17 shooting, which included 3-for-6 shooting from three. He also had six rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal to go with four turnovers in 36 minutes. His admirers in the Ohio State postgame press conference included guard Aaron Craft and coach Thad Matta.

2. Jeff Withey: Posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes. The sign of him being an elite player is that you can immediately tell when he’s not in the game. The senior had just one block, but once again, he forced an inside team to play outside-in. Ohio State made just 12 of 34 two-pointers (35 percent), with a few of those makes coming in garbage time.

3. Travis Releford: Did a nice job chasing down Deshaun Thomas defensively, especially in the second half. Thomas finished with 16 points on 4-for-11 shooting (3-for-7 from three), but Releford should be given credit for the fact that Thomas didn’t shoot more. The senior guard also was his normal efficient self offensively, posting 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting with a big three in the second half to give KU the momentum for good.

4. Elijah Johnson: Poor first half was followed by a strong second half where KU coach Bill Self said he controlled the game by setting the tempo. The senior finished with 13 points on 4-for-8 shooting (0-for-2 from three) while making it to the free throw line a season-high six times. He also had two assists and four turnovers in 32 minutes.

5. Kevin Young: Provided a big boost late in the first half by getting to the free throw line to break up an Ohio State run. He struggled from the line (4-for-10) but still made his only field goal attempt for six points with 10 rebounds, three assists and three turnovers in 33 minutes.

6. Naadir Tharpe: Provided great minutes in the first half, attacking Ohio State’s aggressive defense off the dribble when Johnson wasn’t. Tharpe made both of his field goals (including a three) to end with five points, three assists and no turnovers in 15 minutes. The only blemish on his stat line was four fouls.

7. Jamari Traylor: Gave KU some athleticism inside when Withey needed a breather. He notched three points, two rebounds, a block and a turnover in seven minutes.

8. Perry Ellis: Wasn’t productive during his two stints in the game. He missed both shots he took, posting no points and three rebounds to go with an assist and a turnover in five minutes. Self still appears to be looking for Ellis’ mean streak.

9. Rio Adams: Checked in to save KU’s guards from foul trouble, Adams picked up a foul himself, which sent Self’s fingers quickly up to massage his temples. Adams had no other statistic in his 0-plus minutes.

KUsports.com Season Standings
T1. Jeff Withey (75 points)
T1. Ben McLemore (75 points)
3. Travis Releford (69 points)
4. Elijah Johnson (63 points)
5. Kevin Young (48 points)
6. Naadir Tharpe (47 points)
7. Perry Ellis (40 points)
8. Jamari Traylor (36 points)
9. Andrew White III (20 points)
10. Rio Adams (13 points)
11. Justin Wesley (7 points)