photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Travis Releford celebrates a three by teammate Ben McLemore during the second half on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012 at Allen Fieldhouse.

1. Travis Releford: It’s going to be hard for any KU player to have a more efficient night than Releford did Saturday. The senior made seven of eight field goals, which included a 5-for-6 performance from three-point range. Releford posted 19 points, two rebounds, three assists and no turnovers in a 23-minute effort. In his last four games, he has gone 9-for-11 from beyond the arc (82 percent).

2. Naadir Tharpe: It was hard to keep him from the top spot after his breakout performance. The sophomore’s 12 assists tied for the 10th-most in a game in KU history (assists were tallied starting in the 1973-74 season), and he registered those without a single turnover. He also went 3-for-4 from three to finish with nine points in 20 minutes with four rebounds. In his last four games, Tharpe has 22 assists and no turnovers.

3. Perry Ellis: KU coach Bill Self called this Ellis’ best game, and that showed in the stat line. The freshman notched his first double-double, contributing 11 points (5-for-7 shooting) to go with a career-high 10 rebounds. He also had a pair of blocks and a three-pointer with no turnovers in 17 minutes.

4. Elijah Johnson: Coming into the game, Johnson had made just one of his last nine three-pointers. He broke that slump against the Eagles, knocking down four of five threes to finish with 12 points. He also added four assists to go with one turnover in 24 minutes.

5. Jeff Withey: Quiet night for Withey compared to his teammates, but that didn’t stop him from racking up an efficient line himself. He went 5-for-7 from the floor for 11 points to go with four rebounds, four blocks and one turnover in 21 minutes. He also had the highlight of the night, posterizing AU’s Tony Wroblicky with a one-handed jam in the first half.

6. Ben McLemore: Self commented after the game that McLemore never was able to get in the flow of the game, and part of the reason for that was the freshman picking up two quick fouls. McLemore had nine points on 2-for-4 shooting and made all four of his free throws in 20 minutes. His best play might have been a first-half assist to Releford, as McLemore passed up an open three to get Releford a wide-open one. You don’t see many future lottery picks that unselfish in college.

7. Kevin Young: KU played so well that Young’s six-point perfect shooting night (3-for-3 on field goals) places him seventh. Young also had four rebounds, one assist, one block, two steals and no turnovers in 17 minutes. The senior is now 8-for-8 from the floor in KU’s last three games.

8. Rio Adams: Outside of a traveling violation, the freshman was solid in his 11 minutes. He had two points, an assist and a steal and provided good defensive pressure.

9. Jamari Traylor: Traylor showed the quickness to deny passes on the perimeter, but he struggled defensively in the lane, getting a little too aggressive with his block attempts. The freshman had three points, five rebounds, two steals and two turnovers and five fouls in his 21 minutes.

10. Andrew White III: Tough game for the freshman, who struggled with his ball-handling and decision-making. In 14 minutes, he had three of KU’s 11 turnovers. White added four points on 2-for-5 shooting to go with one rebound.

KUsports.com Season Standings
1. Jeff Withey (81 points)
2. Ben McLemore (80 points)
3. Travis Releford (79 points)
4. Elijah Johnson (70 points)
5. Naadir Tharpe (56 points)
6. Kevin Young (52 points)
7. Perry Ellis (48 points)
8. Jamari Traylor (38 points)
9. Andrew White III (21 points)
10. Rio Adams (16 points)
11. Justin Wesley (7 points)