Jeff Withey edges out Travis Releford for top spot

LJWorld.com weblogs The KUsports.com Ratings

Posted by Jesse Newell November 21, 2012 at 1:20 a.m.

1. Jeff Withey: The senior played his best offensively when KU needed points down the stretch. He tied a career-high with 25 points on 7-for-12 shooting while also hitting 11 of 14 free throws. Defensively, he helped shut down his own man and also others who ventured into the lane with seven blocks in 33 minutes. SLU ended with a worse two-point percentage than three-point percentage mostly because of the seven-footer.

2. Travis Releford: He made Withey's second-half effort possible by forcing SLU to guard him in the first half. He scored 21 of his 23 points before halftime, which included 4-for-6 first-half three-point shooting. He also played great defense on SLU's leading scorer Dwayne Evans, allowing the bulky forward only five field-goal attempts.

3. Ben McLemore: He battled foul trouble in the first half but still ended with an efficient line, posting 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting with six rebounds in 25 minutes.

4. Elijah Johnson: He didn't shoot it well (2-for-7 field goals) but made up for it by delivering accurate passes to teammates. The senior posted nine assists, four rebounds and a steal to go with two turnovers in 34 minutes.

5. Kevin Young: Didn't attempt a field goal, but he still finished with eight rebounds and three assists to go with a turnover in 27 minutes.

6. Naadir Tharpe: He continues to avoid mistakes offensively, posting no turnovers for the third straight game. He made his only three-point attempt to beat the shot clock, finishing 1-for-5 from the floor for three points with four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 22 minutes.

7. Perry Ellis: The freshman once again frustrated KU coach Bill Self at times with his lack of aggressiveness. His line still wasn't bad for nine minutes: four points, 2-for-5 shooting, three rebounds, an assist and steal to go with a turnover.

8. Jamari Traylor: Had no points but two blocks, two steals and two rebounds in 12 minutes.

9. Rio Adams: Didn't return to the game after SLU's Mike McCall Jr. hit a three over him. Immediately after, Self called timeout, went on the court to yell at the freshman, then yanked his thumb back toward the bench. Adams missed his only shot and had a foul in two minutes.

KUsports.com Season Standings
1. Jeff Withey (44 points)
2. Ben McLemore (42 points)
3. Travis Releford (37 points)
4. Elijah Johnson (33 points)
5. Perry Ellis (27 points)
6. Naadir Tharpe (26 points)
7. Jamari Traylor (24 points)
8. Kevin Young (20 points)
9. Rio Adams (9 points)
10. Justin Wesley (6 points)
11. Andrew White III (5 points)

— Compiled by Jesse Newell and Tom Keegan. Written by Jesse Newell.