photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Ben McLemore holds up a three before Baylor guard A.J. Walton after hitting one late in the second half to widen the Jayhawks' lead on Monday, Jan. 14, 2013 at Allen Fieldhouse.

1. Ben McLemore: The freshman stood out for more than just his offense Monday. McLemore led KU in points (17), rebounds (eight), steals (three) and was one off the team lead in blocks (two). He was tough inside, hustled for rebounds and wasn’t afraid to scrap in the pile for loose balls. KU coach Bill Self said McLemore should only be out a few days with his sprained ankle, which is obviously good news for the Jayhawks going forward.

2. Elijah Johnson: The best game the senior has had in quite a while. After picking up two early fouls, Johnson found a rhythm Monday, scoring 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting (1-for-3 from three) with three rebounds in 25 minutes. He was aggressive on drives when he needed to be, which included a late-clock drive, layup and subsequent three-point play. He also defended well, serving as the primary defender that held BU’s Pierre Jackson to a 2-for-12 shooting night. Johnson added an assist and steal to go with two turnovers.

3. Travis Releford: Very active defensively while shutting out BU’s Brady Heslip on 0-for-3 shooting (0-for-1 from three). Releford had a pair of steals and was solid offensively, posting 10 points on 2-for-6 shooting with 6-for-6 accuracy from the free throw line. The senior added five rebounds, two assists and a block to go with two turnovers.

4. Jeff Withey: Didn’t have a great game offensively, but he helped set the tone defensively by blocking shots and challenging everything at the rim. The senior posted eight points on 3-for-10 shooting to go with three blocks (seemed like more), one assist, one steal and two turnovers in 33 minutes.

5. Kevin Young: Couldn’t get any of his close shots to go, but he still hustled his way to seven rebounds in 19 minutes. His high energy also forced at least two turnovers, as two Baylor players carelessly stepped out of bounds while Young was challenging them for rebounds. The senior had four points on 2-for-8 shooting with two blocks and a steal.

6. Perry Ellis: KU coach Bill Self was happy with the freshman’s aggressiveness Monday. Ellis made just three of nine shots, but he still had six points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes. Because Ellis can score — off jump shots or the dribble — opponents have to come out to guard him, which means more open space for Withey when Ellis plays. The Wichita native added two assists, two blocks and a steal with two turnovers.

7. Jamari Traylor: The freshman somehow racked up three blocks in just seven minutes. He also had two points (1-for-1 shooting) with three rebounds.

8. Naadir Tharpe: Not his best game offensively, but he still deserves credit for playing good defense on Jackson, especially in the first half when Johnson went out with two fouls. Tharpe had two points on 1-for-6 shooting, missed all four of his threes and added just one assist with three turnovers.

9. Andrew White III: Had one rebound in three minutes.

KUsports.com Season Standings
1. Jeff Withey (115 points)
2. Ben McLemore (114 points)
3. Travis Releford (110 points)
4. Elijah Johnson (96 points)
5. Kevin Young (85 points)
6. Naadir Tharpe (74 points)
7. Perry Ellis (63 points)
8. Jamari Traylor (54 points)
9. Andrew White III (26 points)
10. Rio Adams (16 points)
11. Justin Wesley (9 points)