Kansas guard Naadir Tharpe hangs for a shot past Iowa State center Percy Gibson and teammate Jamari Traylor during the first half of the semifinal round of the Big 12 tournament on Friday, March 15, 2013 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. by Nick Krug

1. Perry Ellis: The more he plays, the more teams will have to start respecting KU's 4 man offensively, which in turn should open up some room for Jeff Withey in the lane. Ellis scored in a variety of ways Friday, which included pinning his defender deep for layups and shooting jumpers over the top. The freshman scored a career-high 23 points on 10-for-12 shooting, adding six rebounds and two steals to go with no turnovers in 28 minutes.

2. Naadir Tharpe: Attacked ISU's defense well, especially in the first half. Tharpe finished with eight points on 4-for-6 shooting, which included perfect 4-for-4 two-point accuracy. He also had eight assists — tying for his second-highest mark this season — with a steal and just one turnover in 21 minutes.

3. Elijah Johnson: Though he didn't have a good shooting game, Johnson still posted 14 points (4-for-12 on field goals) and seven assists to go with five turnovers. Other than a late giveaway, the senior managed KU's late possessions well, breaking the press and also nailing a deep three late in the shot clock to put KU up 17 with 2:25 left.

4. Kevin Young: Played with great energy — especially on the offensive glass — before his playing time was limited because of a leg injury. In just 10 minutes, Young had four points on 2-for-3 shooting with six rebounds (four offensive). He also added an assist and a block with no turnovers.

5. Jeff Withey: A rare inefficient scoring night for Withey, who shot under 50 percent from the floor for the first time in six games. The senior still posted 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting with six rebounds in 29 minutes.

6. Ben McLemore: The freshman shot it well — making four of five shots and two of three three-pointers for 10 points — and also led KU in rebounding with seven boards. That still didn't make up for a sloppy night offensively, as he posted a season-high six turnovers.

7. Travis Releford: Releford found some openings in transition early, but he never could get his three-pointers to fall. The senior made just three of nine shots and one of six threes, ending with nine points and six rebounds to go with two assists and two turnovers in a team-high 36 minutes.

8. Jamari Traylor: Solid production in limited time, as Traylor scored six points with help from 4-for-4 free throw shooting (he now has made 13 straight free throws). The freshman also had a rebound, two blocks and no turnovers in 10 minutes.

9. Justin Wesley: Recorded no stats in one minute at the end of the first half.

KUsports.com Season Standings
1. Jeff Withey (265 points)
2. Ben McLemore (253 points)
3. Travis Releford (236 points)
4. Kevin Young (202 points)
5. Elijah Johnson (188 points)
6. Naadir Tharpe (167 points)
7. Perry Ellis (152 points)
8. Jamari Traylor (108 points)
9. Andrew White III (51 points)
10. Rio Adams (36 points)
11. Justin Wesley (24 points)

Big 12/Postseason Standings
1. Jeff Withey (174 points)
2. Ben McLemore (164 points)
3. Travis Releford (151 points)
4. Kevin Young (143 points)
5. Elijah Johnson (112 points)
6. Naadir Tharpe (106 points)
7. Perry Ellis (100 points)
8. Jamari Traylor (67 points)
9. Andrew White III (28 points)
10. Rio Adams (21 points)
11. Justin Wesley (17 points)