Kansas guard Ben McLemore and center Jeff Withey have been named to the John R. Wooden Final Ballot, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced on ESPN College GameDay Saturday.
Kansas and Indiana are the only schools with two players among the 15 student-athletes on the Wooden Award ballot.
McLemore leads the Big 12 freshman class with a 16.5 scoring average, which is second overall in the conference. A three-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week and one-time Player of the Week honoree, McLemore leads the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 86.8 and also ranks among the league leaders in field goal percentage (eighth, 50.2), rebounding (20th, 5.4), three-point field goal percentage (third, 42.5) and three-pointers made (seventh, 1.9). KU’s leading scorer, McLemore has eight games with 20 points or more this season, including three 30-point efforts: 36 vs. West Virginia (3/2), 33 vs. Iowa State (1/9) and 30 vs. Kansas State (2/11). He is the only freshman in KU history to have three 30-point games in one season. His 36 points against West Virginia (3/2) broke the Kansas freshman record of 35 points set by Danny Manning against Oklahoma State (3/2/1985). McLemore has scored 494 points this season and is two shy of the KU freshman record of 496 set by Manning in 1985.
Withey has emerged as a key player for No. 4/3 Kansas (26-4, 14-3). The San Diego, native has five double-doubles in his last seven games and is second in the Big 12 with 12 double-doubles this season. A three-time Big 12 Player of the Week, Withey has 15 games shooting 60 percent or better and leads the Big 12 with 4.0 blocks per game, which is third nationally. He also ranks among the Big 12 leaders in scoring (ninth, 13.8), rebounding (third, 8.6), field goal percentage (second, 57.7) and FT Pct. (12th, 70.8). Early in the season Withey recorded the second official triple double in school history with 16 points, 12 rebounds and a school and Big 12-record 12 blocked shots vs. San Jose State (11/26). His 12 blocked shots are tied for the NCAA game high in 2012-13 and he has three games with nine or more blocks this season. Withey is KU’s and the Big 12’s career blocked shots record holder with 285 and his 120 blocks in 2012-13 are third on the KU single-season list: 1. Withey, 140 in 2011-12; 2. Cole Aldrich, 125 in 2009-10.
The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation’s top 10 players, will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The John R. Wooden Award Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s will be announced on ESPN during the Final Four Weekend in Atlanta. The 2013 Wooden Award Gala presented by Wendy’s will take place April 11-13, 2013, at The Los Angeles Athletic Club. The Gala will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching Award winner, Kansas Head Coach Bill Self.
— KU Sports Information —