Withey and McLemore Named All-America Second Team by USBWA
March 18, 2013
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Kansas senior C Jeff Withey and redshirt freshman G Ben McLemore have been named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America Second Team, the USBWA announced Monday.
This marks the fifth-straight season Kansas has been represented on the USBWA All-America teams. Additionally, this is the fifth time two Jayhawks have appeared on the squad.
Named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2013 Big 12 Championship where he averaged 13.3 point and 6.3 rebounds, Withey has 12 double-doubles this season, which rank second in the Big 12. A three-time Big 12 Player of the Week in 2012-13, Withey, from San Diego, Calif., averages 13.6 points per game and a team-high 8.4 rebounds. His 129 blocked shots in 2012-13 are second-most in school history and are 11 shy of his single-season record of 140 set last year. A two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Withey is KU’s and the Big 12’s all-time shot blocking leader with 294 blocks heading into the NCAA Tournament.
An All-Big 12 First Team selection along with Withey, McLemore leads Kansas in scoring at 16.4 points per game this season, which is tops among conference freshmen and second overall in the Big 12. The St. Louis, Mo., native has 10 games of 20 points or more including three 30-plus scoring efforts. His 556 points in 2012-13 are a Kansas freshman record, surpassing KU legend Danny Manning’s 496 set in 1985. McLemore leads the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 86.7 percent.
No. 1 seed Kansas (29-5) will take on No. 16 seed Western Kentucky (20-15) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Friday, at 8:50 p.m. (Central) at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Kansas and Indiana are the only schools to have two players on the USBWA All-America team(s). For a complete list of the USBWA All-America team(s) go to http://www.sportswriters.net/usbwa/news/2013/allamerica130318.html.
2012-13 Accolades for McLemore and Withey
Ben McLemore
-USBWA All-America Second Team
-USBWA Freshman All-America
-Third Team All-America by Sporting News
-All-Big 12 First Team (Big 12, AP)
-Big 12 All-Rookie Team
-Wooden Award Final Ballot
-Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week (3/4)
-USBWA Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Finalist (1 of 14)
-USBWA Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Finalist (1 of 8)
-Naismith Award Top 30 Candidate
-USBWA Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Midseason Watch List (1 of 12)
-USBWA Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Midseason Watch List (1 of 12)
-Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week (1/21)
–Sporting News Mid-Season All-American
-Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week (1/14)
-Wooden Award Midseason list (1 of 25)
-Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week (12/24)
-CBE Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team
-Naismith Watch List (1 of 50)
-All-Freshman Second Team (CBSSports.com)
-Preseason No. 27 in CBSSports.com top 100
Jeff Withey
-USBWA All-America Second Team
-Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player
-USBWA All-District VI
-Second Team All-America by Sporting News
-All-Big 12 First Team (Big 12, AP)
-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
-Big 12 All-Defensive Team
-Wooden Award Final Ballot
-USBWA Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Finalist (1 of 14)
-Naismith Award Top 30 Candidate
-Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week (2/25)
-co-Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week (2/18)
-USBWA Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Midseason Watch List (1 of 12)
-Wooden Award Midseason list (1 of 25)
-Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week (12/3)
-CBE Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team
-Naismith Watch List (1 of 50)
-Preseason Wooden Award (1 of 50)
-Senior CLASS Award candidate (1 of 30)
-Preseason AP Honorable Mention All-America
-Preseason All-Big 12 Team
-Preseason No. 18 in CBSSports.com top 100
-Preseason Fourth Team All-America by CBSSports.com
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