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MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2013
MEN'S BASKETBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
McLemore continues to better himself with extra practice
RYAN MCCARTHY
rmccarthy@kansan.com
Every day, Ben McLemore tries to get better.
Even before he dropped a Kansas freshman record 36 points on Saturday, he bettered himself by showing up early before the game against West Virginia.
Around 10:45 a.m., McLemore walked onto Naismith Court to join sophomore guard Naadir Tharpe and Tharpe's brother Tishaun Jenkins, a former player at Division III Salem State University, in some ball handling drills.
Jenkins had seen on television that Tharpe had struggled with ball handling, so the two brothers were working things out well before the coaching staff or the student section filed into Allen Fieldhouse.
McLemore wanted to pick up some more information, especially since ball handling is something he continues to develop.
He spent 15 minutes learning from Jenkins and Tharpe. He listened. He processed the information. By the end of the quick tutorial, he was circling around the Jayhawk at the center court, dribbling the basketball with a smile on his face and a new-found confidence.
Every day McLemore wants to improve.
"With him working like that it's going to pay off," Tharpe said. "It's definitely paying off this year all the way around. He's going to shoot the ball well. Once he gets it going we've got to find him as much as we can. He was stroking the ball well tonight. It was nice to see."
Tharpe isn't the only one who notices McLemore punching his card so much.
Senior guard Elijah Johnson has his pulse on this team better than any player, and even he admits that he can learn from a player of McLemore's caliber and maturity.
"I love this kid, man and I never tell him," Johnson said. "I think he knows, but I've learned a lot from him. I could honestly say I've learned a lot from him."
"You would think he's the worst player in the gym the way he works every day. I feel like he's a calm, cool dude on and off the court. He's always in a good mood. He's always pumping energy into us."
In Saturday's contest, McLemore made 12 of his 15 shots and grabbed seven rebounds. As a testament to his range, however, McLemore also recorded four assists.
What separates McLemore from many players is his effortless flow on the court. He doesn't force anything. He just plays the game.
"You worry about the things you can control and the uncontrollable things will be much easier," coach Bill Self said on Saturday. "He was focused in and he wants to score and all those things, but he can do so many other things to help our team win."
McLemore's performance on Saturday also marked him as the first freshman in Kansas history with three games of 30-plus points in a season.
But the statistics are not the most impressive part of McLemore's repertoire. He has earned respect from his teammates, especially since he's broken Danny Manning's freshman scoring record.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
"I personally think Ben is the person who deserves to do that out of anybody I've ever played with," Johnson said. "I'm happy for him."
And that's the legacy that McLemore has created. He has tried to learn as much as he can in his short college tenure, even if it's 15 minutes with a teammate and his brother.
More importantly, he wants to savor watching those who have guided him through his time at the University take the court for Senior Night tonight.
"Ben's a guy where he's coachable at anytime," Tharpe said. "He takes interest in what my brother says."
"We just got to focus on what's in front of us right now," McLemore said. "My focus is to go out there and just play ball."
— Edited by Brian Sisk
Freshman guard Ben McLemore shoots a 3-pointer during the game against West Virginia on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse where the Jayhawks defeated the Mountaineers 91-65. McLemore was was 5-6 in 3-point attempts.
ASHLEGH LEE/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
ASHLKEE LEEKANSAN FILE PHOTO McLemore chats with senior forward Kevin Young after a foul was called during the Feb. 11 game against Kansas State in Allen Fieldhouse where Kansas won 83-62.
Freshman guard Ben McLemore drives the lane during Saturdays game against Texas on Saturday, Feb. 16. McLemore had 13 points in the Jayhawks' 73-47 victory.
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
TYLER ROSTE/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Freshman guard Ben McLemore pushes his way past a West Virginia defender in Saturday's game at Allen Fieldhouse. McLemore scored a career-high 36 points and broke the Kansas record for the most points scored in a single game by a freshman. Danny Manning previously held the record with 35 points.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Freshman guard Ben McLemore gets fouled on his way to the basket during the game against Texas Christian University on Saturday, Feb. 23 in Allen Fieldhouse where the Jawhacks defeated the Horned Frogs 74-48.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Freshman guard Ben McLemore is fouled as he drives to the basket against West Virginia on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks defeated the Mountaineers 91-65. McLemore was 7-9 on free throw attempts and scored a record-setting 36 points.