PAGE 8
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TYLER ROSTE/KANSAN
Senior center Jeff Withey slams the ball into the hoop in the second half of Friday night's game. Withey had 17 points against the Oregon State Beavers Friday night.The Jayhawks won the game with a final score of 84-78.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Jeff Withey awarded Player of the Week
ETHAN PADWAY
epadway@kansan.com
Senior center Jeff Withey was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Player of the Week for his performances in the two games the No. 9 Kansas men's basketball team played on November 24 and December 2.
Withe helped Kansas (6-1) to victories against San Jose State and Oregon State by averaging 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 blocks during the week.
"I'm feeling like I'm on a roll for sure." Withey said in availability before the Oregon State game. "I definitely want to keep it up. I'm getting extra shots up with coach Roberts and trying to get more aggressive. Coach Self is trying to install that in my head."
The 7-foot tall Withey also notched his first career triple-double, only the second in Kansas history. In the Jayhawks' game against San Jose
State; he scored 16 points, blocked 12 shots and grabbed 12 rebounds.
His 12 blocks set a new school record for most rejections in the game.
What's been really impressive is
how big of a presence Withey has had on the defensive end without getting into foul trouble. He is averaging less than one
foul per game this season.
"If you have five fouls, and we've played six games and you're a big guy, maybe not as aggressive as you need to be, but on the flip side it does show that his timing is off the charts, and his ability to stay away from body contact when he's blocking balls above the head is tremendous." Self
said at his press conference before the Jayhawks played Oregon State. "I thought the other night, we played poor defense on many possessions, and he just bailed us out."
By being selected for the award,
Withey became the second consecutive Kansas player to be named the Big 12 Player of the Week after senior guard Travis Releford received the honor for his performance in the CBE Classic.
JEFF WITHEY senior center
This is the second time Withey
has received this honor, the first on February 13 last season, after he led the Jayhawks to wins against then No. 6 Baylor and Oklahoma State.
FOOTBALL
BIG 12 POWER RANKINGS
Withey and the layhawks return to the court against former conference foe Colorado (6-1) on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse.
FARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN
fvousoughian@kansan.com
Edited by Whitney Bolden
1. Kansas State (11-1)
Kansas State scored five touchdowns in the second half to defeat Texas and capture the Big 12 title. Kansas State was ranked sixth in the Big 12 preseason polls. Coach Bill Snyder deserves a lot of credit for helping Kansas State finish the season on top. The team will play Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.
2. Oklahoma (10-2)
Oklahoma came off two narrow wins and concluded the season with a big road win against Texas Christian. A loss to Kansas State and Notre Dame earlier this season hurt a little, but the Sooners played well enough to earn a spot in the AT&T Cotton Bowl against former Big 12 rival Texas A&M.
3. Texas (8-4)
Texas coach Mack Brown has a lot to work on with his team before playing Oregon State in the Valero Alamo Bowl. Texas concluded the season with two losses in a row. Brown has a little over three weeks to decide who he thinks is the best fit for quarterback in the Alamo Bowl.
4. Oklahoma State (7-5)
Oklahoma State wanted to bounce back from its tough overtime loss to Oklahoma, but Baylor prevented that. The Cowboys finished their season with questions regarding who their quarterback will be for the Heart of Dallas Bowl against Purdue.
5. Baylor (7-5)
You have to applaud Baylor for coming out strong in the final three games of the season. Coach Art Briles deserves a lot of credit for how the team rebounded to wrap up the season. The Bears will play UCLA in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl, hoping to translate their hot run into a bowl win.
6. West Virginia (7-5)
West Virginia dealt with a lot of problems in the Big 12 this season and a win against Iowa State and Kansas didn't help them in the rankings. Coach Dana Holgorsen must do a better job preparing his football team before it takes on Syracuse in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
7. Texas Christian (7-5)
Texas Tech's season was over early and coach Tommy Tuberville has a lot of concerns with his team. The Red Raiders lost four of their last five games and will go into the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas against Minnesota lacking momentum.
Coach Gary Patterson didn't get the ending that he wanted for his football team. However, the Horned Frogs finished 2-2 in a tough four game stretch. A close loss to Oklahoma set TCU back a little bit and will finish its season by playing in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against Michigan State.
9. Iowa State (6-6)
8. Texas Tech (7-5)
Iowa State concluded its season last week after falling short to West Virginia. The Cyclones were projected to finish near the bottom of the Big 12. Although they finished ninth, they played well enough to earn a trip to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and will play Tula.
Kansas ended a long season on a bad note after it allowed a season-high of 59 points against West Virginia. Even though coach Charlie Weis saw a more competitive team, he wants to see that spirit translate into wins next season. Kansas is the only Big 12 team to not play in a bowl game.
10. Kansas (1-11)
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