The Kansas Jayhawks (15-1) lost their second game of the season to the then-No. 21 ranked Michigan State Spartans, but ever since then the squad has ridden center Jeff Withey and guard Ben McLemore to fourteen straight victories, including a tough road win against then No. 7 ranked Oregon State. Now, the Jayhawks are sitting at No. 4 in the country and their two standouts have been named as finalists for the 2012-2013 Wooden Award. On the season, Withey held down the middle with solid averages of 13.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while Mclemore is firing on all engines, putting up 16.4 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds. The winner will be announced on the weekend of April 12-13, but it’s already assured to be a Jayhawk night, as Coach Bill Self will be honored with the Legends of Coaching Award.
If the Jayhawks want to secure a top seed in the NCAA Tournament come March and potentially reach the number one in the country, they’ll have to maintain their poise in some tough upcoming games. They’ll host rivals No. 16 Kansas State (14-2) on January 22nd and Feb. 11th, West Virginia (8-9) comes to town on January 28th, and they’ll travel to Oklahoma (12-3) and Oklahoma State (11-4) on February 9th on February 20th, respectively. You can be there live to see if they can make it to No. 1 in the country by purchasing your Kansas Jayhawks basketball tickets today and taking your spot inside Allen Fieldhouse for what’s always a great time.