Three Jayhawks pick up Player of Week Honors

What a week for the Jayhawks. Perry Ellis and James Sims were named co-Big 12 Players of the Week while Andrew Wiggins was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week. Perry Ellis shared the basketball honors with Melvin Ejim of Iowa State while James Sims shared with Bryce Petty of Baylor.

Here are the blurbs about the player of the week honors from the Big 12 Conference:

PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Perry Ellis, Kansas, F, So., 6-8, 225, Wichita, Kan./Wichita Heights
Ellis scored a career-high 24 points in KU’s 94-83 win over No. 4 Duke at the State Farm Champions Classic.  The sophomore forward finished 9-of-13 (.692) from the floor, including one 3-pointer.  He also converted 5-of-6 (.833) from the charity stripe.  Ellis pulled down a team-best nine rebounds to go along with two assists and a career-high three steals.  He had a key steal and assist with 1:16 remaining that led to a six-point Jayhawk lead they would not relinquish.

PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Andrew Wiggins, Kansas, G, Fr., 6-8, 200, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada/Huntington Prep [W. Va.]
Despite battling foul trouble, Wiggins came up big in the victory over Duke.  In just 25 minutes on the floor, the freshman scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting (.600).  He pulled down a season-best eight rebounds and made 4-of-6  (.667) shots from the free throw line, with one block.  Wiggins had two key baskets in the last 1:30 of the contest to extend a two-point lead to six and seal the Jayhawks’ win.

Big 12 Co-Offensive Players of the Week

James Sims, Kansas, HB, Sr, Irving, Texas
James Sims set a career-high with 211 rushing yards in Kansas’ 31-19 win over West Virginia. He logged the most rushing yards by a Kansas player since Reggie Duncan ran for 227 yards against Texas Tech during the 2001 season. The 211 yards was the 15th-best rushing effort in Kansas history and the second most by a Big 12 player in 2013. Sims scored three touchdowns in guiding the Jayhawks to their first Big 12 win in more than three seasons. He now has 34 career rushing touchdowns and is seven away from tying the Kansas all-time record of 41 set by June Henley from 1993-96.