Tyshawn Taylor tops ‘Taitell’ ratings

By Matt Tait     Dec 29, 2011

*Note: With Tom Keegan on vacation, Matt Tait and Jesse Newell compiled this game’s “Taitell” rankings.*

**1. Tyshawn Taylor:** Got the Jayhawks off to a great start with four early assists and hit three of four three-point attempts. The best part? Taylor finished with just one turnover.

**2. Jeff Withey:** Played like a man possessed, finishing strong around the basket and blocking shots with anger on the defensive end. Hard to say which was nicer, his alley-oop finish on the opening possession of the game or his eight-foot hook shot that defenders simply cannot stop.

**3. Conner Teahan:** Hit four of six shots, including three of five three-point attempts, and tied for the team lead in scoring, with 13 points. Also chipped in five rebounds, all in just 17 minutes.

**4. Kevin Young:** If he brings this kind of energy every night, his minutes will increase. Finished with seven points, six rebounds and three steals in 18 minutes, and played hard on nearly every possession.

**5. Thomas Robinson:** A pretty ho-hum night for the best player in the building. In 22 minutes, Robinson scored nine points on 4 of 6 shooting and added seven rebounds. Had the Jayhawks needed him to, Robinson most likely could have put up 20-plus points and 15-plus rebounds.

**6. Elijah Johnson:** Twos were wild for Johnson, who finished with two steals, two rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes. Also added nine points on 4-of-9 shooting.

**7. Travis Releford:** Quiet night for Releford, but still pretty efficient. Scored six points on just one field goal attempt and added four rebounds and an assist in 20 minutes.

**8. Naadir Tharpe:** Finally saw extended minutes again and delivered a pretty good line. Made his first of two shots and tied for the team lead with five assists. Added a steal and a rebound in 17 minutes but also was credited with a team-high three turnovers.

**9. Merv Lindsay:** Hit four of five shots for nine points grabbed three rebounds in eight minutes. A couple of his buckets came inside the paint, a place you don’t always see Lindsay hanging out.

**10. Justin Wesley:** Decent night marred by three missed free throws. Still scored six points and snagged five rebounds in 14 minutes.

**The Keegan Ratings: Season Standings**
1. Thomas Robinson (108 points)
2. Tyshawn Taylor (97 points)
3. Jeff Withey (82 points)
4. Elijah Johnson (80 points)
5. Travis Releford (74 points)
6. Conner Teahan (68 points)
7. Kevin Young (53 points)
8. Justin Wesley (49 points)
9. Naadir Tharpe (30 points)
10. Merv Lindsay (6 points)

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.