Kansas vs. Richmond preview: Jayhawks to host one of A-10's best squads Tuesday

Fresh off a dominant performance to drop the Belmont Bruins over the weekend, the Kansas Jayhawks will kick off a new week of action with a vastly underrated opponent in the Richmond Spiders.

The Jayhawks continue to pick up significant contributions from star freshman Ben McLemore, as the 6'5 scoring guard is now averaging 20.7 points per game and shooting 60% from three-point range over his last three games. Along with McLemore's offensive prowess, Kansas coach Bill Self also has come to expect nothing short of excellence from his senior big man Jeff Withey on the defensive end of the floor.

Along with placing first in college basketball with an improbable 5.6 blocks per game average, the 7'0 Withey has somehow only been whistled for committing nine fouls all season long. With Withey closing up the lane on opposing scorers and McLemore providing a great chunk of the offense, Kansas should have more than enough firepower to deal with a Richmond team that tops out as one of the smallest in the country.

Despite putting up elite numbers from both the three-point and free-throw lines this season, the Spiders have struggled mightily on the defensive glass so far after 11 games. That could be a recipe for disaster against a Kansas lineup with three players, Withey, Kevin Young and Perry Ellis, who each excel at making things happen on the offensive glass.

When: Tuesday, Dec. 18

Where: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS

Game time: 6 p.m. CT

TV channel: ESPN/ESPNU/Watch ESPN