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Kansas Basketball 2012-13: Ben McLemore Is Best Candidate To Replace Thomas Robinson's Scoring Presence

For any Kansas Jayhawks fans mourning the loss of Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor to the NBA, there's no need to worry. More help is on the way. Then again, if you've been following KU basketball for some time, you realize that every year brings change and yet Bill Self continues to churn out an elite product on the court year in and year out. Even in lean years, like 2011-12, Self went all the way to the title game of the NCAA Tournament. The program is that good.

Fran Fraschilla of ESPN says that next year's dynamic newcomer will be Ben McLemore who he predicts could be the team's leading scorer. The shift in dynamism on the court will move from Thomas Robinson's presence in at power forward to shooting guard with McLemore on the floor, but teamed with Elijah Johnson, who will move to the point, KU will have no problem scoring.

Fraschilla writes, "While there are elements of McLemore's offensive package that need to be polished -- like his ballhandling and deep shooting -- the opportunity to work on them for half a season will pay huge dividends in the fall. And there's little doubt that his intensity level, which was at times questioned when he was a high school star, should be sky-high with half a season under Self. It wouldn't surprise me if he's the Jayhawks' leading scorer."

McLemore was rated among ESPN's Top 50 recruits in the country in the class of 2011.

For more on Kansas Jayhawks basketball, check out SB Nation's Rock Chalk Talk.