ST. LOUIS – Kansas forward Thomas Robinson has been named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for games ending the week of Sunday, Dec. 11. The USBWA’s weekly honor is presented by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and will be handed out each Tuesday through Feb. 21 this season.

As the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week, Robinson was nominated for the weekly award, which was chosen by a representative of the USBWA board of directors from a list of Division I conference players of the week. Robinson is the first recipient of the national accolade for the 2011-12 season.

Robinson, a 6-10 junior from Washington, D.C., averaged 23.5 points and nine rebounds for the week and scored 21 points, including 10 of his team’s last 12, as the Jayhawks defeated then-No. 2 Ohio State, 78-67, on Saturday. He had 26 points and 11 rebounds in an earlier 88-80 win over Long Beach State. For the week, Robinson made 17-of-23 field-goal attempts (74 percent) and was 13-18 from the free-throw line.

This is the third season that the USBWA has selected a national player of the week. The weekly Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week is added to the Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list, which will be released at mid-season.

Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation’s oldest award and the only one named after a former player.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership of the USBWA. The winner of the 2012 Oscar Robertson Trophy will be announced and presented by its namesake, Oscar Robertson, at the USBWA’s annual awards breakfast on Fri., March 30 in New Orleans, site of the 2012 NCAA Men’s Final Four.

Will Spradling and Jamar Samuels each added 12 points and five rebounds for the Wildcats (6-1), playing in their second straight overtime game. They lost to West Virginia on Thursday, 85-80 in double OT.

Lawrence, KS – Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor will have knee surgery Sunday to repair a torn meniscus.

Kansas head coach Bill Self said Taylor was injured in practice prior to Tuesday’s 88-80 win over Long Beach State.

But Taylor still logged 35 minutes in Saturday’s win over No. 2 Ohio State, scoring nine points with a career-high 13 assists, though he turned it over seven times.

The 13th-ranked Jayhawks won the game, 78-67, to improve to 7-2 on the  season.

Self said Taylor could have had the surgery on Tuesday, but the senior wanted  to play in the last two games.

“He said there was no way he was going to miss these two games, so he’s going to have surgery tomorrow,” said Self, who thought Taylor could be back sooner than two or three weeks “if everything goes perfect.”

“I can get on Tyshawn for turning it over. I can get onto him for not making some plays, which I think is conducive to being an extension of the head coach, but I can’t get on him for toughness,” said Self.

“He’s been hurt, and he goes out there and gives his body up. We don’t beat Long Beach State without him, and we certainly don’t win this game without him.”

Taylor is averaging 15.9 points and 4.7 assists per game this season.

– The Sports Network –