Ben McLemore overcame extreme poverty and other hardships as a youth to become the one of the top prospects in the country.

McLemore grew up in one of the poorest urban communities in Missouri, and said there were times when he would go one or two days without food.

"It's a hard feeling — just starve," he said. "Dang, what are we going to do? Dang, how are we going to eat? How are we going to put food on the table?"

McLemore’s mother worked nights for a cleaning company, while he and his younger brother cycled through odd jobs fixing bikes, trying to earn a few dollars for hot dogs or Hot Pockets.

"You get those hunger pains," McLemore said. "I am so hungry. We don't have any food. What are we going to eat? Your stomach hurts. Then you get so upset and mad, like, no food. You start having tantrums and don't want to do anything. You get mad at everybody because you don't have any food. That's what happens when you don't eat. You are so sluggish. It's just bad, man.

"It's hard to play basketball when nothing is inside of you."

McLemore is performing well in the classroom after redshirting last season as a partial academic qualifier.

"He loves life," Bill Self said. "He loves getting up and going to class. He loves the camaraderie with his fellow students. I have not seen a kid enjoy being a college student much more than him."