Kansas basketball: Will Dajuan Harris approach All-American status as a senior?

Kansas basketball standout Dajuan Harris is in a perfect position to succeed for the 2023-24 season. Can he become one of, if not the best point guard in the nation?

Every team could use a player like Dajuan Harris. A witty, high IQ, pass-first point guard who serves as the quarterback of the offense. He was arguably the most essential piece to last year’s Kansas Jayhawks roster. Look no further than the season-ending loss vs. Arkansas — once he was hobbling from his sprained ankle, the game was never the same.

Harris has made considerable strides in each of his three years in Lawrence. This past season, he averaged 8.9 points, 6.2 assists, 2.2 steals and won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, he continued his 106 consecutive games played streak, underlining how durable and consistent he has been for the Jayhawks.

As good as he was in 2022-23, there is plenty of room for improvement in his game. For one, he disappeared offensively too often. Although not every team wants a pure point to chuck up shots all game, Kansas performed at its best when he was putting the ball in the hoop. Harris scored five or fewer points in 12 of KU’s 36 games. You could say he makes up for it with his defense and playmaking, but it’s something he must work on.

However, we wouldn’t be nitpicking at little details if Harris wasn’t a great player — which he is. He has become an outstanding leader for head coach Bill Self’s squad and enhanced his passing and three-point shot as a junior. That leads us to the question: What other parts of Dajuan Harris’ game will he build on next year?

READ: Kansas a dark-horse candidate for Boozer twins?

It remains to be seen how Harris will impress us all when the season commences in November, but he’ll likely make a lot of progress in the offseason. Another thing to note is that he will be passing the ball to superstar big man Hunter Dickinson, one of the best post scorers in the nation. Having Dickinson on the team alone could push Harris into a Bob Cousy Award/All-American candidate.

Dickinson and Harris have already formed a close relationship with each other, with the Michigan transfer even saying: “Man, if you don’t average 10 assists this year, it’s gonna be your fault.” They will be one of the best point guard-center duos Kansas basketball fans have ever witnessed.

Harris will receive no shortage of national recognition by playing on the projected preseason No. 1 team. He is the X-factor for Kansas and arguably their most important player.

The Jayhawks also brought in combo guards Elmarko Jackson and Arterio Morris to take the load off him defensively. That way, Harris can focus more on serving dimes on the other end of the floor. With all the pieces he is surrounded by, it is not out of the question for him to receive second or third-team Consensus All-American considerations.

Last year, Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell — who recently attended the Toronto Blue Jays game with KU’s own Gradey Dick — was awarded the Bob Cousy Award. If Harris can continue to improve, there’s a good chance that players from the state of Kansas win it in back-to-back seasons.

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