Tier 3: No Jays
6. Hunter Dickinson
Hunter's stat line would suggest that he should have been a Baby Jay. However, when you have the potential to be a First-Team All-American, the expectations are different. He played 28 minutes as he worked out of foul trouble throughout the game. Dickinson was 5-for-9 from the field and finished with 12 points. Hunter added only four rebounds, one assist, two steals, and two turnovers. The Big 12 is a gauntlet, and we will need more out of Hunter on a nightly basis if we expect to win road games.
7. Jamari McDowell
Jamari played only two minutes and didn't record any stats. He didn't get much of an opportunity to impact the game. The fact that he is still ranked ahead of two starters speaks more to how terrible the next two were.
8. Elmarko Jackson
Elmarko played 22 minutes and didn't take a shot. That's two straight games without a point for the freshman. He didn't play great defense, nor did he bring much to the table. Elmarko finished with no points, three assists, and two turnovers. He is a point guard and does better with the ball in his hands. Expecting him to hit shots in the corner is not going to consistently happen. The reality is he needs to play more minutes at the point guard position, and there is no reason for Dajuan Harris to play 37 minutes a game.
9. Dajuan Harris
Reality is starting to hit many Jayhawk fans on Dajuan Harris. He is not a very good point guard. Juan has his attributes of solid defense most nights and can pass the ball, but the bad is starting to far outweigh the good. Dajuan Harris is a veteran senior point guard. Unfortunately, he doesn't play like it. He passed on two open layups in transition, worrying his shot would get blocked. Down the stretch with under 2 minutes to play, he had a wide-open 3-pointer and was too afraid to pull the trigger. Juan has always been a bad shooter, but his turnovers have consistently risen this year and his defense has not been as lockdown as it has been in the past.
He is a major liability on the offensive side of the ball. When you have not only bad shooters but those afraid to shoot the ball, it puts even more pressure on others to hit tougher shots when faced with a zone defense or in general when they are sagging off of him. Harris was an abysmal 2-for-8 from the field, including 0-for-3 from 3-point range. He has to lead college basketball in missed layups/floaters. Juan finished the game with five points, eight assists, two rebounds, one steal, and three turnovers. The worst part is we could get stuck watching him play again next year with his COVID-19 fifth year of eligibility available. I know Self loves his defense and his story, but it is time to close this book and move on to a better point guard next year. Hoping his production picks up or Self starts dialing back his minutes and, quite frankly, a combination of the two.
As Always Rock Chalk and Let's Go!