KU basketball opponent breakdown: Why Dajuan Harris could be key vs. Seton Hall

Shreyas Laddha
·4 min read

The last time the Kansas men’s basketball team and Seton Hall faced off, the Jayhawks won 83-79 and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

This time around, the stakes aren’t quite as high. Kansas will play against Seton Hall on Thursday night at Allen Fieldhouse as part of the 2022 Big 12-Big East Battle. While a tournament win isn’t on the line, the game is important for both teams.

The Pirates enter the game hoping to snap their two-game losing streak, following losses to Siena and Oklahoma. KU comes off a dominant 87-55 victory over Texas Southern.

Seton Hall is a defensive-oriented team that has struggled to score the ball. Pirates’ first-year coach Shaheen Holloway goes deep into his bench, and the team has a 6-foot-10 big man who could be a matchup problem for an undersized KU team.

Below is a scouting report and prediction of the game.

Thursday’s game: Seton Hall at No. 9 Kansas.

When/where: 8 P.M., Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence

TV/Streaming: ESPN

Opponent’s record: 4-3

KenPom (Ken Pomeroy) Ranking: 57

Point spread: Kansas by 7 1/2

All statistics are from KenPom.com, Hoop-Math.com and EvanMiya. KenPom stats only include Division I competition.

Seton Hall team strengths

  • Defensively stout: Seton Hall ranks 22nd nationally in effective field goal percentage defense (42.7) and 11th in opposing team three-point percentage (25.4). The Pirates do an excellent job forcing teams to take tough shots beyond the arc.

  • Live at the line: The Pirates create a ton of contact, so they get fouled a lot, leading to a sixth-ranked offensive free throw rate (51.2%). Free throws account for 26.6% of their points, a mark that ranks 8th in Division I.

  • Trust in the bench: Holloway has relied on his bench to play heavy minutes throughout the season, accounting for 40.5% of available minutes (18th nationally). Look for the Pirates to play deep into their roster and play 10 or 11 men throughout the game, as only one player averages more than 25 minutes per game.

Seton Hall team weaknesses

  • Overall shooting: Seton Hall struggles to convert shot opportunities, ranking 207th in effective field goal percentage (48.9%). The Pirates shoot 50% at the rim, which ranks 348th and contributes heavily to their low shooting percentage.

  • Turnover galore: The Pirates give countless opportunities for points off turnovers as they turn the ball over 22.4% of the time, which ranks 312th. They average 15 turnovers a game, roughly three more than KU.

  • Struggles at the line: While Seton Hall does a great job of getting to the line, they only make 69.1% of their free throws, which is 208th in the nation.

Player to Watch

6-foot-10 senior forward Tyrese Samuel (No. 4)

+ He has scored double-digit points in three of his last four games.

+ He is a tenacious rebounder and averages 6.6 rebounds per game.

+ Efficient overall scorer (52.8% FG this season)

- Not much of a passer. It took him until this year to average an assist per game.

- He can sometimes get into foul trouble, as he’s had three fouls or more in four of seven games this season.

Game prediction

KU comes in like a wounded gazelle. The Jayhawks have four players injured: guard Bobby Pettiford (hamstring), guard Kevin McCullar (groin strain), guard Kyle Cuffe (knee) and forward Cam Martin (shoulder).

Of those four players, McCullar is the only one who has a possible chance of playing, according to KU coach Bill Self.

The upside for Kansas is the Jayhawks are coming off an 87-55 drubbing of Texas Southern while shorthanded. Yes, the competition isn’t the best, but it forced Self to get creative with lineups, using players like freshman guard MJ Rice and moving guard Joseph Yesufu into the starting lineup. Both players delivered good games. Rice showcased his three-level scoring, which could be vital later in the season.

It’ll be interesting to see how KU matches up because they’ve struggled to shoot 3s this season (ranked 113th on percentage) and Seton Hall does a great job of forcing opponents into difficult shots. But the Jayhawks should be fine overall because the Pirates struggle on the offensive side of the ball. KU’s defense (though the eye test deceives at times) ranks 13th in defensive efficiency.

Self is looking for his bench to step up and score more points, so this seems like a perfect opportunity for Rice to showcase his scoring prowess against better competition.

Give me KU for the win and to cover.

Kansas 70, Seton Hall 59

Shreyas’ pick to cover the spread: Kansas

Predicting a big game from: Dajuan Harris

Harris, a defensive-minded guard, should wreak havoc in this game. Seton Hall is already struggling to take care of the ball, so look for Harris to put his imprint all over the game by forcing tough shots and turnovers that will lead to fast-break opportunities for KU. The redshirt junior averages 2.2 steals per game, which could be a recipe for disaster for the Pirates. If Harris makes life difficult for Seton Hall, it’ll help Kansas take control of the game.