Dajuan Harris’ career-high scoring effort sparks KU to 88-61 victory over Nevada
Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self has found himself defending the offensive skills of pass-first sophomore point guard Dajuan Harris.
“I’ve heard people say that Dajuan can’t shoot. That is not remotely accurate. Dajuan can shoot. He just never does,” Self said after Harris scored a career-high 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting — with five assists and two steals — in the No. 6-ranked Jayhawks’ 88-61 victory over Nevada on Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
“The correct assessment would be Dajuan doesn’t shoot,” Self added, “but in order for us to be a good team, you’ve got to defend all five spots. The way we play, people will dare him to beat them. He’s got to make them pay because that’s actually good for us when he does shoot wide-open shots.”
The good news for KU is Harris appears to be getting to the point that he’s looking to score. In fact, Self conceded that the 6-foot-1 Columbia, Missouri native “is getting better at that.”
Harris hit 5 of 6 shots and scored 13 points (his previous career-best mark) in KU’s win over Missouri on Dec. 11, but in the next game, a win over Stephen F. Austin, he put up just one shot.
Harris building confidence
Harris’ 5-of-5 effort Wednesday means he’s now hit 10 of his last 12 shots. His two three-pointers in two tries Wednesday also mean he’s made five of his last six threes.
“I think his confidence is where it needs to be. Ever since that Missouri game, he’s been hitting shots,” KU forward Jalen Wilson said after grabbing 10 rebounds to go with seven points in 21 minutes.
“I mean, he knows it’s going in,” Wilson added of Harris, who played 32 minutes. “He even did something (gestured) toward the bench after he hit one of his threes. That shows his confidence right there. That’s what we expect from him.”
Harris, who Self said “was the best player in the game through the course of the game,” has made 20 of 37 shots this season for 54%. He’s now 8 of 16 from three-point range with 44 assists to 15 turnovers.
“He’s a good scorer. We all know that but he enjoys setting teammates up,” guard Christian Braun said of Harris.
Braun scored 22 points Wednesday on 8-of-14 shooting (5-of-5 from the free throw line) and Ochai Agbaji added 16 points — a total that included two off a resounding windmill dunk near the end of the first half.
“That’s not something he does first,” Braun noted, “but when he’s scoring we are at our best.”
Harris believes he is past the stage where he’s ultra-cautious with his shot.
“I’m just being aggressive,” he said. “Coach (Self) and my teammates have been telling me since we got back from break (Sunday) to be aggressive, shoot more, attack the rim more. That’s all I try to do, (as well as) setting up my teammates.”
Harris said he’s committed to getting up and down the court quickly and being ready for passes from his teammates.
“Everybody on our team, four or five of us can bring it up,” Harris said. “I like running down the sidelines. They’ll be setting me up. If I have an open shot, teams like to back off me. I can catch and shoot. If they do that, I’m going to shoot it.”
Which will be fine with Self.
David McCormack scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Remy Martin had nine points and four assists. The bench, led by Wilson’s seven points, accounted for just 13 of KU’s 88-point total.
Former Wichita State guard Grant Sherfield and teammate Desmond Cambridge each had 16 points for Nevada (6-5). The Jayhawks (10-1) forced 21 turnovers against coach Steve Alford’s Wolf Pack.
Alford teed up in first visit to Allen
Alford, the former Indiana Hoosiers standout, is in his third year as the head coach at Nevada. During the pre-game shootaround on Wednesday, he told Self he’d never been in Allen Fieldhouse before this trip.
Alford will no doubt remember this visit for a long time. He was whistled for a technical foul with 15:49 left in the game and KU up 49-36. He thought Sherfield had been fouled on a bucket inside.
Braun hit both free throws awarded after the infraction.
“I really enjoyed Nevada being here tonight,” Self said. “Steve respects the game so much. He was juiced to be here tonight, and his staff was, too.
“I’m sure Kim will be, too.”
Self was alluding to KU’s next game, when the program will square off against another familiar face: Former Missouri standout Kim English now coaches George Mason University, and English’s Patriots will visit Allen Fieldhouse at 4 p.m. on Saturday as the stand-in game for the Jayhawks’ previously scheduled, and then postponed, Big 12 opener against TCU.
The Horned Frogs pulled out of the game on Sunday because of COVID-19 issues, and on Monday KU filled the void with George Mason.
