Why Kansas Jayhawks guard Dajuan Harris has played so well versus hometown Mizzou
A graduate of Columbia’s Rock Bridge High School, Dajuan Harris received minimal recruiting interest from his hometown university — Missouri.
The perceived snub by then-Tigers coach Cuonzo Martin has never rankled the Kansas Jayhawks’ sixth-year point guard, who insists he takes no added motivation into Sunday’s noon KU-MU showdown at Mizzou Arena.
“I didn’t really hear from them until they heard I was in contact with (KU) Coach (Bill) Self, that he was trying to help me out, trying to get me to college,” Harris recalled. “It’s all right, though. I don’t really care.”
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound pass-first/shoot-second senior will play in his fourth and final KU-MU game this weekend.
“I just want my family there to see me hoop. That’s all I care about and of course win for our fans who want to beat them again,” added Harris, who has directed KU to three victories over Missouri in the six game, six-year renewal of the Border War.
To be fair, a lot of schools did not recruit Harris heavily because of concerns that he might not qualify academically for a scholarship. He did sit out his first semester at KU as a partial qualifier before being able to join the team as a redshirt for the second half of the 2019-20 season.
The 2023 KU graduate has a degree in liberal arts and science and is aiming to finish a master’s in sports management in May.
“I really don’t have any bad blood. I grew up as a Missouri fan my whole life until I got here (KU),” said Harris, who has had two outstanding games to go with one so-so stat line during the revitalized Border War series.
“I learned a lot over the years being here. I’m really just thankful I’m able to play for KU,” Harris added.
Harris has had success in three KU-MU contests
Last season, in the only non-blowout in the last three games between the rivals, Harris scored eight points on 3-of-6 shooting (0-for-1 from 3-point range and 2-of-2 from the line), with five assists, four turnovers, one steal and two rebounds in KU’s 73-64 victory over the Tigers at Allen Fieldhouse.
He scored six points on 2-of-2 shooting (2-of-2 from the line) with nine assists against two turnovers while playing 33 minutes in KU’s 95-67 rout of Mizzou on Dec. 10, 2022, in Columbia.
And he had 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting (3-of-4 from 3-point range) with two assists and a turnover in 24 minutes in KU’s 102-65 victory over the Tigers on Dec. 11, 2021, at Allen Fieldhouse.
Sunday’s game — between a pair of 7-1 teams — will be the fourth and final game of the six-year set to be played on campus. The final two games of this series (in 2025-26 and 2026-27) will be contested at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
Harris won’t go so far as to say his favorite victory over MU so far is the one attained in Columbia.
“I had a lot of family that came in and watched me. I wanted to do well for them,” he said. “It’s more like I really look forward to every game, especially this year. It’s my last year.”
Harris said he hopes his final game against MU is a nailbiter, a thriller.
“Last time we played at Mizzou we blew them out the first five, 10 minutes,” he said. “Hopefully it’s different this time.
“I actually want to feel the rivalry. I saw it growing up. It was different. Hopefully it’s a different game, a back-and-forth game,” he stated. “I know they are going to play super fast and we are going to play fast, too. Hopefully it’s a great game for my last game in Columbia.”
Fans in Columbia picked on Jalen Wilson last time
Harris said fans in Columbia focused their jeers toward former KU wing Jalen Wilson during that last KU-MU game at Mizzou Arena.
Harris said he was left pretty much alone in that game.
“He had that DUI (early in his career),” Harris said of fans chanting “DUI” at Wilson during the game. “This year I think they’ll talk to me longer. I’ve been here so long and of course I’m from Columbia.”
Self addressed comments coming from the stands during film sessions on Thursday, Harris said.
“He told them (KU’s first-year players) the story about T-Rob (former KU star Thomas Robinson), about the pictures of his mom who passed away (from) the funeral,” Harris said of a member of MU’s student cheering section allegedly holding a poster showing a photo of Lisa Robinson, the former Jayhawks forward’s mom who died during basketball season in 2011.
Harris said a KU staff member also told him “a story about a long time ago they used to throw chickens or coins or whatever at us when we come out of the tunnel, and then about the horse that came down here and they burned Lawrence down (in William Quantrill’s famous Civil War-era raid).”
Minutes down a bit this year
Harris, who started on the Jayhawks’ 2022 NCAA title team, has averaged 10.4 points per game so far during his final season at KU. He has 48 assists to 10 turnovers while playing 29.5 minutes per game.
That compares to his 35.8 minutes per contest as a junior, 34.2 as a sophomore and 28.9 as a freshman.
“Coach has been getting me out of the game more than the (other) years I’ve been here,” Harris said. “I like playing (but) I have more energy on defense now, too. I think it’s a great thing.
“We are deep this year. We have so many ballhandlers. KJ (Adams) even brings the ball up as a 4-man. It makes it easier for me. Last year I had to make every single play. I was tired a lot. This year I think it (reduced minutes) relieves me of some stress. We’ve got a whole bunch of great guards who have played college basketball. I’m happy what we did in the transfer portal. It helps me out and the team out. Really all I want to do is win the Big 12, the tournament, then the NCAA (title) especially since it’s my last year,” he added.
Self has said Harris — a 47.1% shooter this season — should be judged on just one category: team victories. As one who despises losing, Harris tends to keep to himself after defeats. The Jayhawks enter the MU game on the heels of a 76-63 loss to Creighton on Wednesday in Omaha.
“Usually I’ll feel hurt. I don’t want to talk to anybody. It usually takes me a couple days,” Harris said of processing a poor performance by the Jayhawks.
He went into a shell after last year’s team completed an 11-loss season with a 89-68 defeat against Gonzaga in a second-round NCAA Tournament game on March 23 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It was KU’s second straight loss in the second round of the NCAAs following a glorious run to the national championship in 2022.
Harris refocused after 11-loss season
“I knew I had another year. I had to get my brain fresh to start on next year,” Harris said of immediately switching gears to the upcoming 2024-25 season, his final season at KU. “I wasn’t focused on that (the 21-point loss to Zags) even though it just ended.
“I was ready to get on to the next season and have a better year. I was thinking about myself at the time (of the defeat). I didn’t think I had a great year (in 2023-24). I was ready to bounce back and get that going.”
Harris blamed himself for the 11-loss season (against 23 wins). KU went 28-8 in 2022-23, 35-6 in 2021-22 and 21-9 in 2020-21.
“I didn’t have as good a year as I wanted to have,” said Harris, who averaged 8.5 points and 6.5 assists per game in 2023-24.
He hit 42.4% of his shots including 38.4% of his 3s with 221 assists to 80 turnovers. The year before, in 2022-23, he averaged 8.9 points and 6.2 assists per contest. He hit 47.1% of his shots, including 40.5% of his 3s with 224 assists to 73 turnovers.
He worked hard on his game last spring and summer.
“One of the coaches told me to get where I want to go (pro ball) I’ve got to focus on the 3-ball — shoot it, get stronger and take care of the ball,” said Harris, who noted he spent most of the summer in Lawrence “working out at the community center in Lawrence. It’s over there by Dairy Queen. My cousin found it. I’d go over there with my cousin and he’d rebound for me.”
Harris praises coach Bill Self
Harris, who has made six of his 22 three-point attempts this season (27.3%), said it’s helpful that he and his coach have always been on the same page.
“Coach Self changed my life. All the credit goes to him. I just want to be there for him because he’s been there for me,” Harris said, “I just want to win basketball games. All he cares about is winning, and I care about winning. So I just want to keep winning games. It’s my last year with him too, so I want to win every game with him.”
A win Sunday would give Harris a 4-0 record against his hometown school.
“Time’s been going by fast. I also feel like I’ve been here a long time, too,” he said. “I’m trying to cherish every moment, to think day by day, trying to have fun This is my last year.
“We finished fifth (in Big 12) last year. I don’t want to finish fifth. I want to finish at least one or two in the league. We want to win it. We didn’t win any rings last year, no Big 12 conference, no tournament and no national championship. I think if we continue to trust each other, trust the coaches, trust the game plan, the results will show.”
