Des Moines, Iowa — As the point guard and one of the leaders of the Kansas basketball program, KU’s Dajuan Harris Jr. has an important role no matter who he’s facing or when the game takes place.
That certainly will be the case in the top-seeded Jayhawks’ first-round NCAA Tournament matchup with No. 16 seed Howard on Thursday, — 1 p.m. tipoff on TBS — when Harris is asked to check Howard point guard Elijah Hawkins.
Howard coach Kenneth Blakeney called the battle between the two lead guards, “the most important matchup of the day,” and that was music to the ears of the other Kansas players, who have supreme faith and confidence in Harris to deliver.
“I’ve got the (Big 12) defensive player of the year; I’ll ride with Juan before anybody, even without the accolades,” KU All-American Jalen Wilson said Wednesday. “I’m always riding with Juan, no matter what.”
Similarly, the Howard players said they would take their guy, too.
“Dajuan Harris is the straw that stirs the drink for them,” Howard senior Jelani Williams said Wednesday. “So, we’re going to have to step up and accept that challenge. But I wouldn’t want to go to war with anybody but Elijah Hawkins. He’s a great point guard. He defends the ball, gets us going and gets us opportunities. So, I like him against any point guard in the country.”
Howard guard Elijah Hawkins (3) pulls up for a layup during practice on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Photo by Nick Krug
While there are clear advantages between the two, Harris seems to have more of them.
Harris, now in his fourth year of college, has the experience edge over the Howard sophomore, both in terms of seasons played and number of big games. He also owns a size advantage, standing two inches taller and more than 20 pounds heavier — 6-foot-1, 175 pounds versus 5-11, 152.
Harris also owns several statistical advantages, too, having a better offensive rating (111.6 to 103.3), effective field goal percentage (52.7 to 52), and 2-point percentage (49.5% to 41.1%).
Harris fouls less (1.9 fouls per 40 minutes compared to 3.3 for Hawkins) and also turns the ball over less often, at a rate of 19.6 compared to 28.5.
Hawkins is the better 3-point shooter, knocking in 47 of 104 attempts this season, good for 45.2%, which ranks 23rd nationally. Harris, meanwhile, is hitting 41.2% on 28 makes in 68 attempts.
The Howard point guard also owns a higher percentage of his team’s total assists (37.8% to 31.4% by Harris) and draws more fouls, picking up 4.7 per game while Harris forces teams to foul just two times per contest.
More than any of those advanced statistics, or even the straight numbers of 8.7 points and 6.2 assist per game for Harris and 13 points and 5.9 assists for Hawkins, the key for both players is their feel on the court and the way they control the game.
“Two guys that make their teams go,” Blakeney said Wednesday. “We’re as good as Elijah Hawkins makes us to be and I think that’s the same thing for Kansas with Harris.”
KU assistant Norm Roberts on Wednesday called Hawkins “an unbelievable point guard,” and said he was “very similar to Juan.”
While that has led to 27 wins in 34 tries for Harris and the Jayhawks, his Kansas teammates said Wednesday that Harris lives for these types of challenges and is always at his best when facing a critical matchup.
“I think he’s shown it,” Wilson said, noting that the night-in-night-out grind of the Big 12 helped Harris prepare for moments like these. “Juan’s taken those challenges head on.”
Added freshman guard Gradey Dick: “There’s been different games where Juan has to take out their best player and just guard him as tight as he can. … I feel like it’s a great challenge for him. I know, personally, he’ll feel like he just needs to turn up the excitement. He loves it. He wants to play in those games that are the biggest because that’s just the kind of guy he is.”
Both players figure to win their share of little battles during this matchup, but it’s the win that both covet the most.
To that end, Harris might have one advantage that Hawkins doesn’t — the edge of familiarity.
That comes from KU teammate Kyle Cuffe, who grew up around Hawkins and faced off against him in several AAU championship games back east while playing for the New York Gauchos against Hawkins’ Team Takeover.
Not only can Cuffe give Harris a few tips about Hawkins’ game, the redshirt freshman also has actually operated as Hawkins with KU’s scout team throughout the week.
“I know a little bit of Eljiah,” Cuffe said Wednesday. “He’s a great player. He’s been a great player since we were little. But I’ve done my best to try to emulate how he plays this week to help Juan get ready for the game. This is the best thing I can ask for and I’m grateful for it and I’m glad I’m able to still help my team in some way.”
• Attack the paint – Howard’s 2-point defense (50.8%) ranks 209th in the country and the Bison have shown a tendency to put teams on the free throw line at a high rate, as well, ranking 262nd nationally in the balance of free throws to field goal attempts per KenPom.com. That sets up an ideal environment for KU’s wings to attack the paint and for Harris to turn the corner whenever possible, looking to dish as well as connect on his floater when he gets into the lane.
• Win transition – Howard likes to place fast and push the pace and Kansas is certainly comfortable doing that, as well. But it’s about more than just running as often as possible in this one. Given the fact that Howard ranks 356th in the country in turnover rate — giving it away on 22.9% of its possessions, with 12.1% of those coming via opponent’s steals — the Jayhawks will significantly increase their chances of winning if they can get their defense turned up early and find a way to create steals and deflections that lead to transition points.
• 3-point D – If there’s one area that Howard can tout as its best chance to be competitive in this game, it’s their ability from behind the 3-point line. The Bison rank 32nd nationally at 37.2% from behind the 3-point line and have four players who have hoisted up more than 100 3-point attempts this season. One of those is Hawkins, at 47.3%, but Marcus Dockery and Jordan Wood are their top two 3-point shooters, having hit 64 triples apiece at 44.4% and 37.9%, respectively. The fact that Kansas often plays lineups that can switch defensive assignments at all five spots should bode well for the Jayhawks, provided they stay alert and don’t get lazy on the perimeter.
No. 1 Kansas
G – Dajuan Harris Jr., 6-1, 175, Jr.
G – Kevin McCullar Jr., 6-6, 210, Sr.
G – Gradey Dick, 6-8, 205, Fr.
F – Jalen Wilson, 6-8, 225, Jr.
F – KJ Adams, 6-7, 225, Soph.
No. 16 Howard
G – Elijah Hawkins, 5-11, 152, Soph.
G – Marcus Dockery, 6-2, 170, Soph.
F – Shy Odom, 6-6, 229, Fr.
F – Jordan Wood, 6-9, 205, Jr.
F – Steve Settle III, 6-10, 180, Jr.
• KU guard Kevin McCullar Jr. pain free and ready to roll for top-seeded Jayhawks
• Howard guard Jelani Williams faced Kansas during Jayhawks’ 2017-18 Final Four run
• Wednesday photo gallery featuring KU, Howard, Arkansas and Illinois
