Dajuan Harris Jr.
OVERVIEW
A three-time All-Big 12 selection and three-time Big 12 All-Defensive Team honoree … The 2023 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year … Has started each of the last three seasons, including the 2022 NCAA National Championship team … Has played in 140 games with 111 starts at KU … Ranks fourth on the KU career assists list with 676 and sixth on career steals with 215 … Is one of just four all-time Jayhawks to have 600 assists and 200 steals (Aaron Miles, Kirk Hinrich, Darnell Valentine) … Kansas is 34-5 when Harris scores in double figures … Led the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio in 2022 and 2023 … A three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team … Was a CSC Academic All-District honoree in 2023, which qualified him for Academic All-America … Graduated from KU in May 2023 with a liberal arts & science degree.
CAREER HONORS
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention [2024]
Big 12 All-Defensive Team [2024]
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist (1 of 15)
Bob Cousy Award Midseason Candidate (1 of 10)
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 [2024]
Naismith Trophy Preseason Watchlist [2024]
Bob Cousy Award Watch List [2024]
Preseason All-Big 12 First Team [2023]
Academic All-Big 12 First Team [2023]
Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team [2023]
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year [2023]
Big 12 All-Defensive Team [2023]
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention [2023]
CSC Academic All-District [2023]
Big 12 All-Defensive Team [2022]
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention [2022]
Academic All-Big 12 First Team [2022]
Academic All-Big 12 First Team [2021]
2023-24 (REDSHIRT SENIOR)
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and Big 12 Defensive Team selection who was on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist and a Bob Cousy Award Midseason Candidate … Ranked second in the Big 12 in assists per game at 6.5, which was 12th nationally … Was fourth in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.76, which was 33rd nationally, and 10th in steals per game at 1.5 … Led Kansas in assists (221) and steals (50) … Had 14 games of 10 or more points, including a career-high 23 points versus Kentucky (11/14) … Tied his career high with 11 assists versus Gonzaga (3/23) to go along with 10 points for his second career double-double … Had 10 assists in the season opener versus North Carolina Central (11/6) … Shot 60 percent or better In five games, including a 3-for-4 effort in the win against Houston (2/3).
2022-23 (REDSHIRT JUNIOR)
Won the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year as voted on by the conference coaches … Led the Big 12, seventh nationally, in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.28 … Led the Big 12 in assists per game and finished sixth nationally with 6.2 … Finished the season with 320 points, 224 assists, and 78 steals … Averaged 11.5 points per game and 6.0 assists per game in the NCAA Tournament, he also notched seven boards and six steals … Stepped up his production offensively this year by scoring ten or more in 14 games … Had a season high 11 assists versus Kansas State (1/17) … Went a perfect 5-5 from three at Texas Tech (1/3) and tied his season high of 18 points … Had a season high six steals when Kansas played West Virginia (2/25) … Had three games with double digit assists.
2021-22 (REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE)
A starter on the NCAA National Championship team … Led the Big 12, 14th nationally, in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.81 … Was fifth in the conference in assists at 4.2 and eighth in steals (1.5) … 2022 Big 12 All-Defensive Team, All Big-12 Honorable Mention and Academic All Big-12 First Team … Had 32 games with three or more assists and led the team in assists 24 times … Also led the team in steals 21 times … Had 59 assists and 18 TOs in his last 14 games (3.28 assist-to-turnover ratio) … Averaged 6.5 ppg in the NCAA Tournament … Scored 12 points vs. Texas Southern (3/17) … Blocked a career-high four shots vs. Texas (3/5) … Tied his career highs with 14 points and four steals and set his career high with eight assists at Iowa State (2/1) … Recorded three steals and three assists in the national championship vs North Carolina (4/4) …
2020-21 (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN)
Was second on the team assists with 65 … Had 12 games with three or more dimes … Led KU in assists eight times in 2020-21 … His 29 steals were tops among non-starters … Had two or more steals in seven games and led KU in thefts eight times … Averaged 6.7 ppg and 4.3 apg in the last three games of the season … Scored a career-high 13 points with four assists and two steals vs. Eastern Washington (3/20) in the NCAA Tournament … Had six points with two assists and two steals vs. UTEP (3/4) … Recorded five points and two rebounds vs. Baylor (2/27) … Recorded five assists vs. Kansas State (2/2) … Had seven points vs. TCU (1/28) … Posted five points and four assists at Oklahoma (1/23) … Had seven points and seven rebounds in his first-career start at TCU (1/5).
2019-20 (REDSHIRT)
A redshirt who practiced with the team the second semester.
HIGH SCHOOL
Guided Rock Bridge High School to the 2018-19 Class 5 state championship and a 25-3 record for coach Jim Scanlon … Averaged 11.4 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Bruins in 2018-19 … Scored 17 points in the 63-59 state title victory for Rock Bridge … While at Rock Bridge, the Bruins amassed a 97-15 record … Harris tallied more than 1,100 career points and ended his career as the school’s career leader in assists (560) and steals (284) … As a junior, Rock Bridge finished runner-up at state … Played AAU for MOKAN Elite which won the EYBL Peach Jam title in July 2019, its second Peach Jam title in three years … Was a teammate of KU freshman Christian Braun while on MOKAN Elite.
PERSONAL
Full name is Dajuan Anthony Harris Jr. … Parents are Demetria and Dajuan Harris … Is the oldest and has three sisters and two brothers … Enjoys playing video games and hanging out with friends … Plans on being a coach after his basketball career … Graduated from KU in May 2023 with a liberal arts & science degree.