3 more things to think about with Kansas basketball, including Dajuan Harris Jr.’s last ride

LAWRENCE — There’s a lot to think about, as Kansas basketball’s season opener nears.

The Jayhawks have a trio of returning veteran starters in graduate guard Dajuan Harris Jr., graduate center Hunter Dickinson and senior forward KJ Adams Jr. They have a collection of newcomers battling for roles. They play a challenging schedule that includes a Nov. 8 home game against North Carolina.

Here are a few more things to think about ahead of the opener Nov. 4 against Howard:

Kansas basketball newcomer Shakeel Moore could be team’s ‘best on-the-ball defender’

Hunter Dickinson spent his offseason improving 3-point shot

Dickinson averaged 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game last year across 33 starts, and it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that he was recognized as the preseason Big 12 Conference player of the year. He remains someone who’ll be a key part of Kansas’ efforts this season. Should the Jayhawks capture regular season or postseason success, or both, odds are he’ll be a significant reason why.

Over the course of the offseason, Dickinson said he spent a lot of time taking 3s. Last season he hit 35.4% (23-for-65) of his attempts from behind the arc. But Dickinson said he also spent time, especially locally, looking to get stronger as he thinks about the level he’ll need to be at when he eventually turns pro.

Dajuan Harris Jr. is well aware this is his last season at Kansas

Harris has spent a lot of years playing college basketball at Kansas, even pre-dating his part in the team’s national championship run in 2022. But this season will be his last with the Jayhawks, and he said he’s been thinking about that a lot. Even though he’s been around for a while, it still feels as though time’s gone fast.

Harris added he’s trying to cherish every moment, and have fun with each one. Chances are he’ll have plenty of opportunities to add quality memories in the weeks and months ahead. He’s on a team that’s viewed as a contender not just for the Big 12 championship, but national championship.

Bill Self is keeping an eye on the minutes 3 guys will play

Self recently touched on a topic he’s discussed in the past, and that’s the minutes guys such as Dickinson, Harris and Adams are going to be playing. He said he would like to keep them under 30 minutes per game. That, he explained, would allow for more guys to be able to contribute.

Last season, in part due to issues with depth, Dickinson averaged 32.2 minutes per game, Adams averaged 33.5 and Harris averaged 35.7. Allowing them to be able to rest more would certainly be a benefit for Kansas. However, it seems unlikely that in high-profile matchups that are highly competitive that Self is going to pull back on their playing time just to adhere to this idea.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Dajuan Harris Jr. is aiming to enjoy his last Kansas basketball season