Kansas guard Dajuan Harris Jr. (3) takes the ball up court during an NCAA college basketball game against Baylor Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Waco, Texas. (Jerry Larson/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP)

After making his first nine 3-point shots in Big 12 Conference play this season, Kansas point guard Dajuan Harris Jr. has made just one 3-pointer in his past five games.

The regression closer to his non-conference 3-point average of just under 30% was to be expected. But the offensive struggles Harris has endured during the Jayhawks three-game losing streak were not.

Veteran KU forward Jalen Wilson has a theory for why it’s happening.

“I think guys are just really pressing him,” Wilson said after Harris’ two-point night in a loss at Baylor on Monday. “They’re kind of wearing him out, picking him up 94 feet a lot. It’s kind of tough.”

As if the responsibility of being the engine that makes the Kansas offense go wasn’t already enough, Harris in KU’s last three games has faced three of the strongest and most physical opposing point guards in the Jayhawks’ three consecutive losses.

K-State’s Markquis Nowell, though even smaller than Harris, thrives on contact and physicality. TCU guard Mike Miles Jr., who was the Big 12 preseason player of the year, had revenge on his mind after Harris blocked his shot at game point in a Kansas win at Allen Fieldhouse last season. And Baylor guards LJ Cryer and Adam Flagler both gave Harris fits on Monday night, with and without the ball.

“It’s a challenge for him,” Wilson said of facing those types of opponents night in and night out of late. “And he plays a lot of minutes. So it’s up to us to all help him out on both ends of the floor.”

Truth be told, the stretch of stout competition at the lead guard spot started well before Harris faced Nowell and the Wildcats. The KU junior had his hands full with Iowa State freshman Tamin Lipsey, another strong and physical point guard, and also had to battle bigger guards in wins over West Virginia, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

Asked what he made of Harris’ performance on offense on Monday night, Kansas coach Bill Self said the two talked about it briefly after the game.

“He hasn’t been as good and he knows it,” Self said.

Self said he had noticed that many of the bigger, stronger guards Harris has faced of late have made it a priority to keep the KU junior from getting into the paint, where he can become extra-dangerous both as a scorer and a passer.

Without those opportunities to attack the teeth of opposing defenses, Harris largely has been reduced to a jump shooter like many of his teammates. And while he has shown the ability to knock down shots from the outside, it’s never been his preferred weapon. Because of that, Harris has even turned down several open looks in KU’s most recent outings.

For the season, Harris is shooting 44.8% from the floor, 46.1% on 2-point shots and 41.7% from 3-point range.

While his shooting percentages and scoring have taken a hit of late, Harris continues to find a way to both get the ball to others and stay on the floor.

His 29 assists in the past four games marks his third-best assist total over any four-game stretch so far this season (he had 35 assists against Texas Southern, Seton Hall, Missouri and Indiana and 32 against Missouri, Indiana, Harvard and Oklahoma State) and he has played more minutes (157) in the past four games than any other four-game stretch this season.

That total included an overtime loss at K-State, but even if the Jayhawks had won that game at the end of regulation, when Harris had the ball in his hands and was looking to make a play to win, his total time on the court still would have been higher than at any other time this season.

Looking back a little farther, the 157 minutes in a four-game stretch also marks the highest of Harris’ KU career.

“He probably is fatigued,” Self said after Monday’s loss at Baylor.

Harris and the Jayhawks get a few days of downtime before their next game, a Big 12/SEC Challenge clash with Kentucky in the Bluegrass State on Saturday.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN.