National Title Game

Missouri State Championship Reunion

(St. Louis, MO) – North Carolina’s Caleb Love and Kansas’ Dajuan Harris have been here before. The two Missouri natives met in the State Championship game in 2019. Now the outstanding guards are playing for a national title, in a Missouri State Championship reunion.

Harris’ Columbia-Rockbridge squad bested Love’s Christian Brothers’ College 63-59 by overwhelming them 26-14 during the final quarter. The Bruins were led by current Missouri State star, Isiaih Mosley’s 24 points, while Harris posted 17 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Love was brilliant in defeat, scoring 28 points.

Rematch for Harris & Love

Harris and Mosley were seniors and Love was a junior. The CBC grad would go on to be Missouri’s Gatorade Player of the Year and the State’s ‘Mr. Basketball’ his senior campaign. Both players were highly recruited, and Harris landed at Kansas where he redshirted his first season in Lawrence.

Both players were then freshmen last season. Love was on the ACC All-Freshman team and Harris played valuable minutes for Bill Self’s Jayhawks. He has emerged this season. Harris averages just 5.5 points per game but leads KU with 4.2 assists per game. During the team’s semi-final win over Providence, the 6’1 guard scored nine points, handed out four assists and committed just one turnover.

Love’s trek has been more meteoric. After his star-studded high school career he played his first season under Roy Williams and this season under Hubert Davis. His season numbers have been very good. He’s second on the team in scoring (16 ppg) and grabs 3.4 rebounds while delivering 3.6 assists.

Similar to the Missouri Class 5 State title game, Love was a star and Harris has an important, but not high-lighted role. Harris was one of three Bruin players that would go on to play Division 1 hoops.

Caleb is Getting the Love

March Madness has been Love’s stage. The 6’4 sophomore is averaging 20 points-per-game during the Big Dance, including games of 30 points against UCLA and 28 during the National Semi-Final with arch-rival Duke.

UNC’s leading scorer Armando Bacot was injured during the game with Duke and is scheduled to play tonight in New Orleans. How effective Bacot can be remains to be seen, which means additional offensive responsibility could fall on the St. Louis native.

Harris’ team’s star power comes from Big Twelve, Player of the Year Ochai Abaji and the 6’5 senior was brilliant in the National Semi-final. So, the spot light won’t be on Harris tonight, but this national title game is a Missouri State championship reunion between Dajuan Harris and Caleb Love.

Do Good

Editor: Side note. Playing prep basketball in the St. Louis area that winter were current Ohio State all-American E.J. Liddell, all-ATen performer from Saint Louis University, Yuri Collins. All OVC-freshman team member Ray’Sean Taylor (Southern Illinois Edwardsville) and all-MVC defensive team member Donovan Clay (Missouri State) were also on the scene.