Jeremy Hazell, who opted out of the NBA draft and stuck with Seton Hall, was shot in the back yesterday while already out with an injury.

Jeremy Hazell was shot in the back early yesterday during a fracas outside his Harlem home, police said.

Hazell, 24, a 6-foot-5 senior who opted to remain in school this year instead of entering the NBA draft before graduating, suffered a minor gunshot wound after an argument outside the Carver Houses along East 104th Street, officials said.

According to cops, Hazell, who has been on the shelf with a wrist injury since November, was hanging out with several people shortly before 3 a.m. when an argument turned violent. There were no arrests. 

It was not immediately clear whether Hazell knew the assailant.

Hazell spent much of the day holed up with relatives in his Harlem apartment, where detectives came to investigate.

Hazell was shot in the lower back on the right side. He was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital, where he was treated and released.

A relative who answered the door at Hazell's apartment yesterday afternoon declined to comment.

Hazell underwent surgery earlier this month to repair a broken bone in his left wrist, which he fractured on Nov. 19 during Seton Hall's victory over Alabama in the US Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.

The shooting guard had scored a game-high 27 points in that contest and had averaged 24 points for first three games of the season.

Hazell was expected to miss four to six weeks because of the wrist injury.

The Seton Hall Pirates lost yesterday, 69-61, to Richmond at Newark's Prudential Center. Coaches mentioned the team's need to find other offensive options in Hazell's absence but said nothing about the shooting.

"There's a pretty good chance he might not come back this year," said Coach Kevin Willard in his post-game comments, apparently before he found out about the shooting.

Matt Sweeney, a team spokesman, said players and coaches did not know about the shooting until well after the game.

"We're still gathering details," Sweeney said.

Sweeney said players and coaches were relieved to learn that Hazell's injuries from the shooting were not life-threatening.

It was unclear how Hazell's latest injury would affect the timetable for his return to the basketball court.