Matt Johnson
The Tennessee Voluntees have built one of the best classes of talent in the college basketball transfer portal this month with five commitments already. It now appears that the class could get even stronger with the program still very much in the mix for guard Juke Harris.
According to Pete Nakos of On3.com, Tennessee remains in the final three to land Harris but none of the programs have been provided a timeline for when a decision will be made. There are, however, some factors that could improve the Volunteers’ chances.
Related: Tennessee Volunteers Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker
- Juke Harris stats (2025-26): 21.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 44.4% FG, 2.5 3PM per game, 33.2% 3PT
Nakos noted that North Carolina will “likely have a cutoff date” for its pursuit of Harris and would back out to focus on other targets if a decision is dragged out. New coach Michael Malone wants to add more help at the wing, and given the reported cost of landing Harris, the Tar Heels would seemingly have to choose between him or a shot at NC State wings Paul McNeil or Matt Able, per Nakos’ sources.
North Carolina dropping out in the near future could set up a potential bidding war between Michigan and Tennessee, which could prove fitting given the two schools went head-to-head this past year for five-star running back Savion Hiter. The freshman has been a standout for the Wolverines this spring.
- Juke Harris recruiting: No. 7 overall by 247 Sports, No. 6 overall by ESPN.com, No. 4 overall by Rivals/On3.com
Related: Tennessee Volunteers Willing to Pay Staggering Price for Juke Harris
As for Tennessee basketball, Nakos reported that Harris’ family and Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes have “some familiarity” with one another. Not only did they originally recruit him out of high school, finishing as a finalist, but Barnes also has a friendly relationship with Steve Forbes, Harris’ former coach at Wake Forest.
There’s one other factor Tennessee must consider. Freshman forward Nate Ament hasn’t decided yet if he’ll officially enter the 2026 NBA Draft. He’s a projected lottery pick, but returning to school could give him a chance to be selected even higher next year because the 2027 NBA Draft class is considered to be much weaker. If the Volunteers could lure Ament to stay with a strong NIL offer, that might push Harris out of their price range.
Related: Tennessee Volunteers to Spend Massive Sum on Basketball
With that said, adding the reigning ACC Most Improved Player is Tennessee’s top priority after the program secured the commitment on Sunday of guard Terrence Hill Jr. Harris would be a final addition to the Volunteers’ backcourt for next season, giving them a wealth of scorers who can score from all three levels and impact the game in different ways.
