The hope that Juke Harris might head an hour down the road might be fading.
North Carolina fans have been hoping that Harris, the ACC's Most Improved Player this season, would be the first player to come in and be part of the Michael Malone era, but the 6-foot-7 guard will be checking out Michigan this weekend.
Can confirm Wake Forest transfer combo guard Juke Harris is slated to be visiting #Michigan this weekend.
— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) April 8, 2026
The 6-foot-7, 200-pound averaged 21.4 points and 6.5 rebounds and was named the ACC’s most improved player.
He sits as the No. 5 overall player and the No. 1 CG, according… pic.twitter.com/JU9DKYJCnH
We all know Dusty May's ability to clean up in the transfer portal and Harris seems like too perfect of a fit for the Wolverines right now as they will be looking for another major scoring threat on the floor to replace Yaxel Lendeborg. Tar Heel fans got their fill of Harris in January when the guard put up 28 points and six boards to almost lead Wake to an upset. Getting him into Chapel Hill would be a tremendous move and would immediately upgrade the production in the backcourt while also offering roster flexibility.
The transfer portal is open now and Malone was just hired on Tuesday, so it's expected that he's going to have to get up to speed quickly. Harris was a big target for a few reasons — he's a North Carolina-born player that's familiar with the ACC and became a star in the conference this past season.
Top UNC target Juke Harris is visiting Michigan this weekend
Harris is arguably the top player available in the transfer portal and would be a much-needed addition to the Tar Heels roster as they will have to rebuild the roster quickly to put a competitive team on the floor for Malone. Several players from this past season's roster have announced their entry into the transfer portal and most will need to be replaced. Most of the players that announced their intentions to explore the mark will inevitably move on, but there will be an attempt to retain a few guys, most notably sophomore guard Dennis Dixon.
Dixon was in attendance for Malone's press conference Tuesday and was mentioned as a player that the new coach wants to build around. There's also hope that big man Henri Veesaar might return instead of declaring for the NBA Draft, where he's likely a late first-round or early second-round pick.