Michael Malone thrust North Carolina into a three-way battle for one of the top recruits in the Transfer Portal, Juke Harris. However, the Tar Heels appeared to trail Michigan and Tennessee for much of the process, and though a commitment may not be imminent, it’s looking clear that the Tar Heels are out of the running.
On3 senior national college football reporter Chris Low has dipped his toes into college basketball recruiting and has predicted that Harris is heading to Knoxville. “You never say never, but all my intel says that this week, Juke Harris will pull the trigger and come to Tennessee,” Low said on the Rocky Top Insider Low-Dow on Sunday night.
Adding, “I know his mom is a big fan of the program and a big fan of Rick Barnes."
Juke Harris is reportedly poised for Tennessee
Low’s report is only the latest piece of evidence that the Tar Heels are out of the mix. The clearest proof came earlier in the week when Malone brought in Matt Able and Maxim Logue from the Transfer Portal. Able slots in nicely alongside Neoklis Avdalas on the wing, while Logue will join a front court currently manned by Jarin Stevenson.
While Harris would immediately be the best player on the roster, that would be a crowded group for him to join, and the bigger recruiting priority for the Tar Heels is at the five with Henri Veesaar declaring for the NBA Draft. While he could still return for his final season of eligibility, Veesaar appears likely to stay in the draft, and he leaves a significant void.
The Able and Logue additions will need to suffice on the wing because, at this point, Harris is not an option for UNC. The fact that Malone made those moves prior to Harris’s commitment may signal that he knew his program was a distant third in the race for the Wake Forest transfer.
Either way, Harris is likely heading to Knoxville, and Malone’s top priority is finding a starting center for next season. It's a good thing he didn't wait on Harris, or his Heels could be in a bad spot.
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