The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of the most active programs in the men's college basketball transfer portal this offseason, going all out on Rick Barnes after three consecutive Elite Eight trips. This effort may soon be rewarded with another massive hike.
Pete Nakos of On3.com reported that there is "growing confidence" in Knoxville that Tennessee will be able to close things out with star guard Juke Harris and pry him away from the Michigan Wolverines and North Carolina Tar Heels.
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In the first recruiting cycle, Harris seemed certain to attend Michigan. He reportedly visited Ann Arbor because the event celebrated the men's basketball national championship, and a commitment seemed inevitable. Since then, things have changed a lot.
Tennessee and North Carolina held home-and-home visits with Harris suddenly making it a three-program battle for one of the top players in the college basketball transfer portal. While the opportunity to play close to home may prove attractive, it is also reported that Tennessee was originally a finalist for him after coming out of high school. Further strengthening the Volunteers' chances, as Nacos noted, head coach Rick Barnes has a good relationship with Harris' former coach at Wake Forest, Steve Forbes.
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Of course, landing one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal comes at a price. Nakos reports that Harris is expected to earn a deal "north of $3 million" for the 2026-27 season. This is a price that volunteers are "willing to pay" even with additional payments already made.
If he does commit, with the decision potentially taking more than a week, Harris will be the starting shooting guard for Tennessee next season, with fellow transfer Tyler Lundblad coming off the bench behind him. The Volunteers have also added guard Dai Dai Ames to the transfer portal and remain in the active search for a point guard to replace Ja'Coby Gillespie.
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