Tennessee and Rick Barnes took the next step in their attempt to land Juke Harris

Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris is at the top of multiple teams’ wishlists in this year’s Transfer Portal cycle, including the Tennessee Volunteers. Rick Barnes is battling it out with Michigan and UNC, and though the Vols aren’t necessarily seen as the favorite, they took a major step on Sunday night. 

That’s when Tennessee reportedly did an in-home visit with Harris, the 6-foot-7 sophomore with two years of eligibility remaining. Harris falls in line with the type of big wing scorers that Barnes has traditionally targeted, from Dalton Knecht and Chaz Lanier out of the portal, to Nate Ament as a five-star high school recruit. However, landing him won’t be easy. 

Tennessee did an in-home visit with elite transfer Juke Harris on Sunday night

Harris scored 21.4 points a game for the Demon Deacons last season, while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 33.2 percent from three. He also added 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists. There aren’t many on-ball scorers in the country better than Harris, and no wing on the open market can compare. 

Barnes has done good work with the pickups of Tyler Lundblade, Dai Dai Ames, and Miles Rubin, but he still needs his go-to bucket-getter on the offensive end. Harris would be that, and if he chooses Michigan or UNC, there isn’t a great Plan B for Barnes to turn to. That makes Sunday night’s visit even more crucial with the money that Michigan will be willing to spend after winning a title and UNC’s urgency to get the Mike Malone era off the ground. 

Tennessee also has its own sense of urgency, even coming off three consecutive trips to the Elite Eight. First, the Vols only have so many more years of Barnes, who, at 71 years old, hasn’t made the Final Four since 2003. Second, Tennessee’s roster was relatively gutted by the portal and could take another hit if Ament opts for the NBA Draft, as many expect the former five-star to do. 

Even if Ament returns, Tennessee could benefit from a volume-scorer like Harris, who would benefit from the strong defensive ecosystem that Barnes demands in his program. Despite not being the front-runners, Tennessee, in a lot of ways, is the perfect fit for Harris, and that was no doubt part of the pick on Sunday night.