Tennessee basketball reportedly in danger of losing top portal player to Michigan after latest news was first published by The Sporting News. You can add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Head coach Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Volunteers are aiming to significantly bolster their roster for the upcoming season. They have already secured several prominent names from the transfer portal, largely because a major reason for that is the increase in NIL funding provided by the university.
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VolQuest’s Grant Ramey noted, “Tennessee basketball is on track to be among the elite in NIL spending next season. On3’s Pete Nakos on Thursday reported the Vols are one of a handful of teams set to spend $10 million or more in NIL for its roster next season.”
Tennessee continues its pursuit of its top transfer portal target, Juke Harris, an acquisition that would represent the most significant of Barnes’ portal era. The Vols are fully committed this cycle, and a move for Harris to Tennessee seems like an ideal fit.
VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs offered insights on WNML’s SportsTalk Tuesday, remarking, “He knows Tennessee better than he knows either one of the other schools, because he explored Tennessee coming out of high school. North Carolina, obviously, has a new coach. So I think he’s most comfortable, or knows the most about Tennessee. That doesn’t mean they get him, so we’ll see what happens,” said VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs Tuesday on WNML’s SportsTalk.
Nevertheless, securing one of the top players in the portal will not be straightforward. The Michigan Wolverines and head coach Dusty May remain strong contenders for Harris.
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247 Sports’ Travis Branham stated, “They (Michigan) are very much in the hunt for Juke Harris.” He added, “That one is evolving pretty quickly. As of this morning, it’s now sounding like his decision will likely come down to Michigan and Tennessee. Both have had him on visits at this point, and that’s going to be a fight to the finish.”
While Tennessee currently appears to hold a slight advantage, Michigan’s persistent pursuit keeps the situation highly competitive. Harris is also deliberately taking his time with the process, carefully evaluating all his options, including the NBA Draft.
An extended recruitment period offers Michigan additional opportunities to present its case. Barnes and his staff are prioritizing Harris and will continue to exert every effort to bring him to Rocky Top.