Tennessee Pursues Harris, Eyes Deep Run

0:00On April 21st, Tennessee volunteers of stacking one of the top transfer portal classes in college hoops, locking in five key commitments already this month. Now they're pushing hard for Guard Ju Caris, who's down to his final three schools, the Vols North Carolina and Michigan. No word yet on when he'll decide, but the Vols lift prime to make a run. Word is North Carolina might pull back soon with a cut-off date in play. Their coach wants wing help, but Harris comes at a high NIL price so they could pivot to cheaper NC State targets instead. That opens the door for a straight up battle between Tennessee and Michigan, kind of like their football clash last year over that five-star back. Tennessee's got some real edges here. Coach Rick Barnes recruited Harris straight out of high school and was a finalist back then. Plus, he's tight with Harris's old Wake Forest coach, giving the family that familiar vibe. One wrinkle though, freshman forward Nate Amen is mulling the 2026 NBA draft. He's lottery bound, but sticking around could boost his stod big time with a weaker class next year.

1:05A FET NIL deal to keep him might squeeze the budget for Harris. Either way, landing the reigning ACC most improved player caps off a kill-a-back core for the Vols after snagging Terrence Hill Jr. this weekend, these scores hit from everywhere, setting up Tennessee for a deep run next season.