Tennessee's Rick Barnes faces nightmarish setback in Juke Harris sweepstakes as Michigan lingers

The Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball have been all-in on Juke Harris since the moment he entered the transfer portal. Their primary competition throughout the process has been the reigning national champion Michigan Wolverines.

“They (Michigan) are very much in the hunt for Juke Harris,” 247Sports’ Travis Branham said. “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.”

Earlier in the week, Tennessee received encouraging news regarding Harris from On3’s Chris Low.

“You never say never, but all my intel says that this week that Juke Harris will pull the trigger and come to Tennessee,” said Low. “I know his mom is a big fan of the program, and a big fan of Rick Barnes. Tennessee was right there in it when he went out of high school.”

While it may seem like the Vols have the edge over Michigan, there is still a major factor in play: the NBA Draft.

“That's obviously great news from Low, as Tennessee could be set to finalize things. However, as Joe Tipton just noted, the NBA Draft indeed is something that could prevent Harris from making the move to Knoxville after all. As things stand, Harris is projected to be either a late first-round pick or an early second-rounder. If he were a lock to be taken in the first round, then sure, by all means we'd tell him to skip coming back to college and go pro. However, potentially being a second-rounder changes everything. That's why this decision is not easy for him and why it has taken so long for him to make up his mind,” All For Tennessee’s Braulio Perez wrote.

Harris has the option to return to college and potentially earn more through NIL than he would as a late pick in the draft. Still, the opportunity to play in the NBA is something most players dream about growing up.

Tennessee appears to be in a strong position to land Harris, but the NBA remains the biggest obstacle. Head coach Rick Barnes is willing to give Harris the time he needs—especially if it ultimately leads to a commitment to the Vols.