If you’re traveling south on I-85 on Sunday, check the car beside you because it might be new North Carolina head coach Michael Malone and members of his coaching staff.
They’ll be heading to Salisbury, N.C. for an in-home visit with Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris, a source close to the recruitment confirmed to Inside Carolina late Saturday night.
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Harris is ranked the No. 3 overall player in the transfer portal by On3. He’s been linked to Tennessee, N.C. State, and Michigan, among others. Harris returned from an official visit to Ann Arbor on Saturday where he attended the team’s national championship parade.
As a sophomore with the Demon Deacons, the 6-foot-7 wing was named 2nd team All-ACC and more than tripled his scoring average, going from 6.1 points per game as a freshman to 21.3 points.
On Jan. 10 at the Smith Center, Harris scored 28 points against the Tar Heels, shooting 10-for-18 from the field. His season-high was a 38-point performance at Boston College.
Harris announced on April 3 his plan to enter the transfer portal and the NBA Draft, saying, “This was not an easy decision, but this option gives me the best opportunity to evaluate my professional future.” Harris is ranked the No. 39 prospect on ESPN’s NBA Draft Big Board.
The new North Carolina staff is less than a week into its major roster overhaul since Malone was introduced on Tuesday evening.