Tennessee basketball made its biggest splash of the offseason earlier this week when star Wake Forest transfer guard Juke Harris committed and signed with the Vols over Michigan, North Carolina and Louisville.
A day later, Harris removed his name from the NBA Draft and ensured that he would play his junior collegiate season at Tennessee.
Following his commitment, Harris joined the Mike Keith Show this week to discuss his relationship with Rick Barnes, why Tennessee was the right spot for him and much more. Here’s everything Harris said.
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On his decision to sign with Tennessee and withdraw from the NBA Draft
“I feel like my main focus coming to Cali was going through the whole NBA process, even going to the Combine. But having different conversations with different colleges and also maybe some feedback from the NBA scouts, I felt like it was the best opportunity to just lay out everything that I had in front of me, actually take a few conversations with different coaches and just seeing what was best for me. And I felt like Tennessee was the best place, the (best) option for me to return back to school to.”
On how much Tennessee recruiting him in high school played into the decision to sign with the Vols out of the transfer portal two years later
“I think it played a huge factor into it. I gained a true relationship with Coach Barnes. It’s crazy. I think him and Coach Forbes, those two head coaches are coaches I consider that I have so much love for. So when it came to the entering the portal, Coach Barnes was on me heavy. Coach Bryan Lentz was on me heavy. The whole program. Even how much love I got on social media before I even announced I was coming, from all the Vol fans. So I’m super ready to come play in front of you guys, and it’s going to be a big show.”
On growing up playing guard, then having a growth spurt to 6-foot-7
“You have that completely right. I always played point guard, shooting guard. Want to say I was about … 5-foot-7 (in) eighth grade. I probably got up to maybe around like 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-3 in ninth and 10th grade. But then I had a huge growth spurt going to maybe about 6-foot-5 or 6-foot-6 going into my junior year. So I kept all those (guard) skills, the same shooting abilities. And I went to Team Loaded Virginia, and that was my first time playing circuit basketball, and ever since then it just took off.”
On if he was surprised by all the recruiting attention he got after that growth spurt
“Yeah, it was kind of a surprise. But I knew at one time it was going to be where I put myself in a situation where I can show everyone my skills and everything I was capable of doing. So when I had the opportunity, I took full advantage of it.”
On how that process helped him prepare for his recruitment in the transfer portal, with so many big schools coming after him
“I think all of it was a help. I feel like the relationship I built with Coach Barnes, I knew coming into this time in the transfer portal, I felt like that was going to be a big thing with me. I’m a real family, loyal-type guy. So whenever I feel like someone genuinely cares for me outside of the basketball aspect of it, it’s kind of hard to look away. And it shows a whole bunch of light on them. So I think Rick Barnes and the whole coaching staff did that, especially from me not even choosing them out of high school, and they had the same love for me when I didn’t choose them. So I felt like it was the right choice to choose them this time.”
On the jump he made between his first and second season at Wake Forest, what the coaching staff emphasized after his freshman season
“It started my freshman year. The whole freshman year, they were telling me just to stay (while) I had two great guards in front of me in Cameron Hildreth and Hunter Sallis. So they told me just to stay in it. This’ll be my team the following year. Just learn everything that they do and then things that I can build on, the things that they didn’t do, some stuff I could’ve built on. So coming into my sophomore year, I knew I was going to be in a lot of actions. I knew I was going to be the focal point of the offense and stuff like that. In the summertime, just making sure I kept polishing my game and getting back into the role where I get a lot of shots and a lot of touches. So I just kept on polishing my game.”
On getting hard coaching from Rick Barnes at Tennessee
“Another thing that he did that separated himself from everybody else is he came in and told me how good I was, but he also got on me about some stuff they can see that I need to work on. Like turning my body more when I come off screen, turning my body facing the goal. Different things that I need to do on the defensive side, fighting over screens, making sure I’m closing out. So they showed me little stuff like that. And I seen some stuff that I needed to work on that I didn’t even know, that they had seen. So I feel like I’ll be more of a complete player going into Tennessee next year.”
On how much the off-court areas at Tennessee — the weight room, offseason training — can help him build toward next season
“Yes, I want to put on a few more pounds to get into the paint and finish through contact. Continue getting to the free-throw line. And just also feel like the weight room also helped me on the defensive end. So just being able to blow up through screens. If there’s a time I have to switch onto the big man, making sure I’m holding my ground, little things like that.”
On being described as a player that likes to get downhill, attack the rim and draw contact, if that’s fair to his game
“I think that’s a plus. I normally would get the comparison to more of a catch-and-shoot guy, more known like a shooter guy. So I never really got a comparison to like really driving. So I think that this gives credit to the things that I worked on offseason. I worked on a lot of getting downhill, playing through contact, getting to the midrange, getting to different spots on the floor instead of just being a catch-and-shoot guy. So I feel like that, that’s a plus.”
On if he knows any of the other transfers or returning players on Tennessee’s roster
“I had a few conversations with a few of them. This is my first time really getting in contact with any of the guys. So hopefully the communication keeps going all the way until we get to campus because we’ll be with each other 24/7 every single day. So just looking to build that connection with those guys, build a brotherhood over there.”
On Tennessee being a relatively close option to his hometown, allowing his family to come to his games next season
“Yeah, the family will still be able to come to almost every game.”
