Top Wake Forest Transfer Has UNC Coming to Visit

The North Carolina Tar Heels could find themselves landing one of the top overall players in the transfer portal, as Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris is set to meet with the Tar Heels next week.

Harris will meet with newly hired head coach Michael Malone next week as he tries to land his first transfer portal acquisition since taking the head coaching job at Chapel Hill. Malone — a former NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets in 2023 — is replacing Hubert Davis, who was let go following a come-from-behind loss to VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Harris’ Resume

Mar 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Juke Harris (2) brings the ball up court against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Harris could provide quite a spark for the Tar Heels if he ends up coming to town. After averaging just 6.1 points per game off the bench as a freshman, Harris exploded into an offensive superstar as a sophomore, averaging 21.6 points, and 6.5 rebounds per game in his second season.

Tar Heels Suffering Losses

The Tar Heels will be losing quite a bit of production this offseason. The team’s best player from last season, Caleb Wilson, will likely be departing for the NBA Draft — where he is projected to be a top five pick — later this summer after a stellar freshman season in which he led the team in basically every major category.

Additionally, 9 players from the roster have opted to hit the transfer portal, with the most notable being starting point guard Derek Dixon, and sixth man Luka Bogavac. Also, forward Henri Veesaar has yet to decide whether he is coming back for next season, or not.

Serra's Maximo Adams (25) looks to coaches as he runs down the court during the first quarter of their first-round CIF-SS playoff game at Indio High School in Indio, Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. | Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

With a lot of production headed out the window, the Tar Heels are going to need to make a few splashes in the transfer portal this offseason. They do have incoming freshmen Maximo Adams, and Dylan Mingo headed to Chapel Hill next season, but for UNC to be highly competitive in the first season of the Michael Malone era, they’ll need to bring in some immediate impact talent through the portal.

The Tar Heels will now hope for the best in terms of their meeting with Harris, as they look to get back to the college basketball mountain top with a new regime leading the way. After an underwhelming few seasons in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels will be under some pressure to get back on track right away under Malone. However, Malone's prior experience as a head coach could help him build enough of a contender to do just that.