MICHIGAN is moving fast in the transfer portal, and one of its most closely watched targets, Wake Forest wing Juke Harris, visited Ann Arbor on April 10 as the Wolverines work through a roster overhaul that has already left several holes to fill. Harris told Tony Garcia of The Detroit Free Press that he has no timeline for making a decision, even as Michigan remains in the mix with North Carolina and Tennessee.
The timing matters because the portal opened April 7 and stays open only until April 21, a brief window for a team that must replace Yaxel Lendeborg, Roddy Gayle Jr., Nimari Burnett and Will Tschetter, all of whom are out of college eligibility. L.J. Cason is expected to miss all of next season, too, which leaves Michigan looking at point guards to back up returning guard Elliot Cadeau and possibly big men if Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. test the NBA Draft waters.
Harris is not simply weighing campuses. Pete Nakos reported that he is going through the NBA Draft process, which could slow down the timeline for a decision, and also said sources expect Harris to land a deal upwards of $3 million. Nakos added that no team has emerged as the clear frontrunner, even with Michigan in the running.
That uncertainty has not stopped the Wolverines from pushing elsewhere. Michigan still wants to make a run at Kansas center Flory Bidunga despite Tennessee big man J.P. Estrella's commitment, and Jamie Shaw of On3 placed a prediction for Michigan to land Harris. Shaw also said Bidunga did not have a visit date with Michigan set yet as of the morning of April 10.
For Michigan, the portal race is already about more than one player. It is about filling a roster that has lost proven pieces, protecting itself against more departures and getting answers before the window closes on April 21. Harris may be one of the names that defines the week, but he is not the only one the Wolverines are chasing.