It feels like only a matter of time before former Wake Forest wing Juke Harris commits to Tennessee. We know at this point he won't be joining Michigan basketball.
On Friday, Harris received some expert projections to land with the Vols. Then, it was reported by Tony Garcia of the Detroit Free Press that the Wolverines have been informed they are out of it.
All in all, it's fine. Harris is a talented scorer who averaged 21.4 points per game last season. The price tag probably got too high. Michigan didn't need to engage in a bidding war for a dude who said he wanted to play for a winner, but passed on playing for the defending national champs.
My sense is that Michigan stopped pushing for Harris. It didn't seem like he was still a target when May met with the media this week, just reading between the lines.
What's next for Michigan basketball after Juke Harris?
So will Michigan target some other players? Will the roster construction conclude? One possible option, Paul McNeil, a guard from North Carolina State, returned to the Wolfpack. He led the ACC in 3-point percentage last season on his way to averaging 13 points per game.
The 6-foot-5 guard could have been a fit. Michigan could use more 3-point shooting. The Wolverines landed a former Illinois player in the portal last offseason, and could try that again, as Ty Rodgers, a former Michigan recruit, is also in the portal.
The 6-foot-6 wing was a top-100 recruit coming out of high school. He played two seasons with Illinois but redshirted this past season. He also missed the entire 2024-25 season with an injury. Rodgers, who is from Michigan, started all 38 games for Illinois in 2023-24.
Rodgers has always been known for his defense. He would certainly add a presence on that end of the floor for Michigan. He didn't attempt a 3-point shot in two seasons with the Fighting Illini. That makes me question the fit with Dusty May.
However, another player who is capable of guarding on the wing would be valuable. Rodgers could maybe slide into the Roddy Gayle role. He wasn't the most prolific shooter either.
Rodgers was a redshirt junior this season. He would probably need to be close to graduating or have graduated, at least in terms of credits, to make it, but it might be worth kicking the tires.
May could have something else up his sleeve. For now, though, Rodgers could be a target, or the Wolverines could stick with the roster they have, which is already better than most.
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