Rick Barnes and Tennessee got a second chance with Juke Harris this offseason.
Tennessee recruited Harris out of high school before he ultimately chose Wake Forest. Two years later, Barnes and assistant coach Bryan Lentz flew to Los Angeles while Harris was testing the NBA Draft process.
They presented the guard with another opportunity to play on Rocky Top.
Now that Harris is finally at Tennessee, Barnes’ appreciation for him goes beyond basketball.
“Juke’s an incredible kid,” Barnes said. “Just again, another [player who] comes from a wonderful family.”
But Barnes also knew what Harris wanted from his next stop. He wanted to win. He wanted to continue developing. And ultimately, he wanted an opportunity to reach the NBA.
So when Tennessee met with Harris in L.A., Barnes didn’t make the easy pitch.
“We told him everything he wanted is on the other side of hard,” Barnes said.
Months later, Harris is beginning to understand exactly what Barnes meant.
“You can talk about it at the time,” Barnes said. “Once you step on campus and start every day getting into the blender, you find out it is really hard.”
Barnes said that challenge has been more mental than physical as Harris learns an entirely new system.
It’s also something Barnes has seen before.
He compared Harris’ early transition to what Nate Ament, Chaz Lanier, and Dalton Knecht experienced when they first arrived at Tennessee.
“He’s pretty much where those guys were,” Barnes said. “And like those guys, he’ll just keep getting better and better as the season goes on.”
Harris arrived on Rocky Top after averaging 21.4 points and 6.5 rebounds as a sophomore at Wake Forest. His 15.3-point scoring increase from his freshman season was the largest in the country, according to Tennessee.
“I always had this in me,” Harris told Paige Dauer on Live Ball
That breakout gave Harris an opportunity to test the NBA Draft waters. After he decided to return to college, he chose a Tennessee program that made clear his development would require more than scoring.
Harris has already flashed that scoring ability in Knoxville. He knocked down a shot at the buzzer during Tennessee’s open intrasquad scrimmage.
But the challenge Barnes described in Los Angeles was about becoming a more complete player.
Barnes knows the NBA remains part of Harris’ long-term goal. Winning at Tennessee is, too.
“I know he wants to win as a player,” Barnes said. “I know he does. That’s the No. 1 thing he wants to do.”
Months ago in California, Barnes told Harris reaching those goals would be hard.
Now that Harris is finally at Tennessee, that process is underway.
