KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee men’s basketball player Juke Harris reeled in yet another preseason accolade Thursday morning, as he was selected to the NABC Player of the Year Preseason Watch List.
A junior guard, Harris is in his first season at Tennessee after transferring in from Wake Forest, where he collected Second Team All-ACC and ACC Most Improved Player accolades in 2025-26.
Harris is one of just 20 players in the country who made the cut, including one of only four first-year transfers. The others are Louisville’s Flory Bidunga, Duke’s John Blackwell and Kentucky’s Milan Momcilovic.
There are six SEC players on the list, including Harris and Momcilovic. The others are Florida’s Rueben Chinyelu, Florida’s Alex Condon, Florida’s Thomas Haugh and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner.
A 6-foot-7, 205-pounder from Salisbury, N.C., Harris was named to the Julius Erving Award Top 20 Preseason Watch List. He was also tabbed a Preseason First Team All-SEC honoree by the media and a Preseason Second Team All-SEC choice by the coaches. Additionally, he collected Blue Ribbon Yearbook Preseason Third Team All-American status.
Last season, Harris produced 21.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 35.1 minutes per game for the Demon Deacons.
Harris was ranked a five-star transfer prospect by On3, as well as finished as the fourth-best player in the transfer portal according to the On3 Industry Rankings.
The 2026-27 NABC Player of the Year, which is selected by a nationwide vote of Division I head coaches at the conclusion of the regular season, will be announced the week of the 2027 Final Four. The award has been presented every season since 1974-75 and is the only national player of the year honor selected by the sport’s head coaches.
Harris and the Volunteers open the regular season against Wofford with a Nov. 3 home game, set for 6 p.m. at Food City Center, live on SEC Network.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
NABC Player of the Year Preseason Watch List
Flory Bidunga, Louisville
John Blackwell, Duke
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Duke
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan
Rueben Chinyelu, Florida
Alex Condon, Florida
Thijs De Ridder, Virginia
Silas Demary Jr., Connecticut
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
Juke Harris, Tennessee
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
David Mirkovic, Illinois
Milan Momcilovic, Kentucky
Braylon Mullins, Connecticut
Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
Tyran Stokes, Kansas
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
J.T. Toppin, Texas Tech
Robert Wright III, BYU
