Wake Forest has been an interesting team over the years, building strong seasons but coming up short in making the NCAA Tournament as of late. Coach Forbes and the rest of the roster would love nothing more than to end that with yet another successful season after going 21-11 last year. After losing some strong talent from last year’s team, Wake Forest will be looking for others to step up and elevate their play, while also adjusting to new names on the team.
One player that is returning that many should have their eyes on is 6’7 sophomore Juke Harris, a local prospect from North Carolina who had a really good freshman campaign. Last Year’s Stats: Played in 31 games, shot 42.6 percent from the floor, 30.3 percent from 3, averaged 6.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 19 minutes as a freshman. And with what he showed as a freshman, along with a resume coming into Wake Forest, Harris could be in for a breakout-type season that makes him a bigger name in the ACC.
Coming out of Salisbury High School, Harris was an absolute monster on the court with his size, scoring, shooting, and impact on the court. He put up impressive numbers and was regarded as one of the top prospects in the state, with Phenom Hoops having said this: “He’s a smooth, skilled, crafty wing prospect with an excellent blend of IQ, size, natural leadership, and overall polish. Harris is a high-level shooting threat with the ability to apply constant, yet efficient scoring pressure from anywhere on the floor. He’s a willing and unselfish passer who can reliably set up others as a primary creator. That being said, Harris is more than comfortable at dominating an offense and comfortably dictating the action with the ball in his hands. He’s also a useful rebounder who understands how to disrupt opponents with his length defensively.”
Coming into Wake Forest, it was going to be interesting to see what role Harris could carve out, but he clearly made a statement early on in his career that he can provide productive minutes, be an effective defender, and be a player that produces with his size. His minutes and production seemed to increase as the season went along, but there are still areas where we are eager to see him take the next step. One being his three-point shooting… coming out of high school, Harris was an effective shot-maker from behind the ar,c but he hit a bit of a slump further into the season when his perimeter shots didn’t quite fall. He is a better shooter than 30 percent from behind the arc, and the opportunities will be there. Also, we are eager to continue to see his development in other areas, such as rebounding, defending opponents’ top players, and being an option in other areas of the court.
Harris showed that he isn’t afraid of the spotlight as a young prospect, and that fearlessness will be vital as a sophomore as Wake Forest looks to make noise in the ACC. With a full offseason under his belt, more experience, and likely a larger role within the offense, all signs point to Harris taking a significant leap in Year 2. If things come together offensively, become more assertive on both ends, and continue building on his versatile skill set, he could not only become a key piece for the Demon Deacons but also start gaining serious national attention.