Michael Malone refused to play the waiting game with UNC's top transfer portal target

Michael Malone refused to play the waiting game with UNC's top transfer portal target originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The UNC Tar Heels waited until the last day of the transfer portal window being open to sign three players and sent a clear message about wanting to finalize the roster.

When Michael Malone was hired to take over in Chapel Hill, there were a few unknowns that needed to be solved. Now it seems the roster is nearly complete and the staff for the NBA champion coach is set.

With the news of Utah transfer Terrence Brown and NC State transfer Matt Able both committing to UNC, where does this leave Juke Harris? It was clear from the start of last week the Wake Forest four-star transfer was in no rush to make a decision on his future school. However, having both Able and Brown on the roster, along with Isaiah Denis withdrawing from the portal leaves Harris to UNC now less likely.

Harris has UNC, Tennessee and Michigan as his final list of teams. Being in Chapel Hill with Malone and his staff is his best option for being NBA ready and staying close to home. Michigan coach Dusty May reportedly met with Harris this weekend in Los Angeles and has weight coming off a national championship run. As for Tennessee, Rick Barnes and his staff have floated a $3 million figure for Harris' services, which seems high but actually is on par with the current market.

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Malone didn't want to hang around hoping Harris would eventually land at UNC. And this sets him apart from other coaches, especially as a first-year college head coach. Being able to secure a roster right off the bat was the most ideal situation.

Not faulting Harris for taking his time to figure out his next move, but how much intel do you need? Three very different programs in different conferences, and only one has coached at the highest level. Harris could likely find himself in a situation of no return here. Tennessee and Michigan are the frontrunners with UNC all but out of the equation.