DeMatha guard DJ Harvey is one of the top players in the area and in the country. During his time at DeMatha, Harvey has received offers from over 50 schools but yesterday he cut his list down to 16.
According to ESPN, DJ Harvey is the No.12 player in the 2017 class and No.1 in Maryland. He was name 1st-team All-WCAC last season and is a key part to DeMatha’s success this year. Alongside his teammates like Ryan Allen, Nate Darling, and Markelle Fultz, DeMatha has become a top five team in the country.
Standing at 6 foot 6, DJ has great size for the wing position. Harvey is athletic and he can rebound the basketball extremely well from both sides of the court. He can attack and finish at the rim as well as make the mid-range jump shot.
Some notable schools on Harvey’s list are Duke, Notre Dame, Maryland, Arizona, North Carolina, Louisville and NC State. In the 247sports Crystal Ball predictions, there is an 82% chance that he goes to Arizona and a 18% chance he goes to Duke.
Harvey has visited schools like Duke, Notre Dame, NC State, and Arizona State. He’s visited Georgetown and Auburn but those schools didn’t end up on the list. On January 7, North Carolina head coach Roy Williams met with DJ Harvey according to 247sports.
Besides DJ, Duke is looking at players like Gary Trent Jr., Trae Young, and Wendell Carter Jr. as they try to continue their success when it comes to recruiting top players. When DJ visited Duke, it looked like he enjoyed his time there. In an article from NY2LA.com, DJ said “I was just in awe. It was like a dream come true.”
When it comes to Notre Dame, they have a strong connection with DeMatha. Head coach Mike Brey is a DeMatha alumni and New York Knicks guard Jerian Grant who was a star player at Notre Dame went to DeMatha also.
DJ Harvey is another player in the WCAC (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference) that the University of Maryland is trying to reel in. They already landed St. John’s Anthony Cowan but players like Gonzaga’s Prentiss Hubb and Paul VI Brandon Slater are on the Terps radar. The Terps were looking at DeMatha’s Markelle Fultz and Paul VI Corey Manigault but they decided to go elsewhere.
The recruiting process is far from over for DJ. But cutting his list down is a big step towards making his final decision. As he continues to play basketball, expect the schools he’s looking at try to do their best to convince DJ to come and play for them.
Ryan McFadden is a freshman at Iona College and alumni from DeMatha Catholic High School. He is a sports writer for the Ionian and founder of Inside The Locker Room. Follow him on Twitter @RMcFadden15.
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