By SEAN MORAN
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Junior guard D.J. Harvey is one of the more heavily sought after players in the Class of 2017 and offers have been coming in left and right for the 6-foot-6 guard out of DeMatha High School.
“Oklahoma, Arizona, Arizona State, Duke, Ohio State, Virginia, N.C. State, Miami, Pitt, Texas, Villanova, a lot,” he said. “Yeah, Maryland, they offered me about three weeks ago. I’m pretty close with Georgetown, Arizona, and Virginia just because they tend to reach out to me the most.”
Throughout the NBPA Top 100 camp, Harvey has showcased his sweet stroke and established himself as one of the premier shooting guards in the country.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as one of the top players in the country,” noted Harvey. “I’ve grown up watching this camp for a long time and now that I get a chance to play it’s kind of like a dream come true. Playing against some of the top players in the country, I love it. I always get better and they push me to get better myself.”
While Harvey is pushing himself, both head coaches from Duke and Kentucky plan on watching him at the Nike EYBL Finals.
“Coach K talked to my dad,” said Harvey of Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. “I talked to Coach [Jeff] Capel and they said they are interested me and always watching me. Also Kentucky called. Coach [John] Calipari talked to my dad and he said he loved my game and that they’ve been watching me since freshman year. They are a powerhouse right now. Both of them. I’m honored especially at such a young age. I grew up watching both schools.”
With an eye towards the college level, Harvey also hopes to one day play in the NBA.
“Putting players in the NBA is very important,” said Harvey. “Kentucky and Duke are both known for that and that’s why they are getting the recruits they are.”
During Harvey’s sophomore season he teamed with highly touted senior guard Markelle Fultz as the high scoring duo led the famed DeMatha program to the No. 1 ranking in The Washington Post. On the second day of the Top 100 camp, Harvey notched 15 points against Fultz.
“Me and Markelle, we are like one and the same,” said Harvey. “We have pretty much the same offers, been to the same camps. To know that I have a teammate that is on my level helps me do big things. It’s just like in practice. We are never on the same team and we both push each other to our full potential. It was nothing different.”
Despite all of the attention and an ever growing list of high major college suitors, Harvey is not in any rush to make an early commitment.
“I’m enjoying the process,” said Harvey. “Honored to be considered a top player and if I had to I will probably narrow it down late junior year.”
