DC area freshman living up to the hype

THE RIVALS150: Class of 2014 - Class of 2015

There aren't many high school basketball programs in America that are more storied than Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha. So, to be the first ever to do something like D.J. Harvey did as a freshman is a big accomplishment.

A 6-foot-5 shooting guard from the class of 2017, Harvey became the first player in DeMatha history to start the first varsity game of the season as a freshman. Not surprisingly, he felt some pressure.

"I felt a little pressure to stand up to what they were saying," Harvey told Rivals.com. "But Coach Jones just let me fall in where I fell in and let me blossom and do what I could."

There were times that Harvey's play was much more advanced than his age. At other times, things were a little tough and he admits that there was a stretch where he was getting in his own way before his coaches and teammates got him back on track.

"My attitude was low sometimes, but all in all my freshman year was pretty good," Harvey said. "I could have done better, though. Like near the end of the season, I started not listening to anybody and my coaches and teammates pulled me to the side and told me to get it better, so I did."

Given that he was just a freshman playing a big role for one of the best programs in the country, it's totally understandable that Harvey had some issues. What is important is that when confronted, he made the necessary corrections and didn't point the finger. After all, he is a very impressive talent with a bright future.

When it is going well, Harvey shows good feel for the game, he can finish in transition, he can make shots off the dribble and he already has an excellent understanding for how to use his size.

"My strengths are defense, ball-handing and mid-range shooting," Harvey said. "I need to work on being consistent with my three-point shot."

Even though he hasn't finished up his first year of high school, Harvey already has his first offer from Xavier. Duke, North Carolina, N.C. State, Syracuse, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia have all shown early interest as well with many more likely to get involved.

As Harvey prepares to hit the grassroots circuit with Team Takeover and head into the summer before his sophomore year, he says that he is focused on getting better. The recruiting stuff can wait.

"It's a little bit too early to think about it," Harvey said. "My dad told me not to get my head involved in recruiting because I still have three years of high school left to think about all of that stuff."

Eric Bossi is the national basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. You can click here to follow him on Twitter.

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