RALEIGH, N.C. – The second day of the John Wall Holiday Invitational hit center stage on Thursday as some of the best local high school and national programs hit the floor at Broughton High School. Top 30 junior Josh Green continues to round out his game, Darius Days and Jairus Hamilton emphasize small-ball domination and top-ranked junior Vernon Carey Jr. discusses where he will take the next step with his recruitment.

Slotted as the top-ranked junior in America, Vernon Carey Jr. remains one of the best prospects in high school basketball, regardless of classification. Last year at this time, Carey Jr. came to the John Wall Holiday Invitational ascending into elite status. Today, the 2019 big man has already become a priority recruit for top programs nationally, as an assistant from North Carolina and Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his entire coaching staff were on hand for his opening night session.

A 6-foto-9 lefty big man that accurately wields a jumper that he can comfortably hit to 20-feet, Carey Jr. began his time in North Carolina a bit slow, but he finished things on a high note. With 26 points off of 11-of-13 shooting from the floor, Carey Jr. remains a model of efficiency thanks to the elite set of hands he sports in the lane as a rebounder and two-handed finisher.

Down to a final list of eight schools, Carey discussed when he will take the next step within his recruitment. “I will probably narrow it down to a final three in the spring after the season,” he said before naming four schools that have begun to stand out. “Duke, North Carolina, Miami and Michigan State.”

More time must be given to the top-ranked junior when it comes to selecting a program to attend, but it does speak volumes that the entire Duke coaching staff was on hand to see what is becoming their top recruit in the 2019 class.

Shooting remains the most enviable asset of a potential prospects, whether you’re a high school, college or NBA coach. A lack of shot-making has been the primary knock on top 30 guard Josh Green up until this point, and the fact that he is such a heavily coveted recruit while lacking the most desirable piece of weaponry shows just how talented he really is. Unfortunately for his opposition, that primary deficiency is fading away, as the Aussie native knocked down three perimeter jump shots on Thursday.

A 6-foot-5 playmaker who actually finished last week’s Chick-Fil-A Classic as the tournament leader in assists, Green plays an unselfish brand of basketball that reverberates throughout the rest of his team. One of the best athletes in his 2019 class, the IMG product has continued to add to his game as the college recruiting process remains wide open.

After his team’s opening-round win on Thursday afternoon - he finished with 19 points and four rebounds - Green discussed his ongoing recruitment. “A lot of the West Coast schools like Arizona, UCLA and Washington, and Kansas, too,” he said about those involved. “Really though, I am just focusing on my season. I am open to everyone.”

A near five-star prospect that checks all of the boxes, Green, whose brother is suiting up for UNLV this winter, continues to sit as a top combo guard option in the 2019 class with his recruitment bleeding into a blueblood affair.

Two of the better combo forwards from the 2018 class, Darius Days and Jairus Hamilton displayed many of the qualities that make them such highly regarded prospects nationally. Ten years ago, the two would have been undervalued for their tweener nature, but in this day and age - when small ball has taken over - the IMG and Cannon School products fit the mold of new age big men who can score, pass, defend and rebound.

Days, headed to LSU next fall, has continually added to his game throughout his high school career. Thursday’s contest was IMG’s first without former five-star big Silvio De Sousa who opted to enroll at Kansas a semester early, as Days stepped things up a notch showcasing an improved perimeter jumper and strong physicality in the post. Finishing with 20 points and 13 rebounds, Days should slide alongside fellow 2018 center Nazreon Reid next year at LSU, creating for one of the more dynamic freshmen frontcourts nationally.

Hamilton has yet to announce his college decision. He is playing his best basketball though, as his jump shot has improved, but he realizes that he is most productive around the rim. An explosive forward who can score through contact but also create for himself from off the bounce, Hamilton finished with 22 points and eight rebounds. A top three of Mississippi State, Maryland and Boston College remain as Kansas, Villanova and a slew of others continue to track.