Oladipo Skills Thursday: Thomas shows off versatility

HYATTSVILLE, Md. -- Some of the top talent in the country shined once again during the second day of the Victor Oladipo Skills Academy, including a four-star wing on his home floor, a late arriving five-star and one of 2017's most intriguing prospects, Lance Thomas.

One of the most talked about players this July has been Team United four-star power forward Lance Thomas. Ranked No. 111 nationally, the 6-foor-9, 210-pound Thomas is a rare talent in that he can handle the ball like a guard, step outside and shoot the three while also being able to mix it up inside.

After recording a double-double on the first night of camp, Thomas once again showed his versatility in the Thursday afternoon session, scoring, rebounding and finding open teammates. He also knocked down a three-pointer. Thomas' recruitment has been heating up of late, with Louisville and NC State the two most recent schools to get in the mix with offers.

"The schools most talking to me are Louisville, NC State, USC, Florida, Miami and Tennessee right now," said Thomas. "Coaches like my versatility and my size at my position. I play the three and the four and most fours can't guard me because they're too slow and most threes are two small."

Andy Enfield and Rick Barnes were both on hand to watch Thomas while Louisville, NC State and Miami all had assistants on hand. As for making a decision, Thomas says he plans on cutting his list down to five in two or three weeks and then plans on making a decision right before the high school season starts.

After a disappointing start to the week, getting cut from the USA U18 roster on Tuesday, five-star shooting guard Lonnie Walker was right back at it Thursday at DeMatha showing why he's so highly regarded.

Following a solid showing in the afternoon session, the 6-foot-5 Walker simply dominated in the evening, getting into the lane, drawing contact and finishing at the rim with ease en route to a game-high 21 points. Walker added five rebounds, four assists and two steals for good measure. As for his recruitment, a number of schools remain in the mix for Walker.

"Syracuse, Villanova, Kentucky, Miami, Virginia, Arizona, SMU," said Walker when asked what schools he hears from most. "I haven't really cut my list yet. They are all recruiting me hard."

Assistants from Syracuse, Villanova, Miami and Virginia were all on hand for Walker's scoring outburts. Walker said he hopes to cut down his list in October and commit before the season starts.

Playing on his home court, DeMatha four-star wing DJ Harvey shined on the second day of camp. Harvey exploded for 21 points in the early round of games and continued his hot play during the evening session in front of Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. Harvey had it all working for him on Thursday, knocking down step-back threes, aggressively attacking the rim and finishing in explosive fashion. Harvey was also active on the glass, pulling down 10 rebounds in the final game of the evening for his second double-double of the camp.

Indiana and head coach Tom Crean got a good one in Southern Stampede three-star guard Al Durham. The 6-4 guard regularly got in the lane and was able to use his length to finish at the rim over bigger defenders. As he gets stronger, Durham should be able to use that same length to finish through contact against the physical bigs of the Big Ten. Durham also showed a high basketball IQ and that he's a more than capable three-point shooter.

Another late addition to the roster, Word of God (N.C.) three-star center Brandon Huffman looked like a man among boys throughout the first two days of camp, regularly dunking over any defender brave enough to get in his way. The 6-foot-9, 235-pounder said he's hearing the most right now from Baylor, Tennessee and Kansas State, all of which had coaches watching. Huffman plans on cutting down his list in August but could wait until November to commit depending on whether or not any new schools get in the mix.

Team Takeover 2018 shooting guard Brandon Slater continues to show why he's one of the best three-point shooters in his class. The 6-foot-5, four-star southpaw sharp shooter went a perfect three for three from beyond the arc on the first night and made his only three-point attempt in the Thursday evening session. Slater does an excellent job of moving without the ball on offense, especially coming hard off of screens. He also rebounds extremely well for a guard due to his length. Slater's most recent offer comes from Virginia, while he mentioned Maryland, Louisville, Miami and West Virginia as the other schools that have offered and are showing the most interest. Syracuse and Temple are also in the mix.

Paired in the backcourt with four-star stock riser Alex O'Connell, Rivals150 point guard Jose Alvarado quietly put up solid numbers, picking his spots as well as knowing when to find open teammates. At only 6-foot, 155-pounds, Alvarado isn't the most physically imposing, but he knows how to push the tempo. Asked to describe his game, Alvarado simply referred to himself as a hard worker and a winner. Alvarado mentioned Indiana, Seton Hall, VCU, Rutgers and Georgia Tech as schools that have offered he keeps in touch with, while Texas, Syracuse and Butler are showing interest.