Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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38 DECEMBER 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED MEN'S BASKETBALL BY COREY BODDEN N otre Dame and Mike Brey ze- roed in on Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic star wing D.J. Harvey during the 2017 recruiting cycle. Harvey was a well-known recruit for several years after becoming just one of a select few freshmen to start for DeMatha in its history, which includes former Irish great Adrian Dantley. The staff's tireless effort throughout the process paid off on Sept. 20, 2016, when the 6-6, 220-pounder selected the Irish over Alabama. Harvey also reeled in offers from Arizona, Con- necticut, Duke, Louisville, Villanova and Virginia, among many others. "They made sure I was their No. 1 priority, and they kept showing me," Harvey told Blue & Gold Illustrated following his commitment. "That didn't go unnoticed. So when it came down to the nitty gritty time they were always on the top spot. Them sticking with me through thick and thin never went unnoticed." Harvey, who ranked as the No. 51 overall player nationally by Rivals, was expected to be the player to help ease the losses of wings Steve Vas- turia and V.J. Beachem following the conclusion of the 2016-17 season. During the summer months, Har- vey made an impression on Brey and the Irish staff with his athleticism and ability to be a threat offensively and on the boards from his wing po- sition in early practices. With Harvey the lone freshman addition to the ros- ter, he was able to play with mainly veterans to help with the learning curve of college basketball. Brey expressed during the pro- gram's media day Oct. 19 that the freshman would have to be a factor in the rotation. "We have to get D.J. Harvey ready to play," Brey explained at the time. "There's too much there to work with. He's the lone rookie in there. He's a sharp kid, which happens a lot at our program. He's learned to move without the ball … "The explosiveness, the ability to play in the midrange area, he can defend and sit in his stance. He re- bounds for size like a Pat Connaugh- ton rebounds. We substitute and we become smaller, and he's that so- called stretch four." Harvey wouldn't have to wait long to show what he can do on the court. In the team's season opener against DePaul in Chicago Nov. 11, Harvey played 16 minutes, scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds for a solid start to his Irish career. Following the game, Brey contin- ued his preseason sentiments of his lone freshman. "Fabulous," Brey said of Harvey's play in the opener. "I've been excited about him since the first day of prac- tice. Not your normal-looking fresh- man physically. What has helped him is he's the only freshman and has played with old guys now for five months. "They taught him how to slow down and how we play. His buckets were big buckets. For him to play on the road and do well, I'm very pleased and that should be a confi- dence builder for him." Harvey continued his strong start over the next two games, both at home, against Mount St. Mary's Nov. 13 and Chicago State Nov. 16. Against Mount St. Mary's, Harvey only scored six points, but did so ef- ficiently knocking down 3 of 5 shots from the field. The Chicago State game, however, may have served as the springboard for Harvey. In 22 minutes, Harvey scored a ca- reer-high 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting including a 2-of-4 effort from behind the arc. The performance added to the freshman's confidence. "It's a big boost," Harvey said fol- lowing the game. "I know I'm capa- ble. My teammates know I'm capable and Coach Brey knows I'm capable. It's just a matter of going out and do- ing it. … Coming off the bench, I've brought a lot of things defensively. A scoring option coming off the bench. "There's a lot more stuff I can bring. It's just a matter of getting more com- fortable. … As we move on, I feel my role will expand — just getting more comfortable, taking more shots and being more aggressive." Brey felt it was an important game for Harvey to be given the extended minutes. "He's really a gifted guy," Brey said. "[Chicago State] may have been the most important for him. He gets 22 minutes. Again, third time he's had the jersey on, and he gets into a little bit of a scoring rhythm. That's the one thing I think he can do for us. "He obviously rebounds, too. But it was a great night for him and he's very important for us. Our seniors know he's important, so they keep helping me bring him along." With the Maui Jim Maui Invita- tional coming shortly after his ca- reer night, Harvey knew the road trip would be an elevation in terms of competition and pressure. His teammates made sure to know not to press and play within himself. "They're telling me to play my game," Harvey said. "Defend and EARLY IMPACT Freshman wing D.J. Harvey is putting together a strong start to his career During Notre Dame's 5-0 start, Harvey posted averages of 9.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game, while shooting 65.4 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three-point range. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN