The recruiting landscape for the Class of 2023 is starting to come to an end, as players continue to announce where they will be playing next. Some of the premier programs sit at the top of the recruiting rankings for several outlets, such as Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State, UConn, and others.
But one program that has actually really intrigued me has been the class coming into Maryland. Though the Terps have a very good class coming in, I’m still not sure they are getting the attention that they deserve with who they were able to get and the future of this program. If I was a Terps fan, I would be very excited about the incoming class from what I’ve seen so far.
Commits:
2023 6’4 DeShawn Harris-Smith
2023 6’6 Jamie Kaiser
2023 6’4 Jahnathan Lamothe
2023 7’0 Braden Pierce
Harris-Smith is the top-ranked prospect in the group and when we watched him, we were still a little surprised at where he fell in the national rankings. Every time we watched this senior, he was relentless in his attack. Harris-Smith is extremely strong, physical, tough-minded, embraces contact, and is such a competitor, as these factors alone should have Maryland fans excited. He just brings that certain factor that many players don’t have, and his energy is contagious.
Kaiser is a player we highlighted even before his blow-up happened. The 6’6 prospect has an excellent frame and showed (and continues to do so at IMG) how smooth he can be in scoring the ball from all over the court. His ability to be a consistent shooter from the perimeter, as well as displaying tremendous feel, IQ, and ability to be effective offensively is impressive.
Lamothe is a 6’4 combo guard that brings a great frame, the ability to score in multiple areas, knock down shots with range, and also be a natural playmaker on the court. Can fill it up by scoring, rebounds well, and continues to show how strong of a passer he is. (Article with Lamothe back in 2020). And then they added 2023 7’0 Braden Pierce recently, giving the Terps great size, a skilled big man that can be effective inside and step out, as well as be a presence in the paint on both sides.
I’ve been thinking about this recruiting class as of late, and the four-player class is one that I personally believe will be a great building block for the future at Maryland and should have Terp fans excited about what is to come.
