Maryland freshman wing Jamie Kaiser Jr. entered the transfer portal Monday, a source close to Kaiser confirmed to Terrapin Sports Central.
The 6-foot-6, 205-pound Virginia native played in 33 games, averaging 4.4 points and 2.0 rebounds in 19.6 minutes. Kaiser shot 26.9 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from three.
Kaiser struggled to begin the season, failing to reach the double-digit scoring mark until a month into the season. But he showed some flashes in the season’s late stages, shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc across the final 13 games while earning two of his five starts in the Terps’ Big Ten Tournament games against Rutgers and Wisconsin. Kaiser scored in double digits in two of Maryland’s final three games.
The former four-star recruit gained a reputation as a knockdown shooter coming out of IMG Academy. He chose Maryland over Indiana, Virginia and UCLA.
“It’s just a dream, stepping out in front of your hometown, getting to play in front of your people,” Kaiser said on a 247Sports livestream after his commitment. “They’re gonna support you the most.”
Kaiser was part of a heralded second recruiting class for coach Kevin Willard along with fellow four-stars DeShawn Harris-Smith and Jahnathan Lamothe. The trio of DMV recruits was expected to help lay the foundation for Willard, but after a disappointing season in which the Terps compiled a below .500 record, Kaiser and Lamothe departed.
Harris-Smith and former three-star Braden Pierce are the lone players remaining from Willard’s 2023 recruiting class.
Maryland now has two open scholarships and is expected to fill both slots. A wing who can shoot and defend on the perimeter will certainly be a priority for Willard after Kaiser’s departure.
