Maryland men’s basketball’s highly-touted freshman class brings new level of expectations

In a Big Ten conference that’s notorious for being physical and tough on first-year players, Kevin Willard has a freshman class that’s just as hungry and competitive as they are talented.

“Every day since they stepped on campus, they’ve been in the gym at 7 a.m.,” Willard said of the Terps’ group of freshmen, which he declared the best one he’s coached.

The class is Maryland men’s basketball’s highest-ranked freshman class since 2018, a group headlined by Jalen Smith, Aaron Wiggins, and Eric Ayala. That class played a major role in bringing the Terps a share of their first and only Big Ten title since joining the conference nearly a decade ago.

Maryland’s group of newcomers is led by DeShawn Harris-Smith, a 6-foot-5 guard from Woodbridge, Va. Harris-Smith is the 27th-ranked player in the class of 2023, just shy of five-star status, and the third-highest ranked commit in program history.

Harris-Smith led Paul VI Catholic to the VISAA Division I State Championship in his senior season while averaging 17.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 2.6 steals per game, He collected numerous awards, including Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year, WCAC Player of the Year, and Naismith High School All-American.

Harris-Smith carries a reputation of a physical and tenacious defender with an extremely high motor. Willard says he’s the most competitive person he’s ever met. 

“I know that when he’s on the court, there’s a fire that rages in him that he does not want to lose,” Willard said. “It’s a rarity in today’s world that you have someone that young that has that fire and that compassion, and he’s got it.”

When asked about his competitiveness, Harris-Smith smiled for a moment, then mentioned how he’s always trying to win, even in practice. That ambition is one of the reasons Willard said his team hasn’t been able to practice for more than an hour and a half.

“It goes back to the freshmen being able to compete,” Willard said. “These young guys can compete with these old guys.”

The Terps’ other four-star freshman, Jamie Kaiser Jr., grew up in Burke, Va., just down the road from Harris-Smith. The two of them, along with three-star Jahnathan Lamothe, have known each other since sixth grade. 

“Knowing … a lot of those guys you played with gives you a certain comfort level to go in right away,” Kaiser said.

Kaiser played his final high school season at IMG Academy after averaging 20.7 points and seven rebounds as a junior at Bishop Ireton of Alexandria, Va. While Kaiser’s calling card is his shooting ability, the impression he’s made on his teammates goes beyond his smooth jumpshot.

“He’s always pushing me, like after practice, ‘Let’s get some more shots up’,” Harris-Smith said. “And I definitely think he’s the best shooter on our team … maybe one of the best shooters in the country.”

Lamothe, a 6-foot-4 guard from Baltimore, knows a thing or two himself about knocking down shots. He set a school record with a 57-point performance, including 16 three-pointers, during his senior season at St. Frances Academy in which he became the first player in school history to average a triple double in the regular season.

Maryland’s freshmen join a veteran nucleus of Jahmir Young, Donta Scott and Julian Reese that blew away preseason expectations in Willard’s first season in College Park. The team won 22 games and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Terps aren’t flying under the radar this year — they narrowly missed the top 25 in the AP preseason poll and were picked for a third place finish in the Big Ten preseason media poll. 

With heightened expectations, Maryland’s ceiling this season could depend on how much the freshmen are able to contribute right away. If Willard’s comments at the Terps’ media day are any indication, they very well may be up to the task.