Maryland Basketball: DeShawn Harris-Smith adds to local 2023 class

DeShawn Harris-Smith becomes the third commitment in the 2023 class for Maryland Basketball, with the program cleaning up in the DMV area.

One of the biggest complaints from the previous coaching regime for Maryland Basketball was the lack of recruiting in the local “DMV” area, which is filled with a ton of local prospects. So far, the new head coach Kevin Willard has done a great job recruiting there, landing key class of 2023 players.

The first was Jahnathan Lamothe, a three-star shooting guard prospect from Baltimore. And the next and most recent was Jamie Kaiser, a four-star wing and top-40 commit from Burke, Virginia. But clearly, the Terrapins weren’t done, this time adding another top prospect from the DMV in DeShawn Harris-Smith from Fairfax.

Harris-Smith is a consensus top-40 prospect in the 2023 class and a four-star commit for Maryland Basketball. He’s a 6’5 guard that can play multiple positions, including running the offense. He’s a versatile player known for his constant effort and physicality and is also a solid shooter as well. Harris-Smith’s overall offensive game will need a little more polishing but his defensive potential along with all-around ability gives him not only a high floor as an overall prospect but also makes him likely to have an impact as a freshman too.

It’s another win for the Terrapins against Big Ten competition, beating out Penn State and Indiana (along with Xavier and Villanova) for Harris-Smith. They’ll have to continue doing that in order to get back into NCAA Tournament but this is a good start.

Not only is Maryland cleaning up locally, but they’re also taking care of positions of need on the roster for the future. The team doesn’t have much at the shooting guard/wing positions. Hakim Hart, Seton Hall transfer Jahari Long, and freshman Noah Batchelor are the key players but the Terrapins admittedly could use some long-term upgrades.

Look for the team to add one big man to round out the class, especially since Qudus Wahab isn’t around. While the class isn’t on the same level as Michigan State and Ohio State in the Big Ten, the Terrapins are taking care of their own business quite well.