Head coach Kevin Willard and Maryland now have commitment number two in the 2023 class.
IMG Academy (FL) four-star Jamie Kaiser Jr. has announced his commitment to Maryland over Indiana and Virginia as the fast-rising guard joins St. Frances Academy three-star guard Jahnathan Lamothe in the Terps’ class. Kaiser’s commitment gives Willard his first notable recruiting win as Maryland’s head coach and the staff battled through Kaiser’s rapid rise through the summer and crowded recruitment
“It was really between Indiana and Maryland,” Kaiser told Inside the Black and Gold. After taking an official visit to Indiana last week, Kaiser and his dad returned to Maryland for an unofficial visit on Thursday to answer his biggest question—playing time. “That was the one thing that I wanted to ask so when we had that conversation, I thought it was a done deal,” Kaiser added. “See the coaches, watch the film and that’s really all I wanted to see from them so that’s why I went up.”
Kaiser further explained why he felt at home with Maryland. “Mostly the family. They’ve been recruiting me since the beginning of my junior year with the old staff but when coach [Kevin] Willard came over, I had known him since he was at Seton Hall and when coach [David] Cox was at Rhode Island, he was recruiting me.”
The 6-foot-6, 200-pound prospect first picked up an offer from Maryland—for football. Kaiser admitted he was previously set to commit to Maryland for football before making the eventual decision to play college basketball. It didn’t take long for Maryland to jump into the mix with an offer as assistant David Cox showed interest in Kaiser dating back to Cox’s time at Rhode Island and with familiarity with head coach Kevin Willard and an affinity for Maryland since he was a kid, Maryland became an immediate player after offering on May 16.
“I’ve been going to Maryland basketball games since I was in first grade, so it was only 45 minutes from my house. I just knew the rich history that they had and his cousin went there, played in the NFL. When the offer came in, I was like let’s just see what coach [Kevin] Willard is all about. I thought I’d be able to get familiar with coach Willard and it was just the best place for me.”
Kaiser took his first visit to Maryland as an offered basketball prospect on June 8 for a one-day official visit to get a better feel for his fit in College Park. “I went in there not knowing how I’d feel about it just because basketball is different than football, I didn’t know how high I’d be on their board, but after yesterday, they’re definitely up there and I didn’t expect it to happen, to be honest. But when they said they needed me and that they really wanted to bring the homegrown talent here and they couldn’t succeed without me, I got really excited.”
Kaiser originally planned to make a late June or early July decision, but new schools like Auburn, UCLA, Oregon and interest from UNC prompted the four-star and his family to remain patient. Kaiser also officially visited Virginia back on June 2 but an official visit to Indiana beginning July 26 challenged Maryland’s pursuit.
Kaiser know how he fits into the program.
“More like a 2 or 3, an interchangeable guard that can play on the wing too because they got Jahnathan Lamothe, and they’re like you guys are interchangeable, can play off guard, small forward even for me,” Kaiser added. “It was really good. They said they needed me, and they want me to play right away, fight for a starting job if possible. That really intrigued me and got me really excited.”
With his commitment now public, Maryland now moves into the top-25 in the updated On3 Team Rankings. Maryland now has two of their five spots filled this cycle as they gun for local four-star guard Deshawn Harris-Smith, who is also closing in on a commitment. Willard hasn’t been shy about the area being a hotbed for top talent and with an emphasis on locking down the area, Kaiser admitted the local recruiting feel pulled him to Maryland.
“It played a big part because he said he’d probably be out of a job if let his younger guys succeed which means he’s going to protect me and so will the whole staff and that’s just the level of comfort that I really want in college.”
Kaiser will move to IMG on August 21 as the Ascenders went 21-5 last season with a NIBC title loss to Sunrise Christian Academy and GEICO Nationals Semifinal loss to Monte Verde Academy.
Kaiser is rated a four-star guard and a 95 overall by On3, sitting as the 37th-best prospect in the country.