Maryland basketball didn’t have to travel far to jumpstart its 2023 class after guards Jahnathan Lamothe, Jamie Kaiser and DeShawn Harris-Smith gave head coach Kevin Willard their verbals. As the staff now shifts its attention to the frontcourt to close out the 2023 class, the staff has been able to lay the foundation for the 2024 and 2025 targets through the summer into the start of the fall semester. After bringing in one target for two visits in recent months, Maryland saw its efforts pay off.
Paul VI (VA) four-star forward Darren Harris released a top four of Duke, Maryland, Miami and Ohio State on Tuesday afternoon. The 6-foot-6 top-50 consensus prospect visited Maryland over the summer and returned to campus last month for a follow-up visit. After landing both his high school and AAU teammate in four-star guard DeShawn Harris-Smith this cycle, assistant Tony Skinn is leading the way for a second local priority as he faces stiff competition.
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“[It] was great, the whole staff definitely showed a lot of love and I felt like a big priority for them. I learned a lot about the program, along with the university and campus,” Harris-Smith told Inside the Black and Gold after his last visit.
Duke will be the next school to have the four-star prospect on campus as he’ll officially visit Durham beginning October 14, per On3.
Harris is rated a four-star prospect and a 95 overall by On3, sitting as the 41st-best player nationally and the third-best prospect in Virginia.
Point Guard Eyes eval:
The value a player like Harris provides extends well beyond shooting the basketball. For instance, just his threat to shoot can shift a defense, and his defender is often forced to hug him far away from the rim, creating spacious driving lanes for his teammates to operate. Further, when teams focus on running him off the 3-point line, he is adept at putting it on the floor to attack closeouts and get to his midrange spots for routine pull-ups. He’s accustomed to a fast-paced style of play, as both PVI and Takeover are known for pushing the pace on offense and applying heavy defensive pressure to speed up its opponents. Wisely, Harris has already held discussions with Head Coach Kevin Willard regarding his fit within the first year coach’s vision for the team’s style of play.
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