Maryland basketball inched closer to year two of the Kevin Willard era after returning from Italy last week, closing the book on their international trip.
As expected, Maryland breezed through their three exhibition games as they won all three games by at least 29 points, but even Willard was transparent that the trip was less about the final scores than it was giving the staff a chance to be experimental with their new roster, working on new lineup combinations as they get comfortable with the new roster. That also meant Willard giving his staff more flexibility with assistant David Cox coaching the first game, Greg Manning Jr. the second while Mike Jones closed out the third game.
As far as what to expect heading into the 2023-24 season, the core returning players once again have led the way with Jahmir Young, Donta Scott and Julian Reese picking up where he left off. The return of Jahmir Young for year two gives Maryland a proven piece to lead Willard’s system where the pair of returning veteran bigs give Young a chance to become more efficient as an inside-out scorer. After missing the cut for the Team USA roster, freshman phenom Deshawn Harris-Smith has built off a strong summer starting in College Park into Italy where he’s fit right in and shown he’s more than shown he’s capable of scoring a variety of ways, whether through contact at the rim or attacking the midrange. There’s ample confidence that the duo of Harris-Smith and Young puts Maryland’s backcourt in comfortable hands and among the Big Ten’s top duos as the tandem lead the way.
There’s familiarity behind Young with Jahari Long back for his second season with the program, and fourth under Willard, a trait that’s helped him become a soft-spoken leader within Willard’s system. Long returns as the primary ballhandler behind Young, though Harris-Smith could find himself with the ball in his hands coming up the court. Meanwhile, former SFA guard Jahn Lamothe has shown flashes on offense as he now adjusts and hones in on Willard’s aggressive defensive style through summer workouts.
If there are three questions heading into the season, two of them consist of how Willard will replace Hakim Hart and whether Maryland can improve its inconsistent and lackluster perimeter shooting from a season ago. While the competition may not have been great abroad, the early answer is that freshman Jamie Kaiser could be the primary answer as his shooting through July workouts translated to Italy before ending the trip with a double-double. Kaiser’s shooting and college-ready strength are what make him a strong candidate to fill Hart’s role at the three, while his business-like demeanor since arriving in College Park hasn’t gone unnoticed been noticed as well as he attempts to fill arguably Maryland’s biggest need. His play on the defensive end, even in Willard’s aggressive summer install, boosts his chances of being capable of stepping into the feature role that was expected out of high school.
Kaiser isn’t alone, though, as second-year forward Noah Batchelor has shown flashes of consistency when it comes to his three-point shooting, but the buzz around Kaiser makes him likely the most confident option heading down the stretch.
If the fifth starter isn’t Kaiser, then look for Jordan Geronimo to fill that role as the former Indiana transfer enters his lone season with the program with high expectations. Despite averaging 4.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 27 appearances last season with the Hoosiers, the 6-foot-6 forward gives the Terps an athletic piece who helps win the battle on the boards.
In the frontcourt, Julian Reese has continued to make perimeter shooting a focus through the offseason, a focus that began nearly instantly after his sophomore season, as he adds to his bag. Playing controlled on the defensive end is also a focus, but so was ironing out the frontcourt’s depth.
While Maryland lost Patrick Emilien, the second-year development of Caelum Swanton-Rodger helps soften that blow. The 7-footer’s development begins with the bulkier upper body, evident during media day even before the Italy trip, while maintaining a smooth touch around the rim.
Maryland added Mady Traore, a bouncy 6-foot-11 who runs the floor well, while freshman 7-footer Braden Pierce is on a similar development plan to Swanton-Rodger when he arrived last summer, but the second-year development of Swanton-Rodger is what puts him on track to step into that elevated role.
Maryland is set to open the 2023-24 season on Nov. 7 vs. Mount St. Mary’s.
Related Links
Ten names to know for Maryland football’s 2025 recruiting: defensive edition (+)
Ten names to know for Maryland football’s 2025 recruiting: offensive edition (+)
Local four-star open to staying home, talks latest visit to Maryland (+)
Maryland football battling through camp as Felton, Littleton talk Josh Gattis’s impact on offense