Maryland basketball will tip off its 2023-24 basketball season against Mount Saint Mary’s tonight. After being eliminated in the round of 32 by Alabama last season, the Terrapins have high expectations in year two of the Kevin Willard era. Returning are stars Jahmir Young, Julian Reese, and Donta Scott. Exciting freshman DeShawn Harris-Smith and Jamie Kaiser join the veterans in the starting five. Transfers Jordan Geronimo and Mady Traore should contribute off the bench, and potentially even Chance Stephens by season’s end. Maryland has the third-highest odds to win the Big Ten according to FanDuel, in line with the Terps picked to finish third in the preseason Big Ten media poll. With familiar faces and new stars headlining the makeup of Willard’s roster, we dive into who we expect to shine, breakout and questions.
Team MVP: Jahmir Young
After facing another stay-or-go decision, Young leads Maryland into year two not just in College Park, but year two in Kevin Willard’s system. Young enters the season as a unanimous All-Big Ten preseason team and one of three Big Ten players named to the Bob Cousy Award as the DeMatha product looks to elevate his profile in his final season of eligibility.
Young showcased himself as a crafty scorer around the rim and with hope that Maryland can showcase more consistency with its perimeter shooting, giving him more chances to attack the rim. He finished 31.1% from behind the arc last season which is solid but if he can get an uptick in this category he could be one of the best guards in the country. Young will look to capitalize in the open lanes as he was a successful slasher last year. He finished in the top 100 in the country in terms of fouls drawn per 40 mins last season (KenPom). Averaging 15.8 points last season was a solid performance but perhaps even more is expected from him in season 2 in College Park. The Terrapins will go as far as Young takes them and look for him to be one of the elite guards in the Big Ten.
Freshman of the year: DeShawn Harris-Smith
DeShawn Harris-Smith is the prized piece of the 2023 Maryland recruiting class. The Paul VI High School product was ranked the 26th player nationally and earned the Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia last season. Harris-Smith has been getting a lot of attention nationally as experts have him pegged as one of the best freshmen in the Big Ten and the country as a whole. At 6-5 and 215 pounds, Harris-Smith has to build that is ready to play day 1 in a physical conference. Coach Kevin Willard has high hopes for the freshman as he is projected to be the starting guard opposite of Jahmir Young.
Harris-Smith is a physical and smart player. As a senior, averaged 17.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 2.6 steals per game as he led Paul VI to the VISAA Division I State Championship and the WCAC Tournament final. He was named the player of the year in this conference as a junior as well.
It is safe to say that the kid has a lot of expectations coming into College Park. With established players such as Jahmir Young, Donta Scott, and Julian Reese all returning; Harris-Smith will plug in as the 4th option where he can provide offense to compliment the Terrapins. If he is as advertised the Terrapins can reach a new level under Willard. Harris-Smith is a mature kid and he will find his way into Terrapins fan’s hearts sooner than later.
Breakout player: Julian Reese
Julian Reese returns for his third season as Maryland’s go-to big man. Last season he averaged 11.4 points/game and 7.2 rebounds/game. He started to show signs of what could be one of the better big men in the conference. The St. Frances product was an All-Big Ten honorable mention last year as he posted the third-highest field goal percentage (.632) in program history. He is surprisingly efficient as he ranked 30th in the nation in effective field goal percentage (Kenpom). He also finished in the top 100 in offensive rebounding percentage and in the top 200 in defensive rebounding percentage (Kenpom). Last year is what I think could just be the start of Reese’s breakout.
Headed into year three it could be the true breakout we all want. Last season he improved his defense by doing a great job against some of the best big men in the country including Zach Edey. He has to fix his foul trouble issues as he fouled out often and was constantly getting into foul trouble. This year’s Terps have a little bit more depth in the frontcourt so there is help in that aspect. Reese also needs to better from the line as he shot 53% from the charity stripe last year despite drawing 5 fouls a game (Kenpom). If Reese can hit more shots from the line and continue to develop his rebounding ability he can be an absolute threat in the conference. While Young is the MVP, Reese is the key for Maryland to have success during conference play.
X-factor: Jordan Geronimo
The forgotten piece of the 2023-24 Maryland basketball roster is Indiana transfer, Jordan Geronimo. In a relatively short bench for Maryland, Geronimo is going to be looked upon to be a contributor outside of the starting lineup. Geronimo averaged 4.2 points/game and 2.4 rebounds/game averaging 12 minutes a night last season for the Hoosiers. At 6-6 and 225 pounds, Geronimo will look to fill a power forward/center role off the bench for the Terrapins. Coach Kevin Willard is expecting big things for the transfer as he looks to be the first man off the bench.
No stats jump off the page for Geronimo during his time in Bloomington but he shot 63% from inside the arch last season. Geronimo is an athletic forward with a big frame and 7-foot wing span. Look for him to use his size and athleticism to take advantage of opposing teams’ bench players. Don’t expect Geronimo to take many shots from behind the arch as he only attempted 19 three-pointers last season and finished 26% from that area. Geronimo is a true X-factor as he is relatively an unknown in Big Ten country but there is internal confidence in the red-shirt junior within the Xfinity Center walls.
Most improved: Noah Batchelor
Noah Batchelor had an underwhelming freshman campaign as he averaged just 1.6 points a game in an average of 6 minutes a night. Batchelor slowly received fewer minutes as the season went along and his three-point shot was not falling. His calling card is his three-point shot and it was a major reason why Kevin Willard recruited him out of IMG Academy. He went 8-31 from behind the arc last season as it never seemed to click for him last season.
Maryland is in desperate need of three-point shooting as last season they ranked 238 in the country in three-point shooting. Jahmir Young has shown capable of knocking down the deep shot while Donta Scott can catch hot and freshman Jamie Kaiser Jr. will look to prove himself as the go-to shooter. Batchelor, though, has a chance to prove himself as a scorer off the bench heading into a pivotal year two. A facet of the game where Maryland is searching for an answer, look for Batchelor to be the most improved player from last season in terms of his minutes and point production.
Biggest question:
On the floor, the biggest question remains whether the Terps can keep opposing defenses honest to stretch the floor to show a genuine three-point shooting threat. Jahmir Young was able to knock down triples last season, led by some timely game-sealing shots, while Donta Scott has shown he has the ability to score inside and out. For Batchelor’s ‘most improved’ tag to come to fruition, it’ll likely have to mean he’s able to provide the Terps that perimeter scoring the Terps desperately looked for last season. But maybe priority number one to filling this void is Jamie Kaiser Jr., whose sharpshooting and pure form have been on display ever since his national ascension the summer leading into his senior season. Now in College Park, Kaiser Jr.’s tight-knit relationship with freshmen phenoms DeShawn Harris-Smith and Jahnathan Lamothe gives fans confidence in the future of the program with the foundation set, but on the court, Kaiser Jr. will get a chance to have that natural shooting touch translate to the college level. How well the freshman guard/wing fares from three could add another layer to the Terps’ potential on offense.
Aside from an Xs and Os standpoint, the biggest question for Maryland’s chances of success this season hinges on the Terps’ success on the road. There was never a doubt about the Terps inside Xfinity Center after posting a 16-1 record at home under Willard, including a perfect 10-0 record in conference play. Outside of College Park, that’s where things got dicey as Maryland finished 4-3 on neutral floors and just 2-9 on the road. Willard’s added familiarity with the conference and opponents could help the Terps improve that metric in year two in the Big Ten, while the returning veterans like Jahmir Young leading the way could help Maryland set the tone. How Maryland answers this question could be visible early with the Asheville Tournament beginning Friday and a road test against 22nd-ranked Villanova next Friday.
Bold prediction:
My first bold prediction is Julian Reese will finish on the Big Ten second team. The Big Ten is littered with talented big men including the likes of Zach Edey, Cliff Omoruyi, Mackenzie Mgabko, and Steven Crowl just to name a few. Reese is in this category but I believe he can challenge to be one of the best. His pure athleticism allows him to make great post moves in the paint to create scoring opportunities. He is already a fantastic rebounder and I believe this will only get better in year three. Averaging 13-15 points a game is in range if he can improve his free throw shooting and continue to be efficient in the paint. A true breakout season as one of the nation’s most elusive big men is on the table for the local kid.
As far as team prediction, my bold pick is that the Maryland Terrapins will finish second in the Big Ten. Purdue could solidify itself as the alpha dog in the conference, but Maryland can definitely give them a test. Many experts have Michigan St. as the clear number two team heading into the season. The Spartans return some key pieces from their surprise sweet sixteen run from last year. Tyson Walker, Malik Hall, Aj Hoggard and Maddy Sissoko are all back for coach Tom Izzo in 2023. Joining them is one of the best recruit classes in the nation that includes Xavier Booker, Coen Carr, and Jeremy Fears. On paper, this is one of the best Spartans teams in recent memory but perhaps they are overhyped. Monday night’s humbling loss to James Madison in the home opener may validate that already. The returning players were a part of a mediocre Michigan St. squad last year that did not strike too much fear into opponents. The freshman can make an impact but Tom Izzo usually doesn’t give his freshman too much opportunity to succeed. Combine these factors and I think the Spartans are one of the most overrated teams in the country, reminiscent of the North Carolina Tar Heels of last season. Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana will all have solid squads but I think the combination of Maryland’s returning pieces and some exciting freshmen will vault them to a second-place finish.
Maryland vs. Mount St. Mary’s: how to watch, listen, game preview
VIP notes: Derik Queen chase, flip target still in play (+)
Matt Rhule sings high praise for Taulia Tagovailoa, talks limiting Maryland’s offense
Kevin Willard previews Maryland basketball’s opener, what he wants to see vs. Mount St. Mary’s
Note from basketball practice (+)
Analyst picks Maryland basketball as a “bracket disruptor or a tournament disaster”
