Basketball

Pair of former Maryland freshmen find new landing spots

While head coach Kevin Willard has turned to the portal to restock next season’s roster, a pair of former Terps have found new homes for the 2024-25 season after a pair of freshmen from the once-heralded 2023 class have announced their commitments.

Jahnathan Lamothe, a fringe four-star prospect out of St. Frances Academy (MD), announced on Saturday that he will head to North Carolina A&T for his sophomore season where he’ll look to become an integral piece in the Aggies’ turnaround. In the first season with Monté Ross as head coach, the Aggies finished 7-25 (5-13) but Lamothe will get a chance to step into a larger role compared to his time at Maryland.

With local recruiting at the center of Kevin Willard’s recruiting efforts, Lamothe became the first commitment in Maryland’s 2023 class as the Baltimore native narrowed his focus on the Terps over pursuits from Georgetown, UCF and Penn State. Lamothe showcased himself as a do-it-all guard for the Panthers, finishing his career with over 1,000 career points while becoming the first St. Frances player in school history to average a triple double during the regular season. After making his commitment official, Lamothe shined through his senior year with a 57-point outing including 16 threes, along with being named the MIAA MVP as a senior.

At Maryland, Lamothe struggled to crack the rotation after averaging 6.9 minutes across 16 appearances, averaging less than one point per game while shooting 25% from the floor. He posted a career-high ten points against Alcorn in his fifth appearance of the season, while he recorded three of his four steals on the season vs. Villanova.

Jamie Kaiser Jr., meanwhile, will head to the Big East and play for head coach Thad Matta after going public on Monday with his commitment to Butler. Kaiser, a 6-foot-6 freshman out of Burke, Va., drew a slew of suitors with Virginia Tech also involved to give him a much-needed fresh start.

After signing with Maryland as the second commitment in Willard’s class, Kaiser struggled to find consistent offense during his lone season with the program, starting in five games and shooting under 27% from both the field and three-point while averaging just 4.4 points per game. Kaiser posted a season-high 14 points in 4-of-5 shooting and 17 minutes in the late January win vs. Nebraska, while he posted a season-high 31 minutes in the Big Ten Tournament win vs. Rutgers. After being tabbed as a big-time shooter heading into Maryland, Kaiser posted double figures in just five games as a freshman.

While Kaiser was initially expected to remain with the program for a second season, he reversed course before informing the coaching staff earlier this month as a third available scholarship opened this offseason.

Meanwhile, Noah Batchelor was the first player to both enter the portal and find a new home after committing to Buffalo while George Mason hosted former Maryland center Caelum Swanton-Rodger over the weekend, potentially pairing him with former Maryland assistant and current head coach Tony Skinn.