Maryland basketball was able to do enough in game one to empty the bench and cruise to a 68-53 win over Mount St. Mary’s with the Asheville Tournament up next on Friday night.
Maryland saw multiple new faces, including their freshmen four-stars, make their debut as head coach Kevin Willard reviewed what stuck out.
“What I think what I was most impressed with is the fact that going into the game, we knew from the box scores, their two exhibitions, they had taken a ton of threes. And even going back to last year, they were a very heavy three-point shooting team. So, for your first real scouting report, we didn’t scout Virginia, we didn’t scout Cincinnati. For them to lock in, chase the right guys off the line. I mean, Dakota Leffew is a really, really good, good player. For him to go 3-for-14 and have a freshman on most of the game just shows that they were locked in and I think that’s what, if they can keep that all year long and get better on the offensive end, that’s really good for us.”
Veterans leave their own mark
The returning trio drew the expected starts with DeShawn Harris-Smith paired alongside Jahmir Young, while Indiana transfer Jordan Geronimo got the nod in game one. Julian Reese was fed early and often with six points in the first seven minutes and change as the big man showcased his quick feet and comfort in the post to finish around the rim, finishing 8-of-11 from the floor for a game-high 18 points. The efficiency and quickness around the rim showcased why Willard continues to speak so confidently about his big man as Reese used his size well against a Mount St. Mary’s frontcourt that let him play free in the post.
While Reese’s soft touch around the rim highlighted the good from his performance on Tuesday night, the same issues that plagued Reese through his first two seasons resurfaced. While Maryland shot 68% from the line as a team, that’s a bit impacted by Reese finishing 2-of-7 from the line including 1-for-5 in the second half, though Willard reaffirmed his confidence that his big man will turn the tide. “His free throws will get better. He shot them. He made 22 in a row this morning at 7:30 in the morning. Maybe we’ve got to shoot him a little bit later in the afternoon,” Willard said postgame.
While Reese still finished with nine points and a pair of rebounds in the first half, he also appeared to enter with fouls to spare with just one heading into halftime. That changed quickly after picking up his second foul minutes into the second half, then a second foul four minutes later in a situation Willard took responsibility for that. “He shouldn’t have been in the game,” Willard added. Still, Reese’s fourth foul came at the under-12 timeout as Caelum Swanton-Rodger and Jordan Geronimo filled in until the final five minutes of the game. While Tuesday’s full roster gave Willard a chance to play newer rotations together, he also noted the emphasis on playing bigger lineups tonight in preparation for playing Big Ten teams with size. While Reese’s efficient performance inside offensively was enough to get the job done in game one, Maryland will need him available more than the 23 minutes he played.
Meanwhile, Jahmir Young was able to find success as a scorer and facilitator in the second half with three of his four assists coming in the second half including his final assist to Julian Reese thwarting a Mountaineer run. Donta Scott was able to add all nine of his points in the second half with seven in the first ten minutes. Yet still, Tuesday marked Julian Reese flashing on the offensive end of the floor.
Three-point shooting struggles evident in game one
Aside from how Maryland’s new and returning pieces mesh together through the early stages of the season, whether the Terps could showcase improved perimeter scoring could tell the tale of what the ceiling is for the 2023-24 squad. While last year’s season opener elevated early-season optimism in providing that scoring, the Terps weren’t able to do so on Tuesday night after shooting just 3-of-16 from deep.
Kaiser Jr. was able to knock down his first three-point attempt while Jahari Long added the second and final triple of the first half. Donta Scott was the lone Terp to find the bottom of the net from deep in the second half as Maryland shot 1-for-7 in the second half and 3-for-16 on the game. Noah Batchelor will have a chance to showcase himself as a scoring option off the bench, but that didn’t come to fruition on Tuesday night after missing both attempts from the field in 11 minutes of action.
While the need for the Terps to find perimeter scoring is dire, it wasn’t a deterrence from Maryland finding their way against Mount St. Mary’s. With 40 points in the paint after shooting over 63% from inside the arc, Maryland was able to turn defense into offense with 14 turnovers into 12 points, highlighted by a DHS-to-Jahmir alley-oop.
DeShawn Harris Smith leads freshmen debut
The freshman guard drew the start alongside Jahmir Young in his first career game, as expected, and looked comfortable in his debut. The former four-star guard didn’t waste any time making an immediate impact, adding a pair of steals and a block within the first five minutes of the game as he showcased his tenacity and instincts on the defensive end. Harris-Smith was also able to turn defense into offense, evidenced by a defensive rebound rebound off an airball that turned into a coast-to-coast layup with five minutes left in the first half.
DHS showcased his offensive ability after pulling in a defensive rebound off an airball, taking it coast-to-coast to finish at the rim. The freshman was one of three players to finish in double-figures, finishing with 12 points including a game-high ten points at the break, living up to the billing in his first game. Harris-Smith was also able to team up with Jahmir Young for an early highlight. Julian Reese was able to force a turnover in the paint, giving Donta Scott his lone steal of the night before finding Harris-Smith up the court, setting up Jahmir Young for an easy alley-oop.
There was a brief moment of concern after the freshman went down in the opening minutes of the second half with an apparent leg injury but was able to walk off the court before checking back in minutes later. Overall, an as-advertised performance from the freshman with Harris-Smith in line for a big role in the Terps’ backcourt.
He wasn’t the only freshman to make his debut as Jamie Kaiser Jr. was the first Terp to knock down a triple on the night, one of just three made threes by Maryland in the win. Kaiser Jr. was also able to knock down a contested jumper at the free-throw line minutes later before being held scoreless the rest of the way. Jahnathan Lamothe, meanwhile, played just two minutes in his first game.
Notes, per UMTerps:
