7-foot center Braden Pierce commits to Maryland

Braden Pierce, one of the top available big men in the 2023 class, has committed to Maryland.

The 7-foot, 230-pound three-star senior originally from Woodstock, Georgia received offers from Seton Hall, NC State, Rutgers, and others.

Pierce is currently on the post-graduate team at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy.

He becomes the fourth player to commit to Kevin Willard in the 2023 class. The big man joins four-star guard DeShawn Harris-Smith (No. 41), four-star wing Jamie Kaiser (No. 51), and three-star guard Jahnathan Lamothe (No. 141). The ‘Terps have the No. 18 overall recruiting class.

According to the On3 Consensus, Pierce ranks as the No. 167 overall prospect in the country. The On3 Consensus is the average ranking from all four major recruiting media companies (ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals, On3). On3’s evaluators are even higher on him, ranking him 144th overall in the class.

Pierce on his commitment to Maryland

“I chose Maryland because I really fit what they want to run on offense and their plan to use me,” Pierce said to On3. “I believe in Coach Willard’s vision for the program moving forward, the energy he brings to the team every day, and it’s a great family environment.”

How does Braden Pierce describe his game, in his own words?

“I play with high energy and I’m a versatile player for my size,” he says. “I can shoot the three, score in many ways out of the post, a really good passer, and can even take a defender off the dribble from the perimeter, but I think the best part of my game right now is blocking shots on defense.”

Pierce has a message for Maryland fans.

“To the Terp fans, y’all bring the energy to every game and have been showing me the most love which helped make this decision easy. Let’s go win a championship!”