What is Maryland getting in four-star Deshawn Harris-Smith

Deshawn Harris-Smith is a significant get for Maryland.

Maryland was the clear leader to land the four-star with On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) giving the Terps a 90 percent chance of committing to Maryland. My expert pick was put into RPM with a 90 confidence rating.

Let’s explore what the No. 45 player in On3’s 2023 rankings would bring to College Station.

Harris-Smith’s offensive game

The easiest way to describe Deshawn Harris-Smith’s game is that he is a jack-of-all-trades. There are no real holes in his game, with his ability to pass, handle, and defend.

The jump shot has been a question in the past, but he shot 41.2 percent through 26 Nike EYBL Circuit games this summer.

Harris-Smith is listed at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds. He plays for his high school team, and many possession in travel ball, as his team’s primary ball handler. While he does not have the blow-by burst, he takes care of the ball and has excellent floor vision.

Harris-Smith averaged 3.5 assists per game during Peach Jam. He carried a 1.78-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in leading Team Takeover to the championship game. In the Peach Jam finals, the four-star finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. He played 18 minutes and was 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Harris-Smith could shine on defense

Defensively, Harris-Smith has all the tools. He has long arms with his 6-5, 205 frame. He will probably be a wing at the next level, but defensively, he could guard anywhere across the perimeter, depending on the looks you want.

Harris-Smith’s anticipation is exemplary, and he takes each matchup personally. During Peach Jam, Synergy charted him to give up .643 points per possession. His man scored on only 28.6 possession, where Harris-Smith was the primary defender, and they shot 30.2 percent from the field.

Maryland’s 2023 class

Deshawn Harris-Smith is the third DMV player Maryland head coach Kevin Willard has landed in the 2023 class. The DMV stands for DC, Maryland, Virginia- an area stretching from Northern Virginia through Washington DC to Baltimore, Maryland.

Three-star wing Jahnathan Lamothe is from Baltimore (MD) St. Frances. Four-star SG Jamie Kaiser, originally from Northern Virginia, will play his senior season at Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy.

Four-star Deshawn Harris-Smith is at Fairfax (VA) Paul VI.