When three sixth-graders shared the court during a Putnam Youth Basketball League (PYBL) championship game, nobody could have guessed they would all go on to play basketball at the University of Maryland and become close friends.
DeShawn Harris-Smith and Jamie Kaiser Jr. were teammates representing Arlington, Va., and Jahnathan Lamothe was on the other side representing Frederick, Md.
Lamothe’s team won the championship, but it signaled the beginning of a competitive rivalry that later morphed into an unbreakable bond. Harris-Smith recalled just how competitive playing against his current teammate was.
“I knew Jahn, but I didn’t know him personally so it was definitely like going at each other, talking a little trash and stuff like that,” Harris-Smith said.
The three basketball stars shared the hardwood again in a championship game in Pittsburgh several years later, this time with the rosters shaken up a bit. Harris-Smith played for Team Takeover in a 16-and-under AAU title game, while Kaiser and Lamothe were with Team Durant.
But again, Lamothe’s team came away victorious while Harris-Smith was on the losing end.
“DeShawn, he’s always going to talk trash to you if you’re on the other team,” Lamothe said. “We definitely always had friendly battles and stuff. It’s always competitive on the court. But then after practice, it’s just like whatever happened, happened and it’s on to the next day.”
Harris-Smith (Woodbridge, Va.), Kaiser (Burke, Va.), and Lamothe (Baltimore) were all brought in by second-year Maryland head coach Kevin Willard as part of the Terps’ 2023 recruiting class. The three are expected to set the foundation for the future of the program, and their friendship has carried into college.
“Off the court they are close. I mean, they do everything together,” Willard said. “You see the three of them on campus riding their scooters. They get here at the same time. They’re out shooting right now together.”
Harris-Smith is a 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard known for his physicality and high motor on defense. His basketball IQ shines through with his passing ability and knack for finishing around the rim. He was regarded as the most impactful freshman in the Big Ten by many analysts before recording a single start.
Kaiser, a 6-foot-6, 205-pound wing, was heralded as one of the best shooters in the recruiting class. That made him a candidate to be a Day 1 starter, but he has instead assumed a significant role coming off the bench.
Finally, Lamothe entered the season with lower expectations in terms of immediate contributions. The 6-foot-4, 192-pound combo guard’s career at St. Frances Academy was highlighted by a record-setting 57-point performance that included 16 threes against John Carroll on Senior Night.
The three freshmen can be seen around campus getting food together and attending class together.
“We’re always with each other,” Harris-Smith said. “We have all the same classes, so we see each other all day, 24/7.”
Hanging out in each other’s rooms and talking off the court has also helped them strengthen their bond. They often discuss what they’re doing well on the court and what they may need to work on, the freshmen say, while understanding the importance of being there for one another’s successes and failures.
“I think because there’s just a certain comfort level and a trust that gets built over time and then it just keeps growing,” Kaiser said.
The friendship and trust the freshmen share was strengthened during the recruitment process. Lamothe was the first of the three to commit to Maryland in June 2022. He was a four-star recruit and the No. 4 overall player in Maryland at the time, according to 247Sports.
Willard told Lamothe he wanted Kaiser to play for him as well. Kaiser, a fellow four-star recruit, was the No. 13 player in Virginia. Lamothe remained in contact with Kaiser and pitched his case. Kaiser committed to Maryland two months later.
Lamothe said he didn’t know that Willard was recruiting Harris-Smith until later. But the four star recruit and best player from Virginia committed to Maryland less than a month after Kaiser.
“Jamie was an easy decision. We just finished playing with each other and stuff like that,” Lamothe said. “And then DeShawn, I knew that we could play together because we played against each other in high school and AAU and stuff like that. So I knew our games could go hand in hand.”
The decision to stay home in the DMV area and attend Maryland represents a commitment to their families and communities.
“I feel like you want to play where everybody’s got your back. Everybody’s been rooting for me here since I was young,” Harris-Smith said. “So why would I go somewhere else where other fans can root for me? I feel like they feel the same way, like you want to stay where everybody believed in you first.”
Willard has been outspoken about his belief in his 2023 class, referring to this class as the “best freshman class I’ve ever had” at Big Ten men’s basketball media day. The praise continued throughout the preseason, with Willard highlighting their competitive nature.
“A lot of young kids think they’re competitive and they get to this level and realize they’re not,” Willard said. “I think these guys see what Jahmir [Young] brings every day, what Donta [Scott] brings every day and I think these guys have come in and they’ve battled every day.”
Harris-Smith, Kaiser and Lamothe believe they’re setting a path for younger hoops players in the area, one in which kids can stay close to home and remain successful. Their bond, along with support from other teammates and their parents, has been a driving force for them.
“Almost half of our team is from the area, so we’re all comfortable with each other,” Kaiser said. “And then we get a good support system from our families that come to the games and stuff. It just gives us a certain comfort level that you might not get or you’ve got to get adjusted to if you go to a different school.”
Photo Credits: Kenya Allen/PressBox
Issue 284: December 2023 / January 2024
Originally published Dec. 13, 2023