Published Aug 23, 2022
Kaiser Jr. makes meteoric rise in updated Rivals150
Scott Greene  •  TerrapinSportsReport
Publisher

IMG Academy (Fla.) four-star wing Jamie Kaiser Jr. made a meteoric rise in the newest update to the Rivals150, climbing 90 spots to No. 49 in the national rankings.

Kaiser, who committed to the Terps on August 7, had a strong spring/summer, beginning with his play at the Hoop Group Southern Jam Fest, where he really opened some eyes.

His strong play continued in June at the DMV Live event where he was the event's second-leading scorer playing with his previous high school, Bishop Ireton of the WCAC.

Kaiser helped his New World AAU team to the Adidas 3SSB title in July before a standout performance at the Under Armour Elite 24 August 12, where he scored 14 points while adding six rebounds and four assists in just over 14 minutes of action.

Only one player saw a bigger jump than Kaiser, future IMG Academy teammate and Kansas commit Chris Johnson, who went from unranked to No. 55 in the updated rankings.

Jahnathan Lamothe, Maryland's first 2023 commit and good friend of Kaiser, is No. 85 in the updated rankings. Like Kaiser, he too had a strong showing this summer, finishing 11th in scoring at the DMV Live event playing for Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances, while also helping his Team Durant AAU team to the semifinals of the Nike EYBL Peach Jam.

Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI four-star wing DeShawn Harris-Smith, who is set to commit August 24 with 100 percent of his FutureCast predictions for Maryland, also saw his ranking climb 17 spots to No. 89 nationally. Like Kaiser and Lamothe, Harris-Smith also had a strong summer showing, finishing 22nd in scoring and 4th in assists and the DMV Live event, while helping lead his Team Takeover AAU team to the Nike EYBL Peach Jam championship game.

With Kaiser and Lamothe, the Terps currently have two top-100 players committed. Should Harris-Smith pick the Terps Wednesday evening, Maryland would become one of just eight programs to currently have at least three commits rated four-star or higher for 2023.

Several other notable prospects the Terps are heavily involved with also saw their stock rise in the latest rankings update. South Kent (Conn.) four-star point guard Elmarko Jackson jumped up 78 spots to No. 63 in the updated Rivals150. Jackson helped lead his WER1 AAU team to a championship game appearance on the Under Armour circuit, while also recently impressing NBA scouts at the Under Armour Elite 24 event in Chicago. Sources have told TSR that Maryland should remain heavily involved in Jackson's recruitment even if they are to land a commitment from Harris-Smith.

Papa Kante, who like Jackson also attends South Kent (Conn.), jumped 13 spots to No. 95 in the latest Rivals150. The 6-foot-10 center officially visited Maryland back in June and recently spent some time back home in Senegal. Maryland, Michigan, Rutgers, Pittsburgh are Memphis are all currently involved in his recruitment.

Finally, four-star wing forward Mouhamed Dioubate of Putnam Science (Conn.) jumped eight spots to No. 74 in the latest Rivals150. The 6-foot-7, 200-pounder recently released a top-5 that included Alabama, Kansas State, Maryland, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Of those five, Alabama, Kansas State and Maryland appear to be the biggest contenders, with a visit to Maryland expected in the coming weeks.