Maryland basketball head coach Kevin Willard is ringing in the new year with the first member of the Terps' 2024 recruiting class, as Lanham (Md.) Mt. Zion Prep three-star shooting guard Malachi Palmer announced his commitment to Willard and the Terps on Jan. 1.
Palmer chose the Terps over Florida State, Oklahoma State, Seton Hall and West Virginia.
Maryland originally offered Palmer back in September of 2022 with current George Mason head coach Tony Skinn as the lead recruiter at the time.
Palmer visited Maryland quite a few times throughout the recruiting process, including an unofficial visit for a home game last season versus Binghamton on Nov. 15, 2022.
With Skinn moving on during the offseason to become a head coach, former Rhode Island head coach and current Terps assistant David Cox took the lead in Palmer's recruitment.
Maryland hosted Palmer for an official visit last month for the Nicholls State game, where they rolled out the red carpet, seemingly sealing the deal ahead of a New Year's Day announcement.
A Harrisburg, Pa. native, Palmer began his high school career at Harrisburg (Pa.) Central Dauphin, where he was named a MaxPreps Freshman All-American before transferring to Phoenix (Az.) Hillcrest Prep for his sophomore year.
After an injury-shortened sophomore season, Palmer made the decision to return closer to home, transferring to Mt. Zion Prep, located just a few miles down the road from College Park.
Palmer, who was named First Team All-Elite Prep League last season, reached the 1,000-point milestone of his high school career the day before his official visit to Maryland last month, scoring 23 points in a win over Tri-State Prep.
A 6-foot-6, 200-pound shooting guard, Palmer has a college-ready body and excels at creating his own shot off the dribble.
A three-star prospect, Palmer is the 141st ranked player in the class nationally and the 33rd ranked shooting guard in the class according to Rivals.
Attention will now turn to 2024 five-star big man Derik Queen, who remains one of the top uncommitted players in the class with a final group of schools that includes the Terps, Indiana, Houston and Kansas.
Queen, who was an AAU teammate of Palmer's at one point with Team Thrill, is currently the 13th ranked prospect in the 2024 class. He would be Maryland's highest ranked commit since Wisconsin five-star big man Diamond Stone, the No. 6-ranked prospect in his class, committed to play for Mark Turgeon back in 2015. A decision from Queen could possibly come as soon as the Hoophall Classic, where Montverde will play Oak Hill on Jan. 12.
