The Floor Slap is releasing a scouting report for every Freshmen player coming into the Big Ten. We are going to break down each player, project their first year impact, and categorize each school’s class from 1 to 5. In Part Two we have Maryland, Minnesota & Rutgers.
For a full breakdown of what I am looking for and what the class levels mean read the intro/the entirety of Part 1 here.
Let’s not waste time on this and get into it.
Maryland
4 Commits – 4th Ranked Class in Big Ten
Deshawn Harris-Smith
- 6-4”athletic 2 guard
- Paul VI Catholic (Fairfax, VA)
- Bouncy
- Quick first step
- I mean this dude is fast
- Great touch/finishing around the basket
- Strong… Will bully smaller dudes around the basket
- Good handle but really either goes past someone or through them
- Decent vision and can make cross court passes happen
- Almost everything is off the dribble
- Very few catch and shoot highlights
- He will have to play off of Jahmir Young and be able to catch and shoot next year.
- Finishes through contact. Will he do the same at the college level?
First Year Impact: Harris-Smith shows all the potential to be an alpha guard at the next level. He will have to wait in year one and learn under Jahmir Young. I can see Harris-Smith starting at the two right away. He will need to be able knock down open threes, create off secondary drives, and run bench units.
Jamie Kaiser
- 6-6” Wing
- IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
- Capital S Shooter
- Great with catch and shoot opportunities
- Moves well without the ball
- Usually shoots from the corner or wing
- More of a deliberate pace than explosive when driving
- Can put it on the floor and hit the midrange jumper
- Good strong frame with long arms
- Doesn’t need the ball
- Will fit in as a complimentary player next to Jahmir Young right away
First Year Impact: Jamie Kaiser is the exact type of player Kevin Willard wants to surround Young and Julian Reese. His shooting, movement, and body will be a perfect compliment on the wing. He could start at the 3 or come off the bench. Given the transfers out of the program, there will be plenty of opportunity for Kaiser either way.
Jahnathan Lamothe
- 6-4” Wing
- St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD)
- Played at the same High School as Julian Reese
- Comfortable with the ball in his hands
- GREAT vision
- Passes well on outlets, in transition or on drives to the basket
- Could be a great connecting player at the next level.
- Confident shooter
- Can do it off the dribble or catch and shoot.
- Hit 16 threes and had 57 points in his final regular season HS game. 16 threes!
- Comfortable dribbling with his left or right hand. Wants to finish with his right.
- Will take what you give him. Blows past you if up too far, splits hard hedges, goes left if shading right and vice versa.
- Feels bigger than his listed height
- It is worth mentioning twice that his vision is awesome.
First Year Impact: I love Lamothe. His vision, unselfishness and shooting ability will make everybody around him better next year. How much will he have the ball in his hand to use his vision? He is a candidate to start, but either way he will be getting major minutes next year.
Braden Pierce
- 7’ Center
- IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
- Skinny and mobile
- Not tethered to the paint
- Will catch on perimeter and drive past people
- Solid right hook from the center of the paint
- Comfortable handle, makes quick decisions
- Turns and faces and fools people with a shoulder shake
- Usually goes right
- Long arms and good feel on defense. Will likely be a 2 blocks a game guy with enough minutes
- Solid hands for a big guy.
- No jump shots on his highlight reel
- Will need to work on finishing with his left hand.
First Year Impact: Pierce has all the intangibles. The height, the feel, the motor, the coordination. Can he gain the skill to make himself an absolute weapon? I don’t know if that will come as a Freshman. Unclear how big a role he will have next year with Reese and Mady Traore likely in front of him. Still, plenty of things to be excited about with Pierce.
Overall Excitement Level: 4
This is a really good class for Kevin Willard’s first full cycle. It is clear he has focused on locking down the DMV area. There is a good balance of different types of players. I can see multiple players making big impacts right away. Maryland fans should be really excited about both year 1 potential but also the future. Can Deshawn Harris-Smith be an All-Big Ten player? What does Braden Pierce look like as a Senior? Can Kaiser and Lamothe graduate from role players to stars? This will be a really fun class to follow.
Minnesota
2 Commits – 12th ranked class in Big Ten
Cameron Christie
- 6-5”
- Rolling Meadows (Rolling Meadows, IL)
- Younger brother of MSU/Lakers Max Christie
- Long arms but skinny like his brother
- He doesn’t blow by people. Even against some weak competition.
- Willing to drive right or left. Takes what the defense gives him
- Still finishes with his right hand every time he drives left.
- Good Shooter. Really solid form.
- Shows ability to shoot off the dribble, on catch and shoot, or even off movement.
- Handle, passing, defense all seem fine.
First Year Projection: Christie is still pretty raw but so is all of Minnesota’s roster. He projects to be a 2 or a 3 and fill in a good chunk of minutes next year. He could start or come off the bench. I don’t know how much he can score off the dribble in year one, but I think Ben Johnson can come up with some sets to free him up as a shooter.
Kristupas Keinys
- 6’7” Wing/Forward
- Semi-pro Lithuania
- Kristupas is a long armed mobile forward
- Almost always on the perimeter on offense
- Confident shooter
- Primarily hits right wing and corner threes
- Not much tape off the bounce
- Did dribble right and left handed in clip
- Finishes with right hand every time
- Active defender
- Nose for the ball for steals and blocks on help defense
First Year Projection: As an international prospect I have no clue how tough Keinys’ competition was overseas. Still, his shooting and defense translate in America. He should be a stretch 4 player that can plug in behind Dawson Garcia or even play a bit of 3. With Isaiah Ihnen’s injury history, Keinys will provide some depth for Ben Johnson and the Gophers.
Overall Excitement Level: 2
This class has potential for Minnesota. Cameron Christie could be a really good player. I think he will need some time to get there. Keiyns could be a nice role player. This class isn’t nothing but it would have been a lot more exciting if five-star big Dennis Evans hadn’t decommitted.
Rutgers
3 Commits – 8th Ranked Class in the Big Ten
Gavin Griffiths
- 6’7” Wing
- Kingswood-Oxford School (West Hartford, CT)
- Capital S Shooter
- Cannot leave him open ever
- Makes shots from everywhere. Top of the key, corner, wing, free throw line midrange, etc.
- Form is up high but right in front of him. Could be blocked by guys his height
- Griffiths is a long lanky wing with arms that extend forever.
- Fits perfectly to the length that Coach Pikiell likes. Think of Lineups with him, Aundre Hyatt, Mawot Mag & Cliff Omoruyi.
- Solid Vertical
- Finishes with right or left hand in the lane
- Comfortable dribbling but isn’t going to blow by anybody on drives.
- Will use stop and start motions to get by defenders
- Has great balance keeping his torso straight on even if his stance is off-balance, twisted, on the run, etc.
First Year Projection: With the departure of Paul Mulcahy, Cam Spencer & Caleb McConnell, there is a major void in the backcourt for Rutgers. Gavin Griffiths figures to step right into that void. His shooting will be essential for the Scarlet Knights, who often struggle to score. I think there will be plenty of actions and sets for him. Don’t be surprised if he is one of the top scorers for Rutgers as a Freshman.
Jamichael Davis
- 6’2” G
- McEachern (Powder Springs, GA)
- Plays at the same HS as 2024 5-Star commit Ace Bailey
- This dude is slippery.
- Just goes right past defenders. Quick as all hell.
- Great handle. Right handed but very confident using his left hand.
- Might even use his left more from defenders overplaying the right hand.
- Can catch and shoot but is looking to drive when he has the ball.
- Makes sense with how quick he is and how good of a finisher he is
- Wants to finish right handed but will finish left occasionally
First Year Impact: Davis will have an opportunity as a freshman. Rutgers lost a lot of their guard play from last year. The Scarlet Knights always need offense and his penetration could create a lot of chances. Noah Fernandes and Derek Simpson might be ahead of Davis, but he should still get some run, but there are some questions. How good of a passer is Davis? How reliable will his shot be in a support role. Can he defend to the level Steve Pikiell will ask for? The answers to those will define his spot in the rotation.
Emmanuel Ogbole
- 6’10” C
- Monroe College (New Rochelle, NY)
- Big Bodied big man originally from Nigeria
- Played JUCO last year. Late add after some of the transfers.
- Right handed big. Truly just bigger than everyone he played last year.
- He goes to the right block and spins baseline every time.
- He finishes with his right hand every time.
- Can put the ball on the ground. Will occasionally grab a rebound and start the break.
- Dude is built. Worth a shot on body alone.
- Pikiell has figured out how to highlight athletes before. Might be the case here.
First Year Impact: Ogbole is a dart throw. He is raw, but has the genetics that most don’t. His frame instantly makes him a problem even in the Big Ten. He will 100% be behind Cliff Omoruyi as a Freshman but could grow into a bigger role. For now, Ogbole could grab like 10 minutes a game as the backup center.
Overall Excitement Level: 3
Griffiths is an exciting prospect. Davis has potential. Ogbole fills a need. This is a useful class, but not one that Rutgers fans are crazy about. Scarlet Knights fans are probably more excited for next year’s class. This one could be sneaky productive.