2018 Three-Star Combo Guard Serrel Smith Commits To Maryland

On Wednesday, the Maryland Terrapins got some good news as the program got another quality addition to its 2018 recruiting class in the way of guard Serrel Smith. He joins what is already a stacked group of incoming prospects for head coach Mark Turgeon.

Smith comes out of Saint Petersburg, Florida and is rated as a three-star by 247Sports. The site also lists him as a combo guard and the No. 178th best prospect in the class. Other schools who pursued Smith included Dayton, Florida Gulf Coast, Memphis, and Ole Miss.

Although Smith isn’t necessarily an immensely hyped prospect, it’s important to highlight the situation he will be joining. The Terps are not only set to return star guards in Anthony Cowan and Kevin Huerter in the backcourt, but the team is also set to return Darryl Morsell and add four-star prospect Eric Ayala as well.

What this means is that Smith will join Maryland’s roster at a time when the time doesn’t really need him to contribute all that much. Anything he does as a freshman will be frosting on the cake. He will be there for extra insurance in the event of injury and will boost the depth chart during the season. Both issues that plagued Maryland this season.

Moreover, Smith will have ample time to develop his game. Unlike many recent Terp guards, Smith will have a chance to get his feet under him before being asked to contribute. That’s a huge advantage for his long-term growth and confidence.

With his addition, 247Sports now has Maryland’s class ranked atop the Big Ten for the 2018 recruiting cycle and seventh nationally. The class not only features four quality commitments, but three of the prospects are ranked among the top 80 nationally. That’s a killer class going into an important season for Turgeon and his program.

No one can be sure how Smith will progress once he arrives at Maryland, but Terp fans should be excited about adding another talented piece to the roster.