Serrel Smith commits to Maryland: Terps land 3-star combo guard

Maryland basketball has its first new addition in nearly three months, as three-star guard Serrel Smith announced his commitment to the Terps on Wednesday. He also signed his National Letter of Intent, making his pledge binding.

Smith is the No. 178 player and No. 13 combo guard in his class and the No. 18 prospect in Florida, per 247Sports Composite rankings. He played for St. Petersburg High School in the Tampa area, where he averaged 29.3 points per game and led his team to the state semifinals this season.

His recruitment was over for a long while, as Smith committed to Ole Miss in September and signed with the Rebels in November. But head coach Andy Kennedy announced in February that he would step down at the end of the season, and Smith received his release in March. He ultimately chose the Terps after visiting College Park over the weekend.

Smith is the fourth recruit in Maryland’s 2018 class—which is now ranked No. 7 in the country—joining five-star forward Jalen Smith and four-stars wing Aaron Wiggins and guard Eric Ayala. The Terps’ backcourt will still revolve around Anthony Cowan in 2018-19, but Smith provides much-needed depth after Maryland lost Dion Wiley as a graduate transfer. It’s unclear how Smith, Ayala and sophomore Darryl Morsell fit together; all are combo guards between 6’3 and 6’5, but each should at least see rotational minutes starting in the fall.

Maryland still has two scholarships open for next season, and Bruno Fernando could potentially leave for the NBA and free up a third. The Terps’ top priority remains in the uncertain frontcourt, where the staff is pushing for a commitment from grad transfer power forward Trey Porter. There are still several pieces that have yet to fall into place, but adding Smith is a step in a positive direction.

This story has been updated.