4-star 2022 guard Paul Lewis commits to Maryland men’s basketball

Maryland men’s basketball got on board with the class of 2022 Sunday, with point guard Paul Lewis announcing his commitment to the program.

Lewis, the No. 19 point guard and No. 108 player in the nation, is a product of Bishop O’Connell High School in Virginia, which also produced Maryland-great Melo Trimble. He chose the Terps over offers from Georgetown, Louisville, Miami and Villanova, among others.

Listed at 6’3, 165 pounds, Lewis provides good height at the point guard position with room to add muscle to his frame.

And though he’s listed as a point guard, Lewis plays a scoring role similar to what head coach Mark Turgeon helped developed Trimble into. Lewis drives to the basket with confidence — including the ability to do so off the dribble or a fake shot — but also can shoot well and find teammates with slick passing off the dribble. His effort on the defense is also key, as his size allows him to handle his man and have the ability to switch to bigger defenders.

With the future Maryland roster getting reshaped, Lewis will be taking over for Eric Ayala who is set to graduate after the 2020-21 season. Current Freshman Aquan Smart and potentially another guard addition from the 2021 class will be alongside Lewis as the ball handlers for the Terps in 2022 and beyond.

As the class of 2022 is just starting to hit the ground running, Maryland is only one of a handful of schools to have commitments in the fold. Michigan State leads the nation with commitments from five-star small forward Emoni Bates — the class’ top player — and four-star center Enoch Boakye, but the Terps sit comfortably at No. 4 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten with Lewis on board.

Correction: Lewis was not the first WCAC commitment to Maryland men’s basketball since Anthony Cowan Jr. Though Marcus Dockery only played there briefly, he committed to Maryland out of Bishop O’Connell.