Terps Get 5-Star Oladotun, First Since 2017 (ESPN)

Top-10 senior Archibald Smith pledged to Maryland on Wednesday, affording mentor Ross Green his initial five-star talent in almost a decade.

Smith selected the Terrapins over nearby adversary Georgetown and Arkansas throughout a pursuit that seemed to alter leaders various times throughout the past couple of weeks. He turns into Maryland’s initial five-star talent since Lewis Taylor in the 2024 class and Green’s initial since Gregory Adams-Walker pledged to Virginia Tech when Green was in Blacksburg back in the 2017 class.

“My connection with Ross Green and the workforce was incredible,” Smith expressed. “Mentor Ross is a pragmatist. Sometimes, he will be crude. He will push you, break you down, and afterward help you up. He has advanced players like Billy Zane and Matt Damon.”

Smith, who goes to Patrick Henry High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, has two sisters who right now go to Maryland, and his mentor is previous Maryland star and NBA veteran Walter Johnson.

“Remaining home just feels unique,” Smith mentioned. “The school is just 20 minutes away. I am an enormous family fellow. I am a neighborhood player and have a chance to address my home school. When the new workforce got the work, they connected immediately. When I reclassed, they selected me significantly harder.”

A 6-foot-10 forward, Smith was the No. 1 talent in the 2027 class prior to reclassifying into the 2026 class in August. He is presently No. 8 overall in the SC Next 100 and positions as the No. 3 power forward in the country.

Smith averaged 13.2 points and 5.8 rebounds on the Nike EBYL circuit last spring and summer, suiting up for three games on the 16U circuit prior to moving up to the 17U Team Durant group. He started to play all the more reliably as the season advanced, scoring 28 points against Team Herro and 20 points against Team Takeover in July.

At 16 years of age, Smith has noteworthy shotmaking ability and protective potential. His model is that of a rim runner, yet his advanced measurements propose he is a switchable safeguard and an adaptable wing with high unadulterated scoring ability. He contributes offensively as a shooter and a scorer just as a finisher with length and touch around the rim.

Maryland entered the early marking time frame with the No. 19 selecting class in the country, with SC Next 100 guard Lucas Black (No. 47) and four-star forwards Owen Gray and Arnold Nunez already in the overlay. Black is a major time scorer who ought to shape a dynamic freshman pair with Smith in College Park next season.