A promising local recruit, DeShawn Harris-Smith's tenure at two local universities proved brief and unfulfilled.

A 6-5 guard from Paul VI HS, Harris-Smith was the 2023 Washington Post's All-Met Player of The Year when he committed to Maryland as the 34th ranked recruit nationally. A 2024 Big Ten All-Freshman selection, Harris-Smith averaged 7.3 points per game in 30 starts, becoming the first true freshman to start for the Terrapins in a season opener in ten years. As a sophomore, his numbers dropped to 2.5 points in four starts, and he transferred to Georgetown in April 2025.

Harris-Smith's tenure at Georgetown was altogether brief. A 10 point game in the 2025-26 season opener versus Morgan State was a season high, averaging 5.2 points over six games. Harris-Smith missed the December 3 UMBC game for what was reported as an illness, then missed the following game versus North Carolina for personal issues. In advance of the December 13 versus game St. Peter's, coach Ed Cooley announced Harris-Smith was taking a leave of absence from the team. Despite remaining on the active roster for the remainder of the season and enrolled in classes, he never returned to the team and announced a transfer in March 2026.