Analyst prediction not a great sign for Syracuse's chances with 5-star Jordan Smith

One of the top analysts covering the DMV has logged a prediction for fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Duke to ultimately land Jordan Smith Jr., a long-time Syracuse basketball recruiting target in the 2026 class.

Colby Giacubeno, a recruiting analyst/scout with 247Sports, recently projected that the Blue Devils would pick up the 6-foot-3 Smith, who is a five-star shooting guard and the No. 2 national prospect in the 2026 cycle, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. Giacubeno, who is extremely plugged into recruiting in the Washington, D.C., market, has assigned a medium confidence level to his prediction.

It's important to note that these sorts of projections are often, but not always, accurate. Plus, the chatter is that Smith, an elite defender, will likely not sign with a college program until the regular signing period, which comes next April, as opposed to the early signing period, which arrives next month. As such, things could ebb and flow in Smith's recruitment.

That being said, according to other analysts, Duke does appear to have carried the most buzz with Smith during his recruiting process. Last weekend, he unofficially visited the Blue Devils, and Smith has officially visited Duke, too. He recently took an official visit to Arkansas and will officially visit Kentucky this coming weekend.

Syracuse basketball has pursued Jordan Smith Jr. for a long time.

The Orange staff, which has deep ties to Smith's high school and Nike EYBL teams, has recruited him as long as any other program, offering Smith a scholarship in early May of 2023. The All-American at St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., unofficially visited the 'Cuse in September of last year.

I've been told that the Syracuse basketball staff is trying to get him on campus for another visit at some point after the Orange's upcoming 2025-26 season gets underway. Over the past two-plus years, 'Cuse coaches have been on hand for Smith in countless settings, including twice overseas, as he won gold medals with USA Basketball junior national teams.

In early August, Smith named a top six of Duke, Arkansas, Georgetown, Kentucky, Indiana and Syracuse basketball. Candidly, I could see him going to any of those schools. Georgetown has pursued him for a while and is a local team.

Duke and Kentucky are blue-blood programs. Arkansas is led by head coach John Calipari, an ace recruiter. Indiana is a big brand in college basketball, and one of its 2026 commits is four-star guard Prince-Alexander Moody, who has played alongside Smith for the Washington, D.C.-based Team Takeover on the EYBL circuit.

Syracuse basketball, meanwhile, has shown Smith that he's a priority target in 2026. If the Orange doesn't prevail for him, it's not because the 'Cuse wasn't assertive enough on the recruiting trail. Duke is Duke, and while it would sting if the Orange doesn't win out here, Syracuse basketball has put in a ton of work for Smith. I credit the Orange staff for that.