A pair of Syracuse basketball five-star recruiting targets in the 2026 class has scored All-America honors for the recently completed 2023-24 campaign.
Both Alex Constanza and Jordan Smith Jr., each of whom is a five-star, top-10 national prospect in the 2026 cycle, have received inclusion by MaxPreps to that media outlet’s 2023-24 sophomore All-America third team.
The 6-foot-8 Constanza, a five-star guard/small forward from Florida, picked up a scholarship offer from the Orange coaching staff this past January.
The 6-foot-3 Smith, a five-star shooting guard from the Washington, D.C., area, was offered by the ‘Cuse staff in May of 2023.
Syracuse basketball is prioritizing five-stars Alex Constanza and Jordan Smith Jr.
Per MaxPreps, as a sophomore in 2023-24 for the Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Constanza averaged 20.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.8 blocks per contest.
Westminster went 23-6 overall this past stanza and advanced to the Class 3A regional final of the Florida High School Athletic Association (“FHSAA”) playoffs.
Constanza, also named a 2023-24 All-County player of the year by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, holds scholarship offers from college squads such as Rutgers, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia, Ole Miss, LSU, Mississippi State, Washington, St. John’s, Florida, Miami, Florida State, Alabama, Dayton, Creighton, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Arizona State, Auburn and Illinois.
His dad has told me that Constanza is “very interested” in visiting Syracuse basketball at some point.
Smith recently told Rivals.com that he will visit the Orange “soon.” He is a standout at the powerhouse St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va.
As a sophomore, per MaxPreps, Smith averaged 9.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals per affair as St. Paul VI went 35-3 overall.
In 2023-24, the Panthers won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (“WCAC”) regular-season and post-season crowns, while also capturing the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association ("VISAA") Division I state championship.
In early April, at the eight-team Chipotle Nationals, St. Paul VI finished as the runner-up to the Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla.
In its final top 25 where it included high school programs that compete for state-affiliated titles, MaxPreps ranked the Panthers as the No. 1 group around the country.
Smith, also on The Washington Post's All-Met third squad and the All-WCAC second group, holds offers from schools such as Houston, Maryland, Providence, Kansas State, Georgetown, Mount St. Mary’s, Villanova and George Mason.
On June 15 of this year, the contact period will open up for the 2026 class, allowing college coaches to initiate direct communication with sophomores such as Smith and Constanza.
I expect both their offer sheets to significantly expand at that time, if not sooner. I’ll continue to monitor if and when they schedule visits to Syracuse basketball.