Syracuse Basketball: 5-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. will visit 'Cuse 'soon'

Jordan Smith Jr., one of the top high school players in the talent-rich Washington, D.C., market, says that Syracuse basketball is recruiting him hard, and the five-star shooting guard will visit the Orange "soon."

The 6-foot-3 Smith, a top-10 national prospect in the 2026 class, just wrapped up a terrific sophomore year at the powerhouse St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va.

Earlier this month, St. Paul VI finished as the runner-up at the 2024 Chipotle Nationals, an eight-team event that annually crowns a high school national champion and was held in Brownsburg, Ind., near Indianapolis.

Numerous national analysts and scouts, including ESPN recruiting director Paul Biancardi, dished out high praise to Smith for his performances at this season's Chipotle Nationals.

As I noted in another recent column, Smith has also been named to The Washington Post's All-Met third team as well as the All-WCAC ("Washington Catholic Athletic Conference") second squad for the recently completed 2023-24 stanza.

Syracuse basketball is prioritizing five-star SG Jordan Smith Jr. in the sophomore class.

St. Paul VI had a magical 2023-24 term. The Panthers went 35-3 overall. They went undefeated during the WCAC regular season, capturing that loaded conference's regular-season and its post-season tournament titles.

Additionally, St. Paul VI claimed the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association ("VISAA") Division I state championship along with finishing No. 2 at the Chipotle Nationals behind the juggernaut Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla.

In its final top 25 where it includes high school programs that compete for state-affiliated titles, MaxPreps placed the Panthers as the No. 1 group around the country. ESPN's final top 25 had St. Paul VI at No. 2 overall.

In early May of last year, the Orange coaching staff offered a scholarship to Smith, whose full offer sheet also includes other schools such as Houston, Maryland, Providence, Kansas State, Georgetown, Mount St. Mary’s, Villanova and George Mason.

Recently, Smith discussed his recruiting process with Rivals.com national analyst Jason Jordan. Smith said in part, "Syracuse is involved a lot right now, too. Duke has reached out recently too, so things are going good."

Smith told Rivals.com that he will visit the Orange "soon and maybe some others. I have a long way to go with everything."

The contact period for 2026 prospects opens up on June 15 of this year, at which time college coaches can initiate direct communication with these players. While it's encouraging that Smith appears to have a solid interest in 'Cuse, his offer list will significantly expand once the contact period opens up.

On the AAU circuit, Smith suits up for an excellent program, the Washington, D.C.-based Team Takeover in Nike’s EYBL league. Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry and assistant coach Brenden Straughn both previously were assistants with Team Takeover. Additionally, Autry served as an assistant coach at St. Paul VI a while back.

Anthony Brown, a 2026 point guard who plays for St. Paul VI and Team Takeover, also holds a scholarship offer from the 'Cuse. He went on an unofficial visit to the Hill in late August of 2023 to compete in the Orange's annual Elite Camp.

Smith, as a sophomore, displayed an ability to score at all three levels for St. Paul VI, experts say. His court vision, decision-making and ball-handling are coming along nicely. But what I most admire about him is how Smith gets after it on the defensive end.

As he noted in a recent interview with media outlet Pro Insight, "Defense wins championships."