Syracuse basketball 5-star target who will visit, St. Paul VI finish No. 1 nationally

Five-star sophomore shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr., who says he will visit Syracuse basketball soon, and his teammates at a powerhouse high school program in the Washington, D.C., region have ended the 2023-24 season as the No. 1 squad around the country in one final set of rankings.

The 6-foot-3 Smith, a top-10 national prospect in the 2026 class, is one of the standouts at St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va.

The Panthers, in the recently completed 2023-24 campaign, went 35-3 overall. MaxPreps, in its final top 25, ranked St. Paul VI at the No. 1 spot nationwide. It's important to note that in this national top 25, MaxPreps only includes high school programs that compete for state-affiliated championships.

MaxPreps has a separate national top 10 that includes independent basketball academies, prep schools and others that do not compete for state-sponsored titles. In this final top 10, the juggernaut Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., was No. 1 overall.

Earlier this month, Montverde (34-0) defeated St. Paul VI in the championship contest of the eight-team Chipotle Nationals, an annual event that this past season was held in Brownsburg, Ind., near Indianapolis.

Other Syracuse basketball recruits finished high up in final team rankings this past stanza.

By the way, in ESPN's final national top 25 (which includes all high school programs), Montverde was No. 1 and St. Paul VI resided at No. 2. The Panthers' 2023-24 roster also included 2026 point guard Anthony Brown, who like Smith holds a scholarship offer from the 'Cuse coaching staff.

In 2023-24, St. Paul VI won the regular-season and post-season tournament crowns within the loaded Washington Catholic Athletic Conference ("WCAC"), as well as the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association ("VISAA") Division I state championship

Let's look at where other top-flight high school squads with recruiting ties to the Orange finished in final national rankings from MaxPreps and ESPN.

Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y.
No. 2 in MaxPreps national top 10
No. 4 in ESPN national top 25
Two 2025 four-star priority recruits for Syracuse basketball are in LuHi's backcourt, and they are point guard Nigel James and shooting guard Kiyan Anthony. James officially visited the Orange in mid-September of last year, while Anthony took an official visit to the Hill in late October of 2023.

IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
No. 6 in MaxPreps national top 10
No. 12 in ESPN national top 25
One of the standouts at IMG is five-star senior power forward Donnie Freeman. Officially signed with Syracuse basketball in its 2024 class, Freeman is ranked a top-10 national prospect and the No. 1 power forward in his cycle by On3.

Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, N.Y.
No. 11 in MaxPreps national top 25
No. 13 in ESPN national top 25
The Stepinac line-up includes 2026 four-star guard Jasiah Jervis. While he doesn't yet have a scholarship offer from the 'Cuse, it wouldn't surprise me if Jervis lands one when the contact period for his class opens up in mid-June of this year.

La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind.
No. 9 in MaxPreps national top 10
No. 14 in ESPN national top 25
A star at La Lumiere is 2025 four-star point guard Jerry Easter II, who holds an offer from the Orange and has said he wants to visit the 'Cuse at some point.

Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C.
No. 18 in MaxPreps national top 25
No. 23 in ESPN national top 25
Sadiq White Jr., a 2025 four-star forward, is one of Myers Park's key players. He has unofficially visited Syracuse basketball twice, and White has the Orange in his top seven.

Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C.
No. 23 in MaxPreps national top 25
No. 21 in ESPN national top 25
In 2023-24, Gonzaga's backcourt included standout four-star junior combo guard Derek Dixon, who took an official visit to the Orange in late September of last year.