Syracuse basketball scores visit from 5-star Jordan Smith Jr., and that's big time

Jordan Smith Jr., a 2026 five-star shooting guard and a top-10 national prospect who hails from the talent-rich Washington, D.C., market, has said a couple of times lately that he planned to visit Syracuse basketball.

Word recently broke that the 6-foot-3 Smith has set a trip to Central New York. As first reported by top analyst/scout Colby Giacubeno of MADE Hoops, Smith will take an unofficial visit to the 'Cuse on June 7, which is just awesome news.

A source had told me a few months ago that the Orange coaching staff was working on getting him to the Hill for a visit, and now that is coming to fruition. It should be noted that college coaches can start initiating direct communication with 2026 prospects on June 15 of this year, and beginning on August 1, rising high school juniors can commence taking official visits to college campuses.

While Smith is an elite player who already boasts an impressive offer list and will earn many more offers come mid-June when the contact period opens up for 2026 prospects, it's highly encouraging that Syracuse basketball coaches have gotten involved in his recruitment early on and also scored an upcoming visit from him.

Five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. will visit Syracuse basketball next month.

Within the 2026 class, recruiting services rank Smith as a top-10 to a top-15 national prospect, a top-three shooting guard, and the No. 1 player coming out of Virginia.

In the recently completed 2023-24 season, as a sophomore, Smith earned numerous local, regional and national awards as a key contributor for the powerhouse St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va.

St. Paul VI, this past term, went 35-3 overall, captured several titles in the D.C. area, and finished as the runner-up at the 2024 Chipotle Nationals, an eight-team event that was held early last month in Brownsburg, Ind., and annually crowns a high school national champion.

His full offer sheet, which will significantly grow soon, includes teams such as Houston, Maryland, Providence, Kansas State, Georgetown, Mount St. Mary’s, Villanova and George Mason. Syracuse basketball coaches offered a scholarship to Smith about a year ago, and he's one of at least eight 2026 prospects to secure 'Cuse offers thus far in this cycle.

The AAU circuit this spring and summer recently got underway, and Smith is earning high praise from experts for his play. He is playing up a division for the 17U squad of the Washington, D.C.-based Team Takeover in Nike’s EYBL league, a program to which the Orange staff has strong recruiting ties.

The EYBL circuit has conducted two sessions to date, in Memphis, Tenn., and then this past weekend in Atlanta. According to the EYBL Web site, as Team Takeover has sported a 6-0 mark, Smith is averaging 13.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.