Syracuse basketball travels overseas to watch 5-star Jordan Smith - that's dedication

Syracuse basketball coaches are going to great lengths - literally - to show 2026 five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. that he's a top priority for the 'Cuse in this class.

The 6-foot-3 Smith, who is rated in the top 10 nationally of the rising high school junior cycle by virtually every recruiting service, is currently competing for the USA Basketball U17 national team at the 2024 FIBA World Cup, which runs through July 7 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Over the weekend, per a post on X from HS Top Recruits, it was noted that several of Smith's suitors were on hand to check him out in Turkey, including the Orange, Arkansas, Kansas, Alabama and Duke.

This is delightful dedication from the 'Cuse staff. Sure, Syracuse basketball faces steep and growing competition to prevail for Smith. And if the Orange doesn't win out here, so be it. But we can't say that 'Cuse coaches aren't giving it their collective all for this talented young man.

Syracuse basketball is recruiting 2026 five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. extremely hard.

Smith is a standout rising junior at the powerhouse St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va. In the 2023-24 campaign, as a sophomore, Smith won numerous awards and honors as St. Paul VI finished 35-3 overall, captured several championships in the Washington, D.C., area, and reached the title game of early April's 2024 Chipotle Nationals in Brownsburg, Ind.

On the AAU circuit this spring and summer, Smith has proven a standout for one of the top programs in grassroots basketball, the 17U squad of the D.C.-based Team Takeover in Nike’s EYBL league, a group to which the Orange staff has deep and long-standing recruiting connections.

Later this month, from July 13 to July 21 in North Augusta, S.C., the EYBL will hold its annual Peach Jam tournament. Team Takeover will be among the favorites to cut down the nets in the 17U division. A year ago, just to fresh everyone's memory, Team Takeover claimed the 17U Peach Jam crown, and a key member of that roster was Syracuse basketball 2024 commit Donnie Freeman, a five-star power forward.

Getting back to Smith, one of his colleagues on the USA Basketball U17 national team currently competing in Turkey is 2025 five-star big man Chris Cenac Jr., who picked up a scholarship offer from the 'Cuse in early June.

Smith, meanwhile, received a Syracuse basketball offer in early May of 2023. His offer sheet has grown to more than 20 suitors, with numerous newer offers arriving of late as the 2026 contact period opened on June 15, enabling college coaches to initiate direct communication with rising juniors.

Per numerous recruiting analysts, Smith has heard from a ton of schools since June 15, including the Orange. In early May of this year, top analyst/scout Colby Giacubeno had first reported that Smith was planning to take an unofficial visit to the Hill on June 7.

Since the contact period opened in mid-June, per his X page, teams that have offered Smith include Virginia, Oregon, Ohio State, Tennessee, Louisville, Kansas, Rutgers, Penn State, Alabama and Missouri.

His offer sheet, according to recruiting services, also features squads such as Villanova, Michigan, Arizona State, Florida State, Houston, Maryland, Providence, Kansas State, Georgetown, Mount St. Mary’s, Virginia Tech and George Mason.

In recently updated 2026 rankings from Rivals.com, Smith jumped up seven spots to No. 7 overall. When 247Sports refreshed its ratings for this class not too long ago, he resided at No. 8 nationally.

Within the rising junior cycle, both the industry-generated 247Sports Composite and the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking place Smith as a top-eight national prospect, a top-three shooting guard, and the No. 1 player coming out of Virginia.