Syracuse Basketball: 5-star Jordan Smith Jr. on Brenden Straughn: 'That's my guy'

Syracuse basketball coaches continue to recruit a pair of 2026 five-star prospects hard.

The 2024 Jordan Holiday Classic, featuring some of the top high school programs and players from around the country, has been taking place from December 27 to December 29 at Baruch College in New York City.

According to various media reports, Syracuse basketball coaches have been in attendance at this event to watch several key recruiting targets. They include 2026 five-star shooting guard and top-five national prospect Jordan Smith Jr. from the Washington, D.C., market and 2026 five-star point guard and top-20 national prospect Deron Rippey Jr. from New York City.

Both the 6-foot-3 Smith and the 6-foot-2 Rippey hold scholarship offers from the 'Cuse coaching staff, and each high school junior has gone on an unofficial visit to the Orange program.

Syracuse basketball remains in hot pursuit of five-star juniors Jordan Smith Jr. and Deron Rippey Jr.

Smith is an All-American who stars for St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., and the D.C.-based Team Takeover in Nike's EYBL league. The 'Cuse staff has deep recruiting ties to both St. Paul VI and Team Takeover.

Earlier this month, per top analyst/scout Colby Giacubeno, Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry and assistant coach Brenden Straughn were on hand to see Smith help St. Paul VI upset the top-ranked IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., at the National High School Hoops Festival in Hyattsville, Md. A senior at IMG is Orange 2025 five-star commit Sadiq White Jr.

The 'Cuse staff, in recent months, has been in attendance for Smith at numerous other events, including in July, when Straughn traveled overseas to watch Smith help guide the USA Basketball U17 national team to the gold medal at the 2024 FIBA World Cup in Istanbul, Turkey.

Over the weekend at the Jordan Holiday Classic, St. Paul VI conquered Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, N.Y., by a final of 72-55. Smith tallied 18 points, five rebounds and three assists with Straughn and Syracuse basketball general manager Alex Kline in the house, per a report from top writers Zach Smart and Charlie Parent on zagsblog.com.

In the zagsblog.com report, Smith said of Straughn, "That’s my guy, to be honest with you that's my guy."

Much like Smith, Rippey earned high praise from national analysts and scouts for his play at the Jordan Holiday Classic. He is a standout with the Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., and the New York City-based New Heights Lightning in Nike’s EYBL league.

Top college basketball insider Adam Zagoria said in a post on X that the Orange was among the college suitors expected to be in for Rippey at the Jordan Holiday Classic. In an 81-49 Blair triumph over The Phelps School from Malvern, Pa., Rippey collected 25 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals.

Dating back to late last month, Kline has watched Rippey at least two other times, once during a game at Blair and also at the annual National Prep Showcase in New Haven, Conn.

Understandably, both Rippey and Smith possess a flood of suitors, including blue-blood programs and other heavyweights in college basketball. Yet the Syracuse basketball staff appears to be a major player in the respective recruitment of Rippey and Smith, with 'Cuse coaches clearly putting in the work for each of them.