Five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. remains a priority target on the 2026 Duke basketball recruiting trail. But the competition is heating up in his high-profile recruitment, with bluebloods and others clearly liking what they’ve seen when it comes to the Paul VI Catholic High School (Va.) junior’s off-the-charts continued development.
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On Tuesday, the Kentucky coaches will be at his school. According to 247Sports’ Dushawn London, the primary purpose of their trip is to check in on Smith, who has held an offer from the powerhouse Wildcat recruiting team since September.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound standout landed an offer from Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff back in July. At the time, Smith stacked up at No. 9 overall on the 247Sports 2026 Composite. He’s since risen to No. 4 in the class.
And considering Jordan Smith Jr.’s eye-popping overall production of late against fellow top-shelf talents in Nike EYBL action, it’d be wise not to rule out the fierce competitor and versatile athlete as a contender to finish No. 1 overall among his peers.
2026 5⭐️ Jordan Smith Jr (@sm23itty) had a great first session of the EYBL circuit!@TTOBasketball went a perfect 3-0!
Smith Jr put up the following:
G1- 17 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists
G2- 27 points (11-16 FGs), 8 rebounds and 4 assists
G3- 24 points, 4 rebounds, 2… pic.twitter.com/56LWlS3IF5— HS Top Recruits (@HSTopRecruiting) April 29, 2025
Of course, Scheyer & Co.’s full-on pursuit, not to mention the fact that Smith attends the school that has produced three Duke basketball guards this decade plus current Blue Devil freshman center Patrick Ngongba II, suggests the staff in Durham ought to remain in the mix until the finish line.
Smith has reeled in a long list of offers and has yet to name finalists in his recruitment.
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