Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and assistant coach Emanuel Dildy Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Pipeline Duke Basketball Offer Holder Beats UNC Signee in Title Bout

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated Feb 26, 2025 2:46 PM ET

The Duke basketball family has welcomed three backcourt talents, not to mention big man Patrick Ngongba II, out of prep juggernaut Paul VI Catholic High School (Va.) this decade. Third-year head coach Jon Scheyer and his powerhouse recruiting team aim to add another in Jordan Smith Jr.

Duke hosted Smith for an official visit in early November. And the Blue Devils have been in the mix since extending an early offer to the five-star junior back in late July.

But the competition level in the Jordan Smith Jr. sweepstakes has been on the rise ever since. The same goes for the 6-foot-2, 200-pound guard's ranking, now up four spots since landing on the Blue Devil wishlist to No. 5 overall on the 247Sports 2026 Composite.

On Monday night, facing a road test against the Gonzaga College High School Eagles (26-5), featuring four-star 2025 UNC basketball signee Derek Dixon, Smith exhibited his coveted attractions to power the Paul VI Panthers (26-5) to a 58-54 win. It clinched the conference championship.

Jordan Smith (no. 5 ESPN 60) scored HALF of Paul VI's points in a the WCAC title game win @sm23itty

Final: Paul VI 58, Gonzaga 54 pic.twitter.com/I4WfTKyq3L
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) February 25, 2025

Smith finished with 29 points, accounting for half of his squad's total, along with seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals, letting the Gonzaga crowd hear it after his clutch performance unfolded:

.@sm23itty letting the Gonzaga student section hear it at the final buzzer. Dawg. pic.twitter.com/VE1XgtQX5m
— Hilltop Hoops (@HilltopHoops_) February 25, 2025

As recently as late January, Duke basketball associate head coach and former ACC Player of the Year Chris Carrawell was at arguably the program's premier recruiting pipeline to check in on Smith, one of only three prospects on the Blue Devils' 2026 offer sheet.

This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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