Five-Star Jordan Smith Jr. Exhibits Desired Duke Basketball Qualities

Jordan Smith Jr. is a high-octane athlete boasting over a dozen offers. That list doesn't include the Duke basketball program. But it's likely only a matter of time before it does, as the long-limbed guard's uptempo style in making positive things happen all over the court matches what Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer has been looking for on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal of late.

Plus, it doesn't hurt that the 6-foot-3, 175-pound Smith, a five-star who now ranks No. 5 overall and No. 2 at his position on the 2026 ESPN 60, attends a Duke basketball pipeline prep powerhouse in Paul VI Catholic (Va.). Last season, he was teammates with now-Blue Devil freshmen Darren Harris and Patrick Ngongba II.

Again, though, it's Smith's prowess as a defensive initiator and offensive attacker that should be most attractive to the staff in Durham. Duke was present for one of his recent games with the loaded USA Basketball U17 National Team in Group B play at the ongoing FIBA U17 World Cup in Istanbul.

And in that squad's eye-popping 146-62 win over China on Tuesday to cap off a 3-0 record entering tournament action, Smith helped lead the way defensively to the tune of his game-high six steals in only 17 minutes off the bench.