Top five senior
Jordan Smith of
Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) announced his college decision Friday, committing to Arkansas over finalists Duke, Georgetown, Indiana, Kentucky and Syracuse.
Smith, a 6-foot-3 guard, is ranked the No. 3 overall prospect in the Class of 2026 according to Rivals. He is the top-ranked backcourt player in the senior class.
Averaging 26.7 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game, Smith has helped Paul VI (25-2) is earn the No. 1 ranking in the MaxPreps Top 25.
Jordan Smith joins J.J. Andrews and Abdou Toure to form another loaded recruiting class for John Calipari. (FILE PHOTO: David Custer)
Paul VI has faced one of the toughest schedules in the country this season with a record of 10-1 against teams currently ranked in the top 100 and a 2-1 mark against teams eligible for the National Top 10.
One of the major developments in Smith's game this season has been 3-point shooting as he is shooting 39.4 percent from beyond the arc. He connected on 7 of 9 3-point attempts in a win over No. 5 Principia (St. Louis, Mo.) and 6 of 9 in a victory against Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.).
A leading candidate for MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors, Smith has saved some of his best performances for the biggest moments of the season.
Smith earned MVP honors at the City of Palms Classic with averages of 31.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. He tallied 34 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals in a comeback win over St. Mary's (Phoenix, Ariz.) at the Hoophall Classic.
Smith has scored more than 1,500 career points at Paul VI, leading the program to a record of 118-16 overall and 53-1 in WCAC regular season action across four seasons.
