By SAM LANCE
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC — Class of 2026 five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. just won a gold medal with Team USA, but he’s after another championship this summer.
Smith, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound guard out of Paul VI Catholic (VA), was a starter for Team USA during the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland. He averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals to help secure the tournament championship.
“It was really nice,” Smith said of the USA experience. “I got the opportunity to start which is a blessing. I feel like I worked for it. Just being able to contribute the way I did this year, the gold medal meant more than last year… I learned just how to play my role and do whatever it takes to win.”
Most recently, Smith led Nike EYBL’s Team Takeover to a 4-0 Session 4. Throughout the spring/summer, he’s allowed Takeover to a 14-1 regular season record while averaging 19.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals. He’ll begin his quest of securing a Peach Jam title on July 15, but what does Takeover need to do to get it done?
“Stay together, play defense, play defense and play defense,” Smith said.
On the recruitment front, Smith has taken official visits to Duke, Georgetown, Louisville and Syracuse. He doesn’t have any other officials set in stone at the moment.
“I’m probably going to think about that after Peach,” Smith said. “I’m really just focused on the main goal right now. So after that, then I’ll set all my officials and let everybody know.”
The other programs involved in Smith’s recruitment include Arkansas, Indiana and Kentucky. One of Smith’s teammates on Takeover, Prince-Alexander Moody, is committed to the Hoosiers and is trying to reel in Smith.
“It will change my life if I go,” Smith said of Moody’s message. “He just said I got to take the visit and I’ll commit. That’s all he’s been saying to me.”
Smith broke down the rest of the programs recruiting him to ZAGSBLOG:
Arkansas: “[John] Calipari, he just tells me if I want to reach my goals I should go there. He said he’s going to do anything he can to help me get to the NBA or just whatever I want to do. He said he’s going to develop me to be a professional point guard or versatile guard.”
Duke: “I watched practice, hung out with my old teammates, got to spend time with the coaches [on my visit]. Brandon McCoy was there too, so I got to spend some time with him, which was really cool. I really like the school and I like Jon Scheyer a lot, the way he recruits.”
Georgetown: “It’s really good. I love [Ed] Cooley. He was there in Switzerland. My parents hung out with him a lot. It was just good to see him there and really support me. He said he was staying until we won the gold medal, which he did. So it’s really good. He lets his guards rock out. That’s what he told me he was going to do, and I saw that a lot too.”
Kentucky: “Mark Pope’s been telling I can come in and make an impact immediately, help him win a national championship. He said I don’t have to worry about the transfer portal too much with him. He said I’m going to come in, might start, and impact the game.”
Louisville: “I love Pat Kelsey. He’s a really energetic guy, really humble guy. I just got to see how he does with Mikel Brown this year as a future lottery pick, future NBA player.”
Syracuse: “I love Syracuse. They have Takeover and PVI’s system. So they play just how we play at PVI, so I feel like I can fit their system.”
On Sunday, Smith had Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry and Indiana head coach Darian DeVries courtside to watch him play. ZAGSBLOG also spotted three assistants from Duke, Arkansas assistant Chuck Martin, Georgetown assistant Jason Williford, Kentucky assistant Mikhail McLean and Louisville assistant Ronnie Hamilton.
When choosing a program, Smith said he just wants a good environment.
“I have to be able to live there for six months to four years,” Smith said. “So I want good people. I just want good people I can make friends with.”
Smith is ranked the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports. He’s known as an elite defender and has really taken steps in his scoring and playmaking this summer.
“My facilitating, my ball handling, my passing has gotten way better,” Smith said. “I feel like my shot’s got better. Just how I’m playing overall.”
Team Takeover’s first game of Peach Jam will be against Team Durant at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15.
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