Jordan Smith Jr. saved his best for the biggest stage - and made sure Duke head coach Jon Scheyer had a front-row seat for the show.
In the championship game of the prestigious City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Florida, Smith Jr. poured in 31 points to lead Paul VI (VA) to a hard-fought 57-53 win over Archbishop Stepinac (NY). The performance capped off a dominant tournament run and earned Smith Jr. the City of Palms MVP - an honor that felt inevitable after what he’d done in the semifinal.
Just a day earlier, Smith Jr. had dropped 34 points in a semifinal win over Principia (MO), putting everyone on notice that this wasn’t just another top prospect - this was a player with takeover ability, a scorer who thrives when the lights are brightest.
And with Scheyer in attendance, it wasn’t just a statement - it was a message.
Duke fans are no strangers to Paul VI talent. The program has already produced current Blue Devil Darren Harris, as well as recent standouts Trevor Keels and Jeremy Roach.
Smith Jr. could be next in line. The 6-foot-3 guard is currently ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2026 class, and his recruitment is heating up.
He’s down to six schools: Duke, Arkansas, Georgetown, Indiana, Kentucky, and Syracuse. According to ESPN’s Paul Biancardi, Duke is firmly in the mix - but so are the others. “Don’t count out Georgetown, Arkansas, Syracuse, Indiana, Kentucky,” Biancardi said on air.
A decision isn’t expected immediately. Smith Jr.’s father, Jordan Smith Sr. - known as “Big Jordan” - indicated a commitment could come sometime between February and March.
In the meantime, Duke’s staff isn’t just focused on Smith Jr. They're also making a strong push for Bruce Branch, the five-star small forward from Prolific Prep (FL) who recently reclassified from the 2027 class to 2026. Branch, another high-upside prospect, has already caught Scheyer’s attention.
“I like Duke,” Branch told Rivals. “Jon Scheyer came to one of our practices.
Really cool guy. It was just a quick, nice-to-meet-you type of thing.
He said he wants us at Duke and stuff like that. Honestly, really cool guy.
Like I said, I’m all about relationships.”
The Blue Devils are clearly building those relationships early - and aggressively. With Smith Jr. and Branch both showing elite-level upside, Duke is positioning itself to reload with top-tier talent in 2026. And if Tuesday night was any indication, Smith Jr. might just be the kind of player who doesn’t wait to shine - he demands the spotlight.