Indiana Basketball Among Finalists for Best Guard in 2026 Recruiting Class

Indiana men's basketball is in contention for elite 2026 recruit Jordan Smith Jr.

Indiana men's basketball is one of six finalists for senior guard Jordan Smith Jr. | Greta Cross/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana men's basketball is among the final six options for Jordan Smith Jr., the highest-ranked guard in the 2026 recruiting class and a consensus top five player overall.

Smith, who trimmed his list Tuesday, is also considering Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky, Georgetown and Syracuse.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Smith hails from Fairfax, Va., and attends Paul VI Catholic High School. He's a teammate of Indiana's lone 2026 commit, Prince-Alexander Moody, on Washington D.C.-based AAU squad Team Takeover.

Though he hasn't yet visited Indiana, Smith holds a close relationship with Hoosiers assistant coach Kenny Johnson, who was an assistant at Paul VI Catholic from 2007-11 and the director of Team Takeover for six years.

Smith's ties to Johnson are a driving force behind his consideration for Indiana, Smith told Rivals/On 3 Sports recruiting insider Joe Tipton.

"Kenny (has) always been there from the start," Smith told Tipton. "He helped me get into PVI, helped me with Takeover. He’s always been a helping hand, I really appreciate him. He’s always been there."

Indiana offered Smith on May 8, and he doesn't yet have an official visit set. He officially visited Duke last season and has visits scheduled for Arkansas and Kentucky this fall, according to Tipton. Smith also unofficially visited Georgetown and Syracuse.

Smith hasn't set a date for his commitment.

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