High School

Top-30 Shooting Guard transfers to Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) for his junior season

LJ Smith, who holds nearly two dozen offers, announced he is attending the national powerhouse for his upcoming junior season

Ross Van De Griek

2027 four-star shooting guard LJ Smith transfers to Oak Hill Academy for his junior season
2027 four-star shooting guard LJ Smith transfers to Oak Hill Academy for his junior season / LJ Smith

Rising junior guard LJ Smith posted on his social media accounts on Monday that he is on the move for the upcoming 2025-2026 season.

The 6-foot-5 star is leaving Lincolnton (North Carolina) and will now attend nationally-ranked Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) for his final two seasons of high school basketball.

Smith Broke North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Records During Sophomore Season

Smith broke the single-season record in the state of North Carolina by a sophomore for most points (960) in 29 games played, averaging 33.1 points per game.

He also recorded the 4th-most points in a single season this past season, trailing Roxboro Community's Darius McGhee (1,057 in 2015-2016), North Davidson's Themus Fulks (1,055 in 2018-2019), and Eastern Alamance's Jameson Curry (972 in 2002-2003), according to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Records.

Smith Played On Nike EYBL Circuit During The Summer

During the Grassroots season, Smith played for Team Thad on the Nike EYBL Circuit, where he averaged 14.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 42% from three-point range.

Smith Climbing The National Rankings in Class of 2027

The 6-foot-5 junior combo guard has soared through the national recruiting rankings, where he is the No. 34 overall player, the No. 3-ranked combo guard, and the No. 1 overall player in the state of Virginia for the Class of 2027, according to 247Sports.

Smith Currently Holds Nearly Two Dozen Division-1 Offers

Smith is currently receiving offers from nearly two dozen schools, including Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and several others.

Oak Hill Academy Reloaded Roster Ahead Of 2025-2026 Season

Oak Hill Academy finished the 2024-2025 season with a 23-11 record, finishing 4-7 in the 1st Annual Nike EYBL Scholastic Conference, where they picked up wins over AZ Compass Prep, Legacy Early College, Orangeville Academy, and Veritas Academy.

The Warriors have reloaded their roster ahead of the 2025-2026 season, featuring three-star senior point guard Donovan Williams Jr, four-star small forward Ethan Mgbako, and senior power forward Jean Victor Ndiaye.

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Ross Van De Griek
ROSS VAN DE GRIEK

Ross Van De Griek has been a high school sports writer covering the state of Florida since 2021. Ross also has been scouting high school basketball and Grassroots Basketball across the Southeast Region since 2022. Ross has been covering basketball and recruiting for High School on SI since August 2024. He has collaborated with Next Up Sports, Prep Hoops, and On The Radar Hoops throughout his scouting career. You can follow him on X @rossvdg14 or reach him via email rossvdg14@gmail.com for story ideas.

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