By Liam Reilly
@liampreilly852
Washington D.C. has produced some of basketball’s most legendary figures. Two-time champ and 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant as well as Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor both called the DMV home. Jordan Smith Jr., a D.C. native and the No.3 recruit in the country according to ESPN, has his eyes set on becoming the DMV’s next basketball legend.
Smith was first inspired to play basketball after watching his father, Jordan Smith Sr., and his uncles play in the Goodman League, a summer league featuring local, collegiate and professional players from the area. Basketball wasn’t the only sport Smith was interested in, as he also played football during his time at Stuart-Hobson Middle School and St. Francis Xavier School.
Basketball soon became Smith’s top priority, as he stopped playing football to focus solely on hoops. Once he graduated from St. Francis Xavier, finding a high school that developed his game became Smith’s next priority. After spending time with Team Takeover, coaches recommended St. Paul VI Catholic to Smith as his destination. A competitive conference and Paul VI’s up-tempo play style under longtime head coach Glenn Farello could help mold Smith’s game into the next level.
In his freshman season, Smith won a starting spot but his season was abruptly shortened due to a broken wrist. During the summer, Smith was cut from the United States U16 national team, lighting a new fire in him.
“I felt like I should have made it, but God had other plans,” Smith said. “That was probably the one time I really struggled or was really down about something, but I worked out the days after, just kept working, just kept getting better, and then it just got better after that.”
Strong sophomore and junior year campaigns propelled Smith into the national conversation after Paul VI won the WCAC two years in a row and made the Chipotle Nationals. In his junior year, Smith averaged 18.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4 assists per game, earning him MaxPreps National Junior of the Year.
Winning has followed Smith beyond school, as the 6-foot-2 combo guard’s trophy case includes two FIBA gold medals, an EYBL Peach Jam title and most recently a victory in the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 7. Playing against top competition has helped Smith build resilience.
“I’ve been through tough moments before,” Smith said. “I feel like it gets easier over time. My Takeover coach would tell me, pressures are privileged, and ever since then it just stuck with me that having pressure means that everybody’s always rooting against you or with you. So to play through the pressure, it just shows how resilient that I can be, how resilient that my teammates can be and just how tough we can be.”
Smith’s game consists of elite physical tools like his ability to get downhill and make an impact on the glass. The most noteworthy part of his game is his elite defense. During the FIBA U19 World Cup, Smith averaged two steals a game. At Peach Jam this past July he averaged 1.8 blocks and 2.4 steals.
The importance of lockdown defense has been instilled into Smith from his father at a young age. Both his parents have played a key role in making Smith into who he is today.
“I look up to him a lot,” Smith said. “What he does in the community, how people highly speak of him. My biggest supporter is probably my mom. She’s always there. If I’m having a bad game, I can always go to her to tell me it’s okay, but she also gives me a little constructive criticism on what I have to do. She’s always there just being a mom, it’s always loving, just the best person that can get to every game.”
The No. 3 overall recruit recognizes the sacrifices his family has made to pursue his own basketball journey and has motivated his drive for success.
“Knowing that I can provide for my family,” Smith said. “They’ve sacrificed a lot for me for the game of basketball. Sending me to Paul VI is a big sacrifice. It’s an hour away. I feel like by me going as hard as I can, every game, every practice, just doing whatever I can, I feel like I put them in a good situation.”
One of the team’s biggest wins amidst a 10-1 start was at the City of Palms Classic. Paul VI went undefeated and took down Archbishop Stepinac in the championship game. Smith was named the MVP of the tournament as he scored 40 points in the first game, 34 in the semifinal and 31 in the final.
“It really meant a lot,” Smith said. “Because freshman and sophomore year going to the City of Palms, I’ve always got cut short just by third place. So for me to win the championship in general was just an amazing feeling but to top it off with the MVP, it was a blessing. I’ve worked really hard for that moment and to finally succeed in that moment. It really meant a lot.”
Smith is in his senior year, but hasn’t yet decided what school he’ll be committing to. The five-star player has named Duke, Arkansas, Georgetown, Kentucky, Indiana and Syracuse as his top six, and believes each school has stood out equally. Reflecting back on his time at Paul VI, the senior is grateful.
“It’s really like a brotherhood here,” Smith said. “I’ve built a lot of relationships here even with people that have left the program. They’ve always stuck with me. Coaches have helped me be a young, good on the court player, but even an off court player. Coach Farello just helped put me in the best situation possible. I have teammates who push me here every day, best support staff and also the best fans here in the nation.”