5-Star College Basketball Recruit Makes Major Duke Statement

Jordan Smith might only be a junior, but the five-star shooting guard is already drawing blue blood attention—and Duke may be rising to the top.

Smith, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound prospect out of Paul VI Catholic in Fairfax, Virginia, is the No. 6 overall player in the 2026 class and the top-ranked shooting guard, according to 247Sports.

He stars for Team Takeover on the Nike EYBL circuit and has quickly become one of the most sought-after players in the country.

In a recent interview with 247Sports’ Dushawn London, Smith made it clear that Duke is making a strong impression.

“I really like Duke and how they’re changing the program around,” Smith said. “The coaches always treated me like family when I went up to visit them. It was really fun. I saw my teammates, and it was a good vibe with them.”

While the Blue Devils remain a perennial force in college hoops, building genuine relationships on the recruiting trail is what helps them stay ahead under Jon Scheyer.

Smith’s emphasis on feeling like “family” echoes what many past Duke stars have cited as a reason for committing.

Although Smith has yet to lock in any official visits, he’s eyeing several top programs.

“Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown, Duke, and Syracuse are some of the schools recruiting me the hardest right now,” he said.

Smith’s recruitment is expected to ramp up throughout the summer as college staffs evaluate talent during the live periods, but with his early praise for Duke and strong Nike EYBL ties, the Blue Devils look to be in a favorable position.

Smith’s decision is far from imminent, but Duke is clearly a program to watch closely in his recruitment.

BREAKING: He’s Back! Maliq Brown Stuns fans with Senior Season

He’s Back with the Blue Devils! Maliq Brown Shocks College Hoops World with Stunning Return to Duke—ACC Rivals Officially on Alert

In a stunning twist few saw coming, Maliq Brown has announced he will return for his senior season—with the Duke Blue Devils. The versatile forward, who entered the transfer portal after a strong junior year at Syracuse, has officially committed to Duke, sending shockwaves through the college basketball landscape and sending a clear message to the ACC: the Blue Devils are loading up.

Brown made his announcement via a sleek video posted to social media, featuring clips of Cameron Indoor Stadium and a simple caption: “Back in blue. Let’s finish this.” Within minutes, the post had gone viral, with Duke fans erupting across platforms and analysts calling it one of the biggest portal additions of the offseason.

After averaging 9.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game, Brown became one of the most sought-after names in the portal—thanks to his elite defensive instincts, physical toughness, and ability to guard multiple positions. Now, with his decision to join Jon Scheyer’s squad, Duke adds a battle-tested, high-IQ veteran presence to its already elite roster.

“I chose Duke because I want to win at the highest level,” Brown said in a follow-up interview. “This is a championship culture. I’m ready to embrace the grind, the pressure, and the brotherhood. I’m all in.”

Head coach Jon Scheyer praised the addition, calling Brown “a game-changer” on both ends of the floor. “Maliq brings toughness, maturity, and leadership. He plays with edge, and he plays to win. He’s exactly what we need to take the next step this season.”

For Duke, already loaded with five-star talent and incoming freshmen, Brown’s arrival fills a key need—a proven, defensive-minded forward who can anchor the interior and bring a veteran mindset to a young, hungry team. His experience and versatility are expected to be invaluable as the Blue Devils gear up for a deep tournament run.

The message is clear: with Maliq Brown in Durham, Duke isn’t just reloading—they’re coming for everything.

The countdown to tip-off begins now. And with Brown back in blue, the rest of the ACC has officially been put on notice.

Miami (OH)’s Reece Potter commits to Kentucky from NCAA Transfer Portal

Reece Potter went two and a half hours north to begin his collegiate career at Miami (OH). Now, after two seasons as an undergraduate there, he will be return to his Old Kentucky Home.

Potter has committed to Kentucky from the NCAA Transfer Portal on Monday per On3’s Joe Tipton. That will bring him back home to the bluegrass as a native of Lexington.

This was a quick commitment for Potter, who entered the portal back at the opening of the window on March 24th, after beginning to hear from Kentucky, namely Cody Fueger, per reports coming out of this weekend. During that recruitment, he heard from other programs like North Carolina, Washington, UConn, and Louisville as well as California, Wisconsin, Dayton, and New Mexico State.

Potter, a 7’1″ center, appeared in 56 games, mostly as a reserve, through two years at Miami (OH). He averaged 6.3 points (45.4% FG, 39.8% 3PT), 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while with the Redhawks. He improved most of those stats as a sophomore with him now having two seasons of eligibility to continue that development at UK.

Potter played his high school basketball at Lexington Catholic, which is just ten or fifteen minutes off campus and from Rupp Arena, where he put up 17.9 points and 8.7 rebounds. He originally committed to Xavier before a coaching change that led him to Miami (OH) over other offers like Western Kentucky, Indiana State, and Saint Louis.

Kentucky now has what is likely one of their final additions, if not the last piece, for next season’s roster for their second year under Mark Pope. The Wildcats are already returning a core of Brandon Garrison, Collin Chandler, and Trent Noah while they await the draft decision of Otega Oweh. They’re then bringing in a pair of four-star, in-state freshman in Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno, an international prospect from Croatia in Andrija Jelavic, and the top class in the portal currently per On3 with six additions now with Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State),
Mouhamad Dioubate (Alabama), Jaland Lowe (Pittsburgh), Kam Williams (Tulane), and Denzel Aberdeen (Florida).

Pending Oweh’s decision to return to college or go pro, Kentucky is probably nearly, if not already, done with their roster for ’25-’25. That’s with Potter, the hometown transfer, taking a spot in Lexington with his commitment from the portal today

BREAKING: SHOCKING as Kentucky Guard Travis Perry commits to Ole Miss

The BBN has been following closely to see where transfer guard Travis Perry will play his college basketball next season.

After entering his name into the transfer portal during the final hours of the spring window, Kentucky Wildcats fans now know where Perry will play his basketball next season.

According to a report by Joe Tipton of On3, Perry has committed to Chris Beard and the Ole Miss Rebels. He was also being recruited by Maryland and Vanderbilt, among others.

Perry, a 6-foot-1 and 188-pound guard from Eddyville, is the state’s all-time leading scorer in high school basketball. He showcased some of that scoring this season for the Cats as he was thrust into starting roles with the injuries to the roster this season.

Now, Perry will head to Oxford, where Coach Beard finally lands the Lyon County legend. With plenty of open roster spots and playing time available, the fit makes sense for Perry and the Rebels. If he can improve his defense, you have to imagine he could become a staple in Oxford for Ole Miss basketball.

Perry will return to Rupp Arena next season wearing navy and red. I’m sure we can all agree that is going to be too weird to see.

Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. Best of luck to Travis in Oxford!

Duke adds Texas and Michigan State to pre-ACC slate

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer has made it clear that his Blue Devils are willing to load up on quality non-conference opponents in the pre-ACC portion of the schedule and it appears as though 2025-26 will be more of the same.

According to multiple reports, Duke will face off against Michigan State in December on the road in East Lansing as part of a return game from the 2020 Champions Classic, which was played in Durham during the COVID season.

In a separate move, Scheyer and the Blue Devils are working on brining Sean Miller and Texas to Charlotte for what could be a season opening game on November 4th in the Hornets’ Spectrum Center.

The game against Michigan State would be the 19th meeting all time between the two programs with Duke owning a commanding 15-3 advantage in the series. The Blue Devils have won eight of the last 10 games between the two teams including the 2023 match-up in Chicago (74-65) and then in the NCAA Tournament in 2022 (85-76).

Assuming Scheyer and company travel to the Breslin Center, it will mark the third time Duke has played on the Spartans’ home court. The previous two away games saw Duke win by 22 in 2003 and then by 12 in 2019.

With regards to the Longhorns, the series isn’t as deep, though Duke has been just as dominant, winning all five of the previous matchups. The most recent game was an 85-78 win back in November of 2017 when Marvin Bagley scored 34 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils to the victory.

Each of the five wins over Texas have been on neutral courts ranging from Portland, Oregon to Greensboro, NC, to East Rutherford, N.J, and then two games at Madison Square Garden in New York. The series started during the 2000-2001 season when Duke won by 26. Blowouts continued over the next two games with the Blue Devils winning by 28 in 2003 and then 31 in 2005. The last two games, an NCAA Tournament match-up in 2009 and the PK75 event in 2018, resulted in a five point and seven point Duke victory respectively.

In several Way Too Early Top 25 rankings, Michigan State hovers around the Top 20 while Texas is not considered a preseason Top 25 opponent at this early juncture.

When the season tips off this fall, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer will be looking to build on his record setting start as a head coach. During his first three seasons, Scheyer now shares the record for most wins by a Division I head coach in their first three seasons, joining Brad Stevens (Butler) and Brad Underwood (Stephen F. Austin).

He also became the youngest head coach to reach the Final Four since 2011, and this season was honored with the 2024-25 John McLendon National Coach of the Year Award.