Tag: Paul VI

Duke basketball reportedly reaches out to 2026 Paul VI star

After landing two commitments from Paul VI in the 2024 recruiting class, Jon Scheyer is reportedly talking to a 2026 star from the school.

Duke basketball might pursue yet another basketball star from Paul VI Catholic High School in Virginia.

According to a Saturday report from Colby Giacubeno, the Blue Devils reached out to Jordan Smith Jr. from the Class of 2026.

Smith, a shooting guard, is a five-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite Ranking. One of the top 15 players in his year, the 6-foot-3 guard is the third-ranked player at his position in the class.

Duke coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] already has roots at Paul VI in just a few short years. Duke’s vaunted 2024 recruiting class features two of Smith’s former teammates, center [autotag]Patrick Ngongba II[/autotag] and guard [autotag]Darren Harris[/autotag].

The trio helped lead Paul VI to the national final against Montverde Academy (the school of [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], another Duke signee and the top-ranked player in the country).

Smith also told Giacubeno he’d heard from schools like Georgetown, Louisville, Miami, Michigan State, Old Dominion, and Syracuse since the recruiting window opened up.

Scheyer has his eyes on the future with the news coming days after Duke offered Shelton Henderson from the Class of 2025.

WATCH: Jase Richardson’s crazy 4-point play helps No. 19 Columbus ice No. 2 Paul VI

Columbus has now beat No. 2 Paul VI and No. 3 Long Island Lutheran, with the help of Jase Richardon’s crazy 4-point play.

Just two days after beating the No. 3 team in the country, Columbus looked to do one better against No. 2 Paul VI. The Explorers led for much of the second half on Monday at the Hoophall Classic, but were struggling to pull away from one of the best teams in the country.

Yet the Explorers wanted to prove that they, too, deserved that distinction as a top team in the nation.

Paul VI cut the score to a one-possession game with about a minute-and-a-half left when Jase Richardson caught a pass on the left corner. The southpaw put up a shot, got hit, and made the basket. He sunk the free throw to push the lead to seven, and Paul VI’s desperation play in the closing minute couldn’t gain any more distance. Columbus won 70-61.

Watch Richardson’s 3-pointer here:

Richardson, the son of former NBA player Jason Richardson, finished with 21 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Cameron Boozer, the top player in the class of 2025 and son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer, finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, four steals and four blocks for Columbus.

With the win, Columbus improved its record to 16-4 and now has wins over No. 2 Paul VI, No. 3 Long Island Lutheran, and No. 4 Harvard-Westlake under its belt, setting the stage for a massive ranking jump this week. Paul VI falls to 14-2 on the year.

GIECO Nationals: Preview the 8 boys basketball teams competing for the championship

With the GIECO Nationals boys basketball tournament approaching, get a preview of the eight teams competing for the championship.

The GEICO Nationals boys basketball tournament is set for another star-studded showdown between some of the best teams in the nation. Between the eight teams competing, there are 71 players listed on 247Sports’ recruiting rankings, which averages out to the entire starting lineup, plus at least a few guys coming off the bench.

The eight teams who will compete are Paul VI (Va.), Link Academy (Mo.), IMG Academy (Fla.), Prolific Prep (Calif.), AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.), Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.), Sunrise Christian (Kan.) and Montverde (Fla.).

To get you up to speed before the prestigious tournament, here is a quick rundown of each team. The quarterfinals tip off on Thursday at noon.

Find the GIECO Nationals schedule here.

Notre Dame commit among finalists for national player of the year

Quite the honor for the future Irish star.

The Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year has ended up at Notre Dame a few times. [autotag]Brianna Turner[/autotag] won it in 2014 and [autotag]Skylar Diggins[/autotag] in 2009. Two other winners, Erin Boley in 2016 and Michelle Marciniak in 1991, began their collegiate careers at Notre Dame but transferred elsewhere after one season. Another player could soon be joining those ranks.

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] of Paul VI in Haddonfield, New Jersey, committed to the Irish on Nov. 15. This came a few months after winning gold with the U.S. in the FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup. Now, she is one of three finalists for the Gatorade National Girls Player of the Year.

When Hidalgo announced her decision to commit to the Irish, [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] said the following:

“Irish eyes are smiling! We are ecstatic to welcome five-star point guard Hannah Hidalgo to the ND family!  Hannah brings swag, competitiveness, and a relentless drive that will instantly elevate our program. She is-multi dimensional, lightning fast and tenacious defensively with a scorer’s mentality and a high basketball IQ.  Hannah does a great job of pushing pace and making everyone around her better.  The Joyce Center will be electric to watch one of the fastest backcourts in the country with the additions of Hannah, Cass Prosper and Emma Risch.”

Here are some profiles of Hidalgo and the other two finalists for this award: