Duke’s perfect season ended in heartbreak. And instead of being sad after the Texas Tech loss, Jon Scheyer quickly turned his attention to getting a recruit who could change the game…

Scheyer made news by going to the City of Palms Classic championship game in Fort Myers, Florida, where he stood courtside to watch a five-star guard that Duke wants. According to League Ready’s Sam Kayser, the Duke head coach was specifically “watching 5 Jordan Smith Jr. in the @CityOfPalmsBKB championship game tonight.”

Smith showed Scheyer exactly why he came. The 6-foot-3 guard scored 31 points, grabbed six rebounds, and played all 32 minutes to win the tournament’s most valuable player award. He made 11 of 15 free throws and got 11 fouls, which is the kind of toughness Scheyer loves. Smith’s dominance proves that he is one of the best players in the league: he is ranked No. 2 overall and No. 1 at his position. But he hasn’t made up his mind yet. Duke is up against Georgetown, Arkansas, Syracuse, Indiana, and Kentucky for his commitment.

Jon Scheyer’s recruitment push comes at a delightful time for Duke’s program. This decade, Paul VI Catholic has already sent four Duke basketball players, including current sophomores Darren Harris and Patrick Ngongba II. This shows that they have a reliable way to get good players. Smith is the kind of high-level player that Duke needs to keep its winning culture going, especially since the program will have to deal with uncertain recruiting cycles in the future.

But the loss hurts. Duke lost a 17-point lead, which was their worst collapse since 2007. Christian Anderson led Texas Tech’s second-half explosion. Duke lost because Cameron Boozer scored 23 points, but they missed a lot of free throws and only made 23% of their three-point shots. Still, Scheyer refused to panic.

“The loss is going to sit with me until we play again,” he said. “But you learn so much more.”

Duke might need his calm point of view to get back on track.

Why Jordan Smith Jr. is every coach’s dream

Jordan Smith Jr. has just shown that he is the top prize in the 2026 recruiting class. While other coaches are looking for players, Jon Scheyer found a player who could be the best in a generation. Smith was the best player in Florida, and it was clear why Duke, Syracuse, Georgetown, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Indiana are all after him so hard.

Smith played like a pro in the City of Palms Classic championship game. He scored 31 points in a 57-53 win, making 9 of 18 shots from the field. Smith couldn’t be stopped as he played 32 minutes. The people in charge of the tournament didn’t think twice; they named him MVP.

But it wasn’t just about getting points. Smith scored an average of 31.2 points per game all week and got 11 fouls in the title game. He kept attacking defenders and took charge of every important possession. That’s the kind of mindset that top programs want to have.

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For Duke, acquiring Smith would send a strong message: even after tough losses, Scheyer’s program remains a destination of choice. He made it clear that this recruit is his top priority by being there at the game. The fight for Smith’s commitment just became the most exciting college basketball recruiting race.