Sports
Smith, No. 10 in ’27 hoops class, picks Buckeyes
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Jeff Borzello
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Paul Biancardi
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Paul Biancardi
Basketball Recruiting
- National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
- 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
- Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
Top-10 junior L.J. Smith committed to Ohio State on Thursday, becoming the highest-ranked 2027 prospect off the board.
Smith is the first five-star junior to make a commitment at this point in the cycle.
“I picked Ohio State because it felt like home to me,” Smith said. “I feel like it’s a place where I can succeed and reach my goals.”
In addition to Ohio State, Smith also took visits to Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina this fall, but his relationship with coach Jake Diebler made the difference for the Buckeyes.
“My connection with Coach Diebler is great; he’s a great guy who believes in me a lot,” Smith said. “I noticed he loves to work with his players and help them reach their goals and succeed. Their plan for me is to come in and play the role of John Mobley Jr.”
A 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Lincolnton, North Carolina, who transferred to Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) in August, Smith is ranked No. 10 in the SC Next 60 for the 2027 class. His commitment marks the second consecutive class in which Diebler has landed a five-star recruit, after Ohio State hadn’t landed one since D’Angelo Russell in 2014. Last month, five-star senior Anthony Thompson — ranked No. 13 in the SC Next 100 — picked the Buckeyes over Indiana.
Smith becomes Ohio State’s highest-ranked recruit since Jared Sullinger (No. 2) in 2010.
Playing up an age group with Team Thad on the Nike EYBL circuit, he averaged 13.8 points and 3.6 rebounds last spring and summer, shooting 41.9% from 3-point range.
Smith is one of the better long-range shooters in the class of 2027. He can make shots off the catch and from a rhythm dribble. He displays body balance with vision and positional size, while also demonstrating excellent transition ability with his straight-line driving ability.
What makes Smith particularly hard to defend is he’s equally effective scoring off the ball as he is with the ball in his hands. He moves with purpose off screens with a change of speed and direction, reading his man and squaring up into his shot. When defenders close out hard, he shows instincts to drive it and can finish at the rim against help defense.
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Katie Barnes
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Shwetha Surendran
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Shwetha Surendran
ESPN
- Shwetha Surendran is a reporter in ESPN’s investigative and enterprise unit.
The transgender athlete debate has come to the nation’s highest court. On Tuesday, for the first time, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on whether transgender girls and women should be eligible for girls’ and women’s sports. The court will hear two cases.
First up is Little v. Hecox, a case rooted in Idaho, which passed the first law restricting transgender girls and women in sports in 2020. In the afternoon, the court will hear arguments in West Virginia v. B.P.J., a case that involves a transgender girl named Becky Pepper-Jackson who competes in track and cross country at her high school.
ESPN reporters Katie Barnes and Shwetha Surendran will have live coverage, from inside and outside the courtroom, all day.
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Aaron Rodgers very well may have played his final NFL game on Monday night, and it came at a crushing loss in the Wild Card Round against the Houston Texans.
Rodgers had a tough night that included a fumble loss that resulted in a touchdown and a pick six that piled onto the already seemingly insurmountable score. But while it appeared he could still make amazing throws all season long, NFL broadcaster Troy Aikman brought up a sobering reminder that Rodgers could very well hang up the cleats after the game.
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Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans greets Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) after an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)
“I think we are watching Aaron Rodgers’ last game and what we saw of Philip Rivers this year when he came out and decided to come out of retirement and play for the Colts, who knows what next year might bring,” Aikman said. “He might be willing to come in at some point if a team needs a quarterback. I doubt that will happen.
“I don’t imagine he’s gonna say he wants to come back and sign with the Steelers again or with another team.”
Rodgers shook hands with Texans opponents as he walked off the field. He was 17-of-33 for 146 yards. He was sacked four times.
TEXANS DEFENSE SUFFOCATES AARON RODGERS, STEELERS IN PLAYOFF WIN
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers warms up before an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Houston Texans, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The clock started on his decision about whether he would return to the NFL for the 2026 season. He was asked almost immediately about his future as he joined reporters for the postgame press conference.
“I’m not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers said. “I’m disappointed. It was such a fun year. Obviously, a lot of adversity, but a lot of fun.”
The NFL Network reported last week the Steelers would be “more than open” to bringing Rodgers back for next season if he decides against retirement.
If this is it for Rodgers, he will go down as one of the game’s best quarterbacks.
He was a 10-time Pro Bowler, four-time MVP and one-time Super Bowl champion. He played for the Steelers, Green Bay Packers and New York Jets.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers speaks during a press conference after an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Houston Texans, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
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Rodgers racked up 66,274 passing yards and 527 passing touchdowns in 264 games. He amassed 163 regular-season wins in 257 starts as a quarterback.
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After lopsided home playoff loss to the Texans, Pittsburgh’s quarterback and coach face questions about what’s next.
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