LJ Smith

Prior to Ohio State

A consensus five-star prospect in the 2027 class that reclassified to the 2026 class in the summer of 2026
A native of Lincolnton, N.C., he became his high school career as an eighth grader
He played two seasons at Lincolnton HS before transferring to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for the 2025-26 season
As a sophomore in 2024-25 at Lincolnton, he earned MaxPreps All-America honors as he averaged 33.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.6 steals per game
His 940 total points were the fourth-most in a single-season in North Carolina high school history
During the 2025-26 season, in 14 EYBL games at Oak Hill, he averaged 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting nearly 40 percent from behind the three-point arc
As one of the elite shooters in the class, he also shot 42 percent from long range with Team Thad in the summer 2025 on the Nike EYBL U17 Circuit
Showed the ability during his prep career to score at all three levels and be a facilitator and initiator at the guard position