“What h*ll? How?”: Fans shocked as 5-star recruit Jordan Smith Jr and Paul VI beat IMG despite Darius Acuff Jr’s masterclass

Jordan Smith Jr.'s Paul VI defeated Darius Acuff Jr. led IMG Academy 67-63 on Saturday. It was a battle between two five-stars, with Acuff having a monster of a game, but Smith's team still ended up with a close win.

Darius Acuff Jr., the No. 10 ranked overall from the Class of 2025 and the No. 2 point guard, led the game with a near triple-double of 27 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. However, the Arkansas commit's performance was not enough to seal the victory. As for Smith, he had 19 points, five assists, five rebounds and four steals in the win.

These got fans talking, especially with the performance from Acuff.

"What h*ll ? How ?😭," asked one commenter.

"Great game live Shoutout to the X factor, Freshman Guard #3 Played composed. Hit a couple big 3’s and took a big charge to keep momentum," noted one commenter.

"Acuff really a pro one and done easily," said another.

Meanwhile, others complimented Jordan Smith Jr, the No. 6 ranked overall from the Class of 2026 and the No. 3 shooting guard in his class, according to On3.

"@lilsmitty_23 is just a winner," said one fan.

"Yeaaa @lilsmitty_23," one fan added.

"@lilsmitty_23 so tuff 😤," complimemted another.

Fans react to Darius Acuff Jr. vs. Jordan Smith Jr. matchup (source: Instagram/slam_hs)

IMG Academy, led by Darius Acuff Jr.'s efforts, led after the first half, 32-28. However, Jordan Smith Jr. took over the third quarter, sparking a comeback for Paul VI. It was a combined effort soon after, with Towson commit Jaquan Womack adding 12 points for Paul VI.

Jordan Smith Jr's Paul VI seems to have Darius Acuff Jr's IMG Academy's number

It was an upset as IMG Academy was the second-ranked team in the SBLive/SI Top 25 National Boys High School Basketball Rankings, while Paul VI Catholic was No. 18. However, this wasn't the first time this has happened.

In the previous meeting between these two teams, a similar situation occurred. During the City of Palms event in Florida last year, the heavily favored IMG Academy lost to Paul VI in a close match, with a final score of 71-70, much like last Saturday's game.