Recruiting Notebook: Latest Around the DMV

It's been a busy week for the DMV's No. 1 overall prospect as Smith completed an official visit to Kentucky and publicly announced his deal with New Balance. This recruitment should end up being one of the more drawn out pursuits as he'll likely wait until spring to commit, but that doesn't mean the programs recruiting him are letting off the gas. He was on site for Duke's Countdown to Craziness and following his time in Durham, it seemed like the Blue Devils established themselves as a clear leader in the race. The latest intel coming in is that Arkansas is willing to go punch-for-punch as they continue to prioritize Smith. Don't count out Kentucky completely, but it looks as if this will be a 15-round bout between John Scheyer and John Calipari.     Allmond announced his commitment to Oklahoma State on Monday after a heck of a 48 hours heading into his decision date. Maryland came in with a late push and hosted the 6-foot-8 forward on an official visit last weekend and hoped to sway him away from the believed leader at the time in Oklahoma State. I was told on Sunday night, Allmond was still unsure as to where he'd officially commit to and would decide to sleep on it. Ultimately it was the Cowboys who earned the pledge of Allmond, who projects next to Smith as one of the few prospects who can impact winning at a high major level from the first day he steps on campus.     Collingwood announced his commitment to Mississippi State yesterday afternoon as head coach Chris Jans reels in one of the more versatile, two-way players in the DMV. The 6-foot-5 wing's stock skyrocketed this summer, specifically in July after a standout showing in Rock Hill. Collingwood's final three consisted of the Bulldogs, Michigan State, and Ohio State. Ultimately, it seemed to be a combination of Jans' persistence and the appeal of playing in the SEC that ultimately swayed Collingwood to Starkville.     Valencia is currently completing his official visit with UMBC through tomorrow and could enter decision-making mode entering next week. The 6-foot-7 southpaw forward is one of the more under the radar prospects in the DMV and used this summer as a springboard to boast his MM recruitment. There's a chance that he schedules one final visit to Loyola (MD), but it wouldn't surprise me if he decides between the three programs who he'd have completed visits with after tomorrow: Delaware, Howard, and UMBC.     Another intriguing forward from the DMV who is on an official visit is Rudusans, who will complete his time at Lehigh through tomorrow. The 6-foot-8 native of Latvia brings size, floor-spacing, and IQ that projects well for the Patriot League and as a guy who thrives in a structured offense, there could be a real fit in head coach Brett Reed's system. Rudusans has garnered interest from other Patriot League programs, but this will be his first official visit, so there's always a chance a commitment takes place if he believes it's the place for him. I'll have an update on this front for next week's notebook on where things stand.     Lyons will take an unofficial visit to Virginia this weekend. The top-ranked point guard in the 2027 class had a massive stock-rising spring and summer to the point where he now firmly sits on the radar of several HM programs. Georgetown and VCU were the first two programs to host the dynamic lead guard for unofficials and now Virginia gets their turn. Look for others such as Indiana, Maryland, and Villanova to have him on campus sometime in the near future.     Burnette completed an unofficial visit to Liberty yesterday as the 6-foot-2 sharpshooter continues to draw more interest through the fall. The 6-foot-3 guard has already taken an unofficial to William & Mary this fall while others such as Oklahoma State, Radford, Richmond, and Robert Morris have all stopped by St. Chris to watch him workout this fall. Look for Burnette to make a splash as a junior after building significant confidence with Team Loaded this summer.