By ALEJANDRO LOPEZ & SAM LANCE
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Class of 2026 point guard Jordan Charles is putting himself on the map with his play this summer.
Charles, the 6-foot guard out of Bella Vista Prep (AZ) and the Arizona Unity Nike EYBL AAU program, has shined at every stop. He played with Team Canada (where he’s originally from) at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland. There, he was a standout, averaging 13.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists, which ranked No. 11 overall for the tournament. His most impressive games? How about a 19-point, five-assist outing vs. a loaded Team USA squad and 27-6-5 against Slovenia.
“The atmosphere was amazing,” Charles said. “There’s a lot of coaches there, a lot of eyes watching us. It was nice, and it’s always good to play for your country.”
During the FIBA U19 World Cup, Canada’s Jordan Charles (@Jordancharles_1) proved to be an absolute joy to watch. The Scarborough, Ontario, native possesses a wealth of offensive tools that are catching the attention of D1 coaches. His dynamic play on the court stems from his… pic.twitter.com/8FRtZXhLoY
— Matt (@HoopHound5) July 8, 2025
The point guard was also a key piece for the Arizona Unity this summer, coming off the bench and consistently giving his team a spark. In 20 games, Charles averaged 8.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He shot 41.9% from the field and 19-of-55 (34.5%) from 3-point range while adding 21 total steals. Charles did all of this while playing in just over 15 minutes per contest.
“Jordan’s ability to knock down threes, finish at the rim and lock down on defense are the skills that make him a great player,” Arizona Unity head coach Nicholas Davis said. “But it’s his competitive spirit that makes him elite. Jordan loves a challenge and more times than not rises to that challenge. That’s what makes him a joy to coach.”
Charles said this summer he’s proved he can compete with all the top players in his class. How does he describe his game?
“Very calm, controlled pace,” Charles said. “l’m a shot creator, and also I could pass the ball too. I’m a good passer. [My best trait] is probably my IQ, and like once I start going, I’m actually gone and no one can stop me.”
Recruitment wise, Charles has picked up offers from Arizona State, Long Island, Monmouth, Murray State, Old Dominion, South Florida, St. Bonaventure, Stonehill and UCSB. He also said he’s receiving interest from Stanford, Tennessee and Texas. Charles plans on taking visits soon after the beginning of the school year.
The point guard gave some quick thoughts on a few of his current offers:
Murray State: [Ryan Miller] texts me everyday. The assistant coach texts me. It’s just a great bond. We have a great bond. I’m trying to visit the school, trying to see how the campus is, how the school is.”
USF: [Bryan Hodgson] actually told me if I want to come join the boys, because they got three, actually, Canadians that committed all this year. So, it’s going to be interesting if I come to join them.”
St. Bonaventure: “Woj [Adrian Wojnarowski], he reaches out to me. We text a little bit, but yeah.”
Arizona State: “Yusuf [Ali] is obviously there, coach [Bobby] Hurley. Me and Yusuf text everyday.” Coach Ali has previously coached in Canada at Fort Erie Academy and Toronto Academy.
Once Charles starts taking his visits, the point guard’s focus will be on building a relationship with his future head coach.
“To me it’s all about the bond,” Charles said. “If I have a great bond with the coach, then I should be good. I have to really trust the coach a lot. I have to ask him a lot of questions to see how he really is recruiting me.”
Charles still has a long way to go in his recruitment.
“I’m probably going to start narrowing it down midway through next season, maybe at the end of next season,” Charles said. “I’m just open right now.”
The point guard is unranked by national recruiting services, but he’s certainly one of the best point guard prospects in the 2026 class.
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