Duke basketball received some exciting news on Monday night, as five-star guard Deron Rippey Jr. announced that he will be making his college decision on Tuesday, Dec. 30.
Anna Snyder of The Fayetteville Observer had the latest on Rippey’s recruitment and the programs he is considering.
“Five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. is officially one step closer to making his collegiate decision. The top-rated point guard and 2026 prospect in New Jersey, per the 247Sports Composite, will be announcing his collegiate decision on Tuesday, Dec. 30.
“The Blairstown, New Jersey, native will be deciding between his five finalists of Duke, NC State, Tennessee, Texas and Miami... Duke and fourth-year head coach Jon Scheyer currently have three signees in their 2026 class: five-star forwards Bryson Howard and Cameron Williams and four-star center Maxime Meyer. If he were to commit to the Blue Devils, Rippey Jr. would be the first point guard in the class,” she wrote.
Rippey would be an excellent addition for Duke.
During his high school career, he has proven to be one of the best players in the country and someone capable of making an immediate impact at the college level.
A five-star recruit ranked No. 12 nationally and the top point guard in the country by 247Sports, the New Jersey native has been dominant during his time at Blair Academy.
When discussing what he liked about Duke, Rippey echoed what is often shared by many elite Duke recruits.
“Duke is great, man. Jon Scheyer just got his extension," Rippey told Rivals. "They had five NBA draft picks last year, so that’s obviously eye-opening and eye-catching for me. You know, being able to go there and potentially have a chance to follow in the footsteps of some of those people that got drafted.”
Rippey’s decision will be announced at the end of the month, and it’s clear Duke has a real opportunity to land the star guard out of New Jersey.
It would also be nice to continue to land players from the New Jersey/New York area. New Jersey and New York have some of the top talent in the nation.