Deron Rippey Jr's father recaps Kentucky visit, discusses interest and pitch

Kentucky basketball has casted a wide net in the 2026 class, but only a handful have become priorities. One of those high-priority players is Deron Rippey Jr., who is widely seen as the best point guard in the class. The Kentucky staff has been recruiting Rippey for a while now, but the interest has only increased, especially as of late. The top 15 prospect's father sat down with Kentucky Wildcats on SI to recap the recent visit and discuss the interest with Kentucky.

How did Rippey's family like the trip to Lexington? "The visit was great. You know, my wife and my son, they liked it, you know, they liked it a lot. The coaches did a great job of showing us around and letting us know about the program." By this time, the staff has a good idea and understanding of how they want to use Rippey in their system, and as far as Kentucky goes, they've made him a priority for a reason. What does Rippey Jr. and the Kentucky program have in common? Winning, says his father.

"Ron, Ron wants to go to college and compete for a conference championship, regular season championship, and get a team to NCAA Tournament, and then get a team to the Final Four and championship, so I think that lines up with Coach Pope and the Kentucky staff," Rippey Sr. said. "The best thing about Ron Ron is he feels like he can come in and lead."

It's clear by now just how big of a priority the 6-2 guard is for the Wildcats at the point guard spot. What has the staff's pitch been? They believe that Rippey is the right fit at that position in their system, and that he will be great playing alongside other elite talent that fit their system.

"Kentucky is not recruiting a lot of 2026 guys. They trying to put together the right fit that can come in and win the championship. ...We know that Kentucky made it clear to us that Deron is a priority and, you know, they're gonna try to get him, do whatever it takes."

Rippey Sr. believes in Pope and the staff's vision, and they see exactly what they're presenting to he and his son. "I think he's a great guy. He's energetic, he's alumni. He's a coach that, you know, he wants to see the state of Kentucky win another championship, and that's the goal right? The coaching staff is working hard to recruit and to work the players out that they recruited for this year to, you know, get ready for their second season and build upon that. And I think that when it came to him reaching out to me several times, me and my kid, my son, and you know my family, everything he has said, we we see the vision."

It's worth noting that Rippey Sr. has a long-time connection with Kentucky assistant Mark Fox, who he says he goes "way back" with, as they're both from the same town, Garden City, KS, as well as both being alumni at Eastern New Mexico and Portales. But it's not just the staff that the Rippey family has a connection with, as Kentucky star guard Otega Oweh is an alumni of Blair Academy, where Rippey Jr. plays now.