Elite '26 PG Deron Rippey Jr. Names Louisville to Top Schools

The Louisville men's basketball program is in hot pursuit of some of the top point guards in the Class of 2026, and they're now one step closer to potentially landing one of the best ball handers in the cycle.

Blairstown (N.J.) Blair Academy point guard Deron Rippey Jr. announced his list of top 12 schools on Tuesday, and the Cardinals have made the cut amongst his over 40 held scholarship offers.

Alabama, Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Syracuse, Tennessee and Texas are also in the running for his commitment.

While it will be tough to win this recruitment, Louisville has positioned themselves well with Rippey. He was one of the first juniors to be contacted by head coach Pat Kelsey on the first day of last summer's contact period, and was also offered that day. He later took an official visit to UofL for their game vs. Tennessee on Nov. 12.

"My relationship has definitely been continuing with them,” Rippey told Rivals' Jamie Shaw in a recent interview. “They’ve been very consistent with reaching out to me. They’ve been at most of my games during live period, I see that they’re always around. “The intensity of the gym definitely stood out on my visit. Kentucky’s a state that loves basketball, so being in Louisville, they don’t have a professional sports team. That’s sort of the heart of the state. That’s really their sport.”

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard is one of the top point guards and prospects overall in the Class of 2026. A five-star prospect, Rippey is regarded as the No. 17 overall recruit by the 247Sports Composite, and is the No. 2 point guard in the class - behind only Tay Kinney.