Five-Star Recruit Comments On Upcoming Duke Visit

Now, Duke has their sights set on another five-star. Blair Academy's Deron Rippey Jr., a 6'2'' point guard out of Blairstown, NJ. Rippey is the No. 1 PG in the Class of 2026, and to no surprise, he's the No. 1 player in New Jersey.

Ranked No. 11 in the Class of '26, 247Sports gives him the slight edge on Howard. Ultimately, this could be a point guard and small forward combination that dominates the ACC for years to come.

Deron Rippey Jr. Hypes Up His Upcoming Visit

When speaking with NBA Draft Analyst Krysten Peek, Rippey had a chance to discuss all things Blue Devils. Duke, who's been on his radar for quite some time, will mark his second official visit of the month.

"I’m very excited about that visit," Rippey said. "Duke is obviously one of the most historic Blue Bloods. A school that has so many NBA players, I’m interested in what their plans are for me and what they are going to say in how I fit into their system.”

Back on July 15, Duke made it to Rippey's Top 12. Since then, he's begun to knock out some of his official visits. Whlie he may not end up visiting all 12 schools, he's checked quite a few off his list.

Rippey's Recruitment Begins to Heat Up

Before this month, Rippey went on his official visit to Kentucky. Seeing as Coach Scheyer just beat out the Wildcats for Howard, he already knows he has a slight edge on the competition. Every recruit is different and prioritizes different things, but the Blue Devils' landing of Howard is a huge recruiting boost.

After narrowing down his Top 12, Rippey began his visits by going to Miami on August 27. Four days later, he officially visited with Hubert Davis and North Carolina. Again, Scheyer knows UNC is a team he can beat, as both he and Lawson have now done so on numerous occasions.

Regardless, Rippey's recruitment doesn't stop after his official visit to Duke. Blue Devils fans will be anxiously awaiting to hear how his October 21 visit went, but for the point guard, it's right back to business. After visiting with Duke, he'll head to Tennessee a few days later and make a trip to NC State at the start of November.

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