Five-Star NC State Target Sets Commitment Date

In November, Rippey announced that his decision would come down to five schools: NC State, Duke, Tennessee, Texas, and Miami. The Wolfpack have been actively pursuing the five-star point guard throughout his recruitment, and hosted him on campus for an official visit on Nov. 9.

About a week ago, the 6'2" guard spoke with Rivals about each of his final programs and mentioned that he has a strong relationship with Wolfpack general manager Andrew Slater and is a fan of Wade's ability to win wherever he is. 

• “Andrew Slater and I’ve had a relationship with for like I think five plus years,” Rippey told Rivals. “He’s been watching me since I was a little kid. So that definitely is important to me. And I feel like Will Wade has won everywhere he’s went. No matter the stuff that he went through in the past, you know, I think he’s a winning coach and that means something.”

While five schools are still in the race, Rivals' Jamie Shaw believes his decision will ultimately come down to NC State and Duke.

• "In my conversations, as we got further into the fall, the talk around Duke and NC State continued to build, with most of my sources talking about this as a two-team race," Shaw wrote in a recent article.

While Shaw noted that Duke currently seems to be the favorite to land Rippey, it's clear that NC State has a strong chance to bring in the five-star. He would be a huge addition to the Wolfpack's 2026 class, as Rivals' industry rankings list him as the No. 10 overall player in the country and the No. 2 point guard.

With his decision coming on Dec. 30, Wolfpack fans won't have to wait much longer to find out if they will secure a commitment from Rippey.