A few weeks since extending an offer to Deron Rippey Jr., first-year NC State basketball head coach Will Wade and his cohorts still haven't secured an official visit from the Blair Academy (N.J.) standout point guard. But the 6-foot-2, 175-pound five-star has been busy of late setting up trips in his loaded recruitment for his senior year.
Rippey will be in Chapel Hill for three days to check out the Wolfpack's archrival, the UNC Tar Heels, beginning on Aug. 31, coinciding with opening weekend for Bill Belichick's UNC football program.
That tour will be of the official variety. And the same goes for the Brooklyn native's recently scheduled visits with the Alabama Crimson Tide (Sept. 12-14) and Texas Longhorns (Sept. 19-21).
C/O ‘26 5 ⭐️ Deron Rippey Jr has set three official visits
— DSTRKT Digital (@dstrktdigital) June 30, 2025
✅ North Carolina: Aug. 31 - Sep. 2
✅ Alabama: Sep. 12-14
✅ Texas: Sep. 19-21
In this article, we break down his spring with @NewHeightsNYC and how he could fit at each school
Full article https://t.co/kjLPGoWiuT pic.twitter.com/z1fosGY7dL
Boasting 44 offers and counting, Deron Rippey Jr., whose father played one season at ECU in the mid-1990s, has already visited the Louisville Cardinals, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Syracuse Orange, UConn Huskies, Villanova Wildcats, and St. John's Red Storm.
The dynamic backcourt talent currently ranks No. 17 overall on the 247Sports 2026 Composite, marking a 10-spot jump since this time last year.
2026 5⭐️ PG Deron Rippey Jr. led The Blair Buccaneers in Allentown, PA. Finishing 4-0 at the Mid Atlantic Independent School Team Camp and picking up an offer from BYU. @rippey_deron @AdamFinkelstein @PaulBiancardi @JamieShaw5 @CoachMantegna @CoachDeJesus33 @Phenom_Hoops… pic.twitter.com/6yfobZMQyJ
— Nate Blue (@RealScoutBBall) June 29, 2025
NC State basketball has offers out to roughly a dozen prospects in the 2026 class, including a few who were on the previous Wolfpack staff's wishlist. Wade and his crew haven't reeled in their first commitment from any of the nation's rising high school seniors yet.
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