A highly-coveted point guard from the Class of 2026 will make his college commitment live Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET on CBS Sports HQ, when Deron Rippey Jr. announces his decision from a group of finalists that includes Duke, NC State, Miami, Tennessee and Texas. Rippey is considered a five-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite and is ranked the No. 16 overall prospect in the class by 247Sports. You can watch the announcement live in the video at the top of this page, on the CBS Sports App or via your connected device (Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV).
Duke is considered the favorite to land Rippey, according to the 247Sports Crystal Ball. The 6-foot-2 guard is known for his defensive motor and athleticism and is regarded as the No. 1 point guard in his class by the 247Sports Composite. The Blair Academy (New Jersey) product is still refining his offensive game but brings strong intangibles as part of an all-around game that has made his recruitment a competition between many of college basketball’s top brands.
Rippey earned Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of New Jersey last season after averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals for Blair Academy. Here is an excerpt of the evaluation on Rippey from 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein:
Rippey is an explosively athletic lead guard who can set the tone on the defensive end of the floor. He pressures the ball, picks up the length of the floor, gets over ball-screens, and is ideal at the point of attack. While there could be times down the road where his lack of size and length could be targeted on that end, that’s strictly theoretical right now.
Offensively, he’s a dynamic athlete with the ball, both in terms of his burst into the lane and ability to rise-up for explosive dunks. That explosiveness allows him to make momentum changing plays at virtually any point and also consistently pressure the rim. Simultaneously, he’s made significant strides with his shooting. He made 34% of his attempts from behind the arc in 3SSB play, but has shown further progress during his senior season. He has developed very clean mechanics in rhythm and is just starting to make tougher shots with range now.
