By SAM LANCE
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA — Five-star guard Deron Rippey Jr. is one of the most electrifying players in the class of 2026. The 6-foot-2 guard out of Blair Academy (NJ) can beat you in a number of ways, from blowing by defenders on drives, to shooting the trey, to being a pest on defense. But what really stands out is his feel for the game.
One moment particularly jumps off the page from his play at 3SSB Session 2: Rippey’s back-to-back steals against Lu Dort Elite on Friday. On both plays, Rippey read his opponents like a book and jumped right in the passing lane. The first steal resulted in a bucket for his teammate, and the other Rippey slammed home himself on the fast break.
“I think I’m a high level guard that can make defensive plays, plays on both ends,” Rippey told ZAGSBLOG. “I’m always looking to get in the passing lane and read other player’s tendencies. I think I’m a high level passer, so being able to use that to my advantage on the defensive end is important to me.”
Overall in Iowa, Rippey averaged 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 10-of-23 (43.5%) from 3-point range. He had two games with four or more steals.
“I’m a well-rounded point guard,” Rippey said. “I can do everything on the court. I can shoot, pass, defend, handle the ball, beat pressure. So just being an all-around point guard is something I take pride in. And trying to work on all facets of my game that’s going to translate to the next level is important. I think my best trait is stacking possessions and my shot consistency lately. I’ve been working on my shot and I feel like the 3-point is a strong part of my game.”
Rippey’s feel for the game comes from his father, Deron Rippey Sr., who played college basketball at East Carolina. Rippey Jr. said the biggest thing he’s taken away from his dad is how to be a dog. “You have to be able to compete no matter the circumstances,” Rippey said. “That means whether you’re down 20, up 20, you still have to be that same player, have that same toughness that you always play with. And talking about handling adversity, he’s been a guy that almost came from nothing when it comes to his journey in basketball. So being able to raise me in a culture like that is teaching me to handle things that are going to come my way on and off the court.” On the recruitment front, Rippey Jr. is being pursued by several of the top programs in the country. Per his father, his recruitment is wide open, and coaches from 25+ programs were out to see Rippey in Iowa during the live session. Specifically, Alabama’s Nate Oats, Auburn’s Bruce Pearl, Duke’s Jon Scheyer, Kentucky’s Mark Pope, Louisville’s Pat Kelsey, Texas’ Sean Miller, Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland, UConn’s Dan Hurley and Virginia’s Ryan Odom were head coaches who caught games courtside. So far in the process, Rippey has taken an official visit to Louisville and unofficial visits to Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse, UConn and Villanova. He’ll start planning some more visits for June and August when he has free time this summer. Rippey broke down all of the trips he’s taken so far to ZAGSBLOG: Louisville: “It was fun. It was my first official visit. I think it was a chance for me to get up on a campus and see what an official visit is going to feel like and what a school has to offer me and what they plan to see from me and my future. It was a great visit. I got to learn about the state of Kentucky. They don’t have a professional basketball team, so their basketball culture and fan and celebration I guess you could say is really high level. Louisville, I learned about that rivalry with Kentucky. They really hate each other. But it’s just a great place and I’m just excited to get back up there and see what they have to offer me. [Kelsey’s] really high energy, very smart and competitive.” What he did on visit: “I got to tour the campus. I really got to spend some time with the Louisville fans and see what they were doing on game day and stuff like that. Favorite moment I would say is meeting with the coaches. It’s a new staff and they really turned the program around. Being able to see their process and what they’re looking forward to heading into games was really important to me.” Rutgers: “I definitely love Rutgers’ culture. It’s very close to home. They’ve been in tune with me since my freshman year, so being able to have a connection with that program for three years I think it is now, it’s really important for me. I think I’m going to get up there and officially visit them too to see what they have to offer.” St. John’s: “They really haven’t been in touch. Coach Rick Pitino has made it obvious that he doesn’t want to recruit any high school players. So we’ll see what’s going on with them in the future.” Syracuse: “Syracuse was great man. The stadium is beautiful. It’s a good group of guys up there. They’re always in the gym. I think what’s so special about them is they’ve also been really consistent with me. And there’s a relationship there with most of the coaches and my dad. They grew up playing together. So I’m definitely going to look into Syracuse a little bit more and see what they have to offer.” UConn: “The assistant that was there today for UConn [Mike Nardi], he used to work at Villanova. But he just got the job there. So I’ve known him for a while. I haven’t been up to UConn since my freshman year I think it was. I watched a game. I think they won by a lot, but it was a fun game. The overall fanbase is huge and obviously with the success they’ve had, that fanbase has played a part in it.” Villanova: “Villanova was great. I got to see them before they replaced their staff. But I loved the overall culture. The campus was beautiful. And I’m just trying to get back up there and see what more they have to offer.” Has new staff reached out?: “Yeah, I’ve still been in contact with coach Ashley [Howard]. But it’s been pretty quiet so far.” Rippey said he’ll likely commit before the high school season next year so he’s able to lock in on his goals and finish his prep career strong. When it comes down to making a decision, Rippey is looking at several factors. “I want to see how they develop their players, how they turn their players into pros,” Rippey said. “And overall, what’s going to be my role? The playstyle is very important to me, playing in space, being able to showcase my game. Touching the paint, using my athleticism. I also want to have a good relationship with a good coach, a program that’s going to compete at the highest level and really make strides to win a national championship.” Rippey is ranked the No. 17 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports. Follow Sam Lance on Twitter Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on Facebook5⭐️ Deron Rippey Jr., Top 15 in 2026, shined at adidas 3SSB Session 2: 15.8 PPG, 51.2% FG, 40.9% 3PT. Dominated on both ends in front of Duke, Louisville, Alabama & more. @3SSBCircuit
— RealScoutBasketball- Nate Blue (@RealScoutBBall) May 20, 2025
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