Top 10-ranked point guard Deron Rippey Jr. to make recruiting visit to Kansas
Deron Rippey Jr., last year’s Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of New Jersey, will make an official men’s basketball recruiting visit to Kansas on Oct. 31-Nov. 2, he confirmed to The Star on Wednesday.
Rippey, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound senior point guard from Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey, is ranked No. 8 in the recruiting class of 2026 by Rivals, No. 17 by 247Sports and No. 18 by ESPN.
He also is slated to visit Miami (Aug. 27-29), North Carolina (Aug. 31-Sept. 2), Alabama (Sept. 12-14), Texas (Sept. 19-21), Syracuse (Sept. 26-28), Indiana (Oct. 17-19), Tennessee (Oct. 25-26) and North Carolina State (Nov 7-9).
The Brooklyn, New York native also is considering Kentucky, Duke and Louisville.
“Honestly, it’s a blessing to be recruited by all the schools, but I would say it comes with a lot of responsibility,” Rippey told UK Wildcats Wire. “My goal is to play at those schools and show other people that I can come in right away and make an impact.”
Of KU, Rippey told Zagsblog.com: “Coach Dooley (Joe, KU assistant) coached my dad while he was at East Carolina. So they sort of already had a relationship from his college days and I’ve been communicating with him the most. Obviously, they’ve been a successful team making the tournament every year. They’ve had a lot of pros. They’re a blue blood, so they’re a really high-level program and find a lot of success.”
Rippey averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game during the 2024-25 season for Blair Academy (24-4). Rippey scored 16 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished nine assists in Blair’s 88-75 win over the Patrick School in the Prep Open final. He played summer basketball for New Heights Adidas 3SSB AAU program.
“He’s a playmaker with a high IQ, and he’s improved his defense,” Rippey’s dad, Deron Rippey Sr., told Rivals. “He wants to compete, and that’s why all the coaches and schools are recruiting him.”
Kansas will likely be in the market for a point guard or two in the upcoming recruiting class, with incoming freshman Darryn Peterson considered the likely No. 1 or 2 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
KU is recruiting several high school senior guards including Brandon McCoy (6-4, 180, St. John Bosco High, Bellflower, California); Tay Kinney (6-2, 185, Overtime Elite, Atlanta, Georgia); Bryson Howard (6-6, 175, Heritage High School, Frisco, Texas); Abdou Toure, 6-6, 185, Notre Dame High, West Haven, Connecticut); Bo Ogden (6-5, 180, Westlake High, Austin, Texas) and others.
