5-star PG Deron Rippey to officially visit numerous teams, including Syracuse basketball

Syracuse basketball will get an official visit from Deron Rippey Jr., the 2026 New York City product who has seen his recruitment explode.

His dad, all-around great guy Deron Rippey Sr., confirmed to me via text message on Wednesday that his son will take an official visit to the Orange at some point, although nothing has been finalized at this time.

The 6-foot-2 Deron Rippey Jr. is a five-star point guard and a top-20 national prospect in the 2026 cycle. National analysts and scouts have said that the Brooklyn native could make a push for the No. 1 national point guard spot in his class. I've seen some observers state that Rippey could also make a run at top-10 overall status in 2026.

It's proven a ridiculously awesome - and exhausting - June for this young man, who is an unselfish teammate and an excellent student. All Rippey did was turn heads at the Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy, the National Basketball Players Association ("NBPA") Top 100 camp in Rock Hill, S.C., and the USA Basketball U19 national team training camp in Colorado Springs, Colo.

I reported that the Orange coaching staff was on hand for Rippey and other 'Cuse targets at both the NBPA Top 100 camp and the USA Basketball U19 national team tryouts.

Syracuse basketball will get an official visit from 2026 5-star PG Deron Rippey Jr.

Rippey is one of the most sought-after prospects in the rising high school senior class. He holds more than 40 offers. Since late May, his list of newer scholarship offers has included schools such as N.C. State, UCLA, Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, Miami, Auburn, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Texas.

Syracuse basketball got involved with Rippey relatively early on, offering him in late August of 2023. In late February of last year, on Jim Boeheim Day, he took an unofficial visit to the Hill. Rippey has officially visited Louisville and also unofficially visited other suitors such as Rutgers, St. John's, UConn and Villanova.

High school basketball prospects can take an unlimited number of official visits to college campuses in an academic year. Rippey plans to take advantage of that, visiting numerous schools.

According to media reports and recruiting services, he has an official visit set to Alabama in September. Not too long ago, Rippey told Matt Whitfield of zagsblog.com that he's eyeing official visits to North Carolina, Michigan, Tennessee, Miami, Indiana and Texas.

Rippey also mentioned Tennessee and Kentucky as official visit destinations in an interview with Jack Pilgrim of KSR. When I texted with his dad, he said that Rippey will also take official visits to Duke and Kansas, along with Syracuse basketball.

Rippey is a standout at the Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., and with the 17U team of the New York-based New Heights in the Adidas 3SSB league. In mid-May, Orange assistant Allen Griffin, the lead Syracuse basketball recruiter for Rippey, was on hand for him at a 3SSB session in Council Bluffs, Iowa, amid a live period on the AAU circuit.

This coming weekend will be a scholastic live period, as prospects suit up for their high school programs. Blair and Rippey will compete at the Mid-Atlantic Independent School team camp in Allentown, Pa. I anticipate that the Orange will be in attendance for Rippey at this showcase.