Syracuse basketball 4-star, 5-star targets capture honors at Stephen Curry's camp

In recent days, Syracuse basketball recruiting targets were in the spotlight as NBA superstar Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors held his annual camp in San Francisco.

According to media reports, roughly two dozen top high school prospects were invited to this year's Curry Camp, which returned for its ninth occasion. Curry himself mentors these invitees through one-on-one coaching, among other things, and he has expanded this year to Asia.

Two players who hold Syracuse basketball scholarship offers and played in San Francisco are 2026 five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. from New York City and 2028 four-star point guard Tai Bell from Florida.

Deron's dad relayed to me via text message on Friday night that his son won the MVP award at the Curry Camp. Bell, meanwhile, said on his X page that he claimed the "Character" award at the camp.

A huge congrats to both Deron and Tai for these wonderful honors!

Syracuse basketball recruits fared well at the Curry Camp.

The 6-foot-2 Rippey is a long-time Orange target in the 2026 class. The 'Cuse staff offered him a scholarship in late August of 2023. In late February of 2024, on Jim Boeheim Day, Rippey took an unofficial visit to the Hill.

As I first reported, in late September, Rippey will take an official visit to Syracuse basketball. The standout rising senior at Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., is down to a final 12 of the Orange, Alabama, Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, N.C. State, Tennessee and Texas, his dad has confirmed to me.

Rippey, who recently signed on with the WME talent agency, is in the top 10 nationally and the country's No. 2 point guard in the 2026 class, according to the latest update from Rivals.

On July 1, the 6-foot-3 Bell reported his scholarship offer from the 'Cuse, per his X page. Bell is a rising sophomore at the Mater Lakes Academy in Hialeah, Fla., near Miami. He had a tremendous freshman campaign in the 2024-25 season, averaging 25.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game.

MaxPreps gave Bell an honorable mention nod for its 2024-25 freshman All-American teams. His full scholarship offer sheet includes schools such as UMass, TCU, UNLV, St. Bonaventure, Florida A&M, Dayton, Kansas State, USF, Florida State, Jacksonville, Old Dominion and Florida International.

Bell's dad is former NBA shooting guard and defensive star Raja Bell. When ESPN recently updated its 2028 national rankings, Tai Bell checked in at No. 24 around the country. Including Bell, Syracuse basketball has offered scholarships to at least seven prospects in the 2028 class.