Syracuse Basketball: 5-star Deron Rippey jumps into top 5 nationally, list cut coming

Syracuse basketball 2026 five-star priority target Deron Rippey Jr. from New York City continues to make moves in the national rankings for his class.

On Monday, Rivals updated its 2026 rankings. The 6-foot-2 Rippey, who hails from Brooklyn, N.Y., jumped to No. 5 overall, according to Rivals. He's also the No. 2 point guard and the No. 1 prospect from New Jersey (Rippey attends the Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J.).

The industry-generated Rivals Industry Ranking has him at No. 10 nationally, No. 2 at point guard and No. 1 in New Jersey. Over at the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, Rippey is No. 11 overall, No. 1 at point guard and No. 1 in New Jersey.

Rippey has played at an ultra-high level dating back to the spring, including at showcase events in the United States and abroad, on the AAU circuit, during a scholastic live period over the summer and at USA Basketball junior national team training camps.

Syracuse basketball 2026 5-star priority recruit Deron Rippey Jr. is the nation's No. 1 PG.

Rippey has a top nine of the Orange, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, N.C. State, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. He will officially visit N.C. State this coming weekend. After that, at some point, Rippey will trim his list to five schools still in contention, his dad confirmed to me via text message on Monday afternoon.

Whether the 'Cuse makes Rippey's top five remains to be seen, although Syracuse basketball coaches have done everything possible to win out for this talented young man. The Orange offered a scholarship to Rippey in late August of 2023. Since then, Syracuse basketball coaches have visited him in countless settings.

He took an unofficial visit to the Hill in late February of 2024, on Jim Boeheim Day. In late September of this year, Rippey went on an official visit to the 'Cuse, a trip that went quite well, his dad has told me.

Besides Rippey, the Orange's top targets in the 2026 class include five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. from the DMV and four-star wing/big man Asher Elson from New York City. The 'Cuse staff is also evaluating 2027 four-star wing/small forward Clyde Walters from Alabama as a possible re-class candidate into the 2026 cycle.

In this latest Rivals refresh, Smith is No. 10 overall, while Elson is No. 114 nationally.