Deron Rippey Jr., the 2026 five-star point guard from New York City, went off on Wednesday night in front of coaches from Syracuse basketball and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school North Carolina.
The 6-foot-2 Rippey, who hails from Brooklyn, N.Y., is a top-20 national prospect in the junior class and has put up some impressive performances so far in the young 2024-25 season for the Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., which is an excellent prep-school program.
On Wednesday evening, Blair hosted the Academy of the New Church from Bryn Athyn, Pa. Per reports and social media posts, Blair prevailed in this encounter by a final score of 92-65.
Syracuse basketball GM Alex Kline is expected to watch 2026 5-star PG Deron Rippey Jr. on Wednesday, Rippey's dad, @rippey_deron, tells our @DAMNTWIN. Rippey is a standout junior with N.J.'s @BlairAcademyMBB, which will host the Academy of the New Church from Bryn Athyn, Pa. 🧡
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) December 10, 2024
Rippey, who is a top-notch student in addition to his talent on the court, balled out in this game. According to social media posts, he had a ridiculous 30 points and 10 assists.
2026 Blair Academy (NJ) G Deron Rippey Jr.: 30 PTS, 10 AST in a win over Academy of New Church @BlairAcademyMBB @athleteaiapp
— The HS Circuit (@HSCircuit) December 12, 2024
Syracuse basketball continues to recruit 2026 five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. hard.
In attendance for Rippey on Wednesday were Orange general manager Alex Kline and UNC assistant coach Marcus Paige. Late last month, Kline was also on hand to watch Rippey as he played at an ultra-high level at the annual National Prep Showcase in New Haven, Conn.
Class of 2026 @BlairAcademyMBB G Deron Rippey went for 30 and 10 tonight in front of @UNC_Basketball Assistant Marcus Paige And @Cuse_MBB GM Alex Kline https://t.co/9z4yxuFXNh
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) December 12, 2024
To date, the 'Cuse staff has offered scholarships to at least 15 high school juniors, as far as I can tell. It does seem that Rippey is evolving into a priority target for Syracuse basketball in the 2026 cycle.
Orange coaches offered Rippey a scholarship in late August of 2023. This past February, on Jim Boeheim Day, Rippey took an unofficial visit to the Hill. His dad has told me that he expects his son will go on an official visit to the 'Cuse at some point in 2025.
Rippey took an official visit to Louisville not too long ago, and he's unofficially visited several other college squads, such as St. John's, Villanova and Rutgers. His full offer sheet, extensive and nearing 30, includes schools such as Stanford, Creighton, West Virginia, Maryland, Louisville, LSU, Providence, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Villanova, Illinois, George Washington, Texas A&M, TCU, St. John's, Oklahoma State, Rutgers, SMU, Washington, Seton Hall, Purdue and Michigan, among others.
Teams showing an interest in Rippey, who has suited up on the AAU circuit for the New York City-based New Heights Lightning in Nike’s EYBL league, include Kansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Memphis, Tennessee and BYU.
Alabama, Tennessee, and BYU, are the latest to enter the mix for Top-15 guard and five-star junior Deron Rippey Jr., his father told @Stockrisers. One of the top guards in the nation continues to blossom as a blue-chip recruit. pic.twitter.com/RxCHuYNDT7
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) December 6, 2024
Rippey is off to a terrific start as a junior, and as a sophomore, he helped lead Blair to a 22-4 record and both the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association ("NJSIAA") Prep A state championship and the Mid-Atlantic Prep League ("MAPL") tournament title.