Duke lands prized Deron Rippey, third 5-star commitment of '26 - ESPN

Five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. announced his commitment to Duke on Tuesday, moving the Blue Devils to the top of recruiting class rankings.

Rippey chose Jon Scheyer's program over NC State, Tennessee, Miami and Texas. He took official visits to each of his finalists, as well as a couple of other schools, with the perceived favorite shifting a couple of times since the summer. But Duke turned up the heat on Rippey as the fall progressed and made him a priority in the backcourt.

«I felt like they fit my play style,» Rippey told ESPN. «They want to be on the attack on both offense and defense, and that is what I do best. My aggressive play style is different. My dream is to win a national championship. Coach Jon Scheyer recruits high-level talent and teaches those players how to play for each other. That's the only way to win. Their plan for me is to come in to lead and make an impact on winning. I am all about both.»

Rippey visited Duke in late October and was on campus when the Blue Devils beat UCF in a preseason exhibition game.

«The fan base at Duke is different,» Rippey said. «The support for basketball is incredible, the education is of a high academic standard, and the alumni are everywhere.»

A 6-foot-1 point guard from Blair Academy (New Jersey), Rippey is the No. 16 overall prospect in the SC Next 100 and the No. 3 point guard in the country.

Rippey is one of the most explosive players, regardless of position, in high school basketball. He has elite burst in the open floor, and once he gets near the rim he is a strong and powerful finisher who has demonstrated the ability to make momentum-changing, highlight-reel plays. He thrives on paint touches and forcing the defense to help and rotate. Over the years,