Deron Rippey Jr., a five-star point guard, completed his search for a collegiate basketball home after committing to Duke University last month. The Blair Academy standout chose the Blue Devils over Syracuse, Rutgers, Texas, and Miami, among others.
What prompted him to choose the Jon Scheyer-coached team? Rippey expressed his concerns during an interview with NBA Future Starts Now color analyst Krysten Peek. “I think it’s the level that they play in college basketball. In the summer, I had been going everywhere and playing the highest level of high school basketball. I just want to keep that momentum going into college,” Rippey shared.
The No. 6 player from the Class of 2026 will join one of the best college basketball programs in the country. Duke has won five national titles and competed in 18 Final Fours and 11 national championship games.
The Associated Press NCAA men’s basketball poll currently ranks Duke fourth. They have lost only once in 19 games, an 82-81 thriller against Texas Tech at the SentinelOne Classic. Cameron Boozer, Caleb Foster, Isaiah Evans, Dame Sarr, and Patrick Ngongba II are the Blue Devils’ current leaders.
Meanwhile, Rippey also shared what transpired during his conversation with Scheyer. “It was definitely a crazy feeling. We actually just chopped it up a little bit. He got to know me a little bit off the court because he already had watched me. I don’t know how much film he watched. I don’t know how many games he’s been to our events, but it was more of a personal conversation.”
But before joining Duke, Deron Rippey Jr. guided the Buccaneers to a 10-1 record this season, with their only loss coming against Cushing Academy. This result provides them with an excellent chance to defend their New Jersey Prep Open State Tournament title.
