By: Casey Madison (X/BleedBlueCasey)
To nobody’s surprise, Deron Rippey Jr. has become one of the most coveted point guards in the 2026 class (No.11/247sports), and Kentucky made sure he knows just how much he’s wanted in Lexington. The five-star New Jersey native was one of the standouts at USA Basketball’s Junior National Team minicamp in Colorado Springs, where he once again showcased his toughness, athleticism, and defensive process being while also being a two-way play that’s drawing blue blood schools’ attention.
“It’s always great to come here, be surrounded with a bunch of high-level talent,” Rippey said. “I’ve been coming here for a while, so I feel like a veteran. That’s just how I’m expressing my game on the court.”
Rippey’s reputation as one of the best on-ball defenders in high school basketball is already well known, but he’s spent the past year working on improving the other side of his game. His shot selection and offensive game has clearly taken a step forward, and it’s something NBA scouts and college coaches have noticed.
“I’m just trying to show them that I’m being consistent with my growth every year,” Rippey said. “Every year I’m taking that jump — my leadership, my jump shot, my paint decision-making — just everything they want to see from me.”
Photo via @TWonderD on X/Twitter
Kentucky Makes Their Pitch
Rippey recently took an official visit to Kentucky on October 6th, and he came away impressed by the vision Mark Pope’s staff presented to him.
“They told me they wanted me to come run the show at such a high-level program,” Rippey said, “They showed me their brand, the Kentucky fan base, the environment they play in every game, and what they do to keep their players at that high Kentucky standard.”
That message definitely resonated. Rippey’s play style fits the identity Pope has emphasized with his guards in just year 2 — elite defenders with composure and toughness He’s the kind of player who could thrive in the fast paced offense Kentucky wants to run.
Whats Next?
Rippey still has official visits scheduled with Duke (October 21st), Tennessee (October 25th), and NC State (November 7th), and he’s already visited Miami, North Carolina, Texas, and Syracuse. He plans to narrow his list once those visits are complete.
“I wanted to go on a bunch of visits and see the whole landscape of what I can do at the next level,” he said. “These are all schools I could see myself playing at. I’ll be cutting it down a little bit after I finish my visits.”
As for when a decision could come, Rippey is eager to wrap things up soon, but he’s not ruling out waiting until the early signing period if needed.
“I’m hoping I can get it over with as soon as possible,” Rippey said. “Just get the pressure off my chest. But if I have to wait and see where I fit in, then that’s what I’ll do.”
At this point, it’s clear Kentucky has made a pretty strong impression. The Wildcats’ message was simple: they want Deron Rippey Jr. to be one of the many great floor generals in Lexington, and the five-star guard seems intrigued by the idea of running the show under the lights at Rupp Arena.
The conversation with Deron Rippey Jr. took place during USA Basketball training camp in Colorado Springs and was originally conducted by Krysten Peek . You can watch the full interview here:
