Explosive Point Guard Deron Rippey Jr. Chooses Duke

Jon Scheyer has added to his significant 2026 haul by landing one of the top point guard prospects in the class in Daron Rippey Jr. The 6’2, 175lb Rippey, hailing from New Jersey, is a consensus top-20 player in the class and top 2 at his position currently. He attends Blair Academy and chose the Blue Devils over NC State, Tennessee and Miami.

Deron Rippey Jr. brings something that Jon Scheyer hasn’t really had during his short tenure – an uber athletic point guard. The trade off for Rippey Jr. is his size, at 6’2 he’s the shortest player Jon Scheyer has landed as a recruit but his speed and bounce should more than make up for it. He has a the kind of motor you see on an athletic forward and that should take the prized point guard a long way. Duke should be able to compensate for whatever Rippey may lack in length with a strong defensive scheme but he is a capable defender in his own right and puts extensive pressure on ball handlers. The jury is still out on whether he will be a capable shooter from beyond the arc but he has definitely improved in that area and being in Durham should further that along even more.

Deron Rippey Jr. joins a recruiting class featuring 5-Star PF Cameron Williams, 5-Star wing Bryson Howard and 4-star big man Maxime Meyer.