Elite 2026 Point Guard Deron Rippey Jr. Recaps Syracuse Visit

Orange basketball hosted one of the top prospects in the 2026 recruiting class.

Class of 2026 point guard Deron Rippey Jr. is one of the most intriguing lead guards in his cycle. He is rated a four star prospect out of Blair Academy in New Jersey and is considered a top 30 overall prospect by the major recruiting services. Rippey has a plethora of high major offers, including Syracuse. He visited the Orange unofficially over the weekend. 

"Coach Griff showed me around the Melo Center," Rippey said. "Obviously talked to the coaches. Saw a little bit of the gym, the weight room, the rehab center, stuff like that. It was pretty cool to see all that." 

Beyond all of that, Rippey attended Syracuse's win over Notre Dame on Saturday. 

"I thought it was pretty nice," Rippey said. "Definitely lived up to the hype. Syracuse definitely has a notable fan base. Just being able to see that environment, it definitely lived up to its name and reputation. I really liked that about it. The fans showed a lot of love to Jim Boeheim. It was honestly what I expected it to be, but it was still really good and really great." 

He remained in the crowd for the ceremony honoring Jim Boeheim after the victory. 

"It's pretty cool to see how much they respect him," Rippey said. "They (the Syracuse coaches) low key educated me on a little bit more of what he's done for Syracuse over 50 years he's been coaching there. Most winningest coach in college history. It's a lot of stuff that I learned about him that I didn't know before." 

With the visit in his rearview mirror, the talented point guard says he thinks highly of the Orange despite it being early in his recruiting process. 

"I love Syracuse right now," Rippey said. "Coach Griff and coach Red never miss a chance to reach out to my dad. They've been pretty consistent. I really like how they've been keeping in touch. It means a lot to me, honestly." 

Rippey is visiting Rutgers Thursday night to watch the Scarlet Knights play Michigan. After that, the focus will turn to AAU season and USA Basketball mini-camp. In order to prepare himself for both, Rippey says he continues to work on his shooting, leadership and other areas of his game. 

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