Blair Academy (N.J.) point guard Deron Rippey Jr. began hearing from the UNC basketball recruiters last December, early in his sophomore campaign. One year later, the 6-foot-2, 175-pound five-star still hasn’t received an offer from Hubert Davis and his crew. However, there’s now reason to believe it may be only a matter of time until he does.
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After all, there’s no doubt he’s been receptive to the Tar Heels’ attention.
“UNC and UConn are my two dream schools,” Rippey said last year.
And on Wednesday, after watching Rippey in action a few times over the summer, members of the UNC basketball staff were in New Jersey to check in on the slick floor general, the namesake son of a mid-1990s East Carolina guard.
2026 Deron Rippey Jr. @rippey_deron will be having #UNC and #Syracuse in to check him out. Ranked as one of the top point guards in the country. #PhenomHoops #BYU was in last week
POB’s Thoughts: 2026 Deron Rippey Jr. showing why he is an elite PG in the country
Link:… pic.twitter.com/b79KTycggR— Patrick O’Brien (@POBScout) December 10, 2024
Deron Rippey Jr. ranks No. 21 overall, No. 5 among point guards, and No. 1 in New Jersey on the 247Sports 2026 Composite. He’s already reported over two dozen offers.
Deron Rippey Jr. was putting on a show last weekend at the National Prep showcase 🔥🔥 @NERRHoops @rippey_deron pic.twitter.com/FkXbFoNFhM
— Rain Hayles 🎥🌊 (@SplashProd2) December 5, 2024
For now, the active 2026 UNC basketball offer sheet consists of five names: Paul VI Catholic High School (Va.) five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr., Grayson High School (Ga.) five-star forward Caleb Holt, Caldwell Academy (N.C.) four-star forward Cole Cloer, Notre Dame High School (Calif.) five-star forward Tyran Stokes, and Compass Prep (Ariz.) five-star forward Miikka Muurinen.
All five targets remain undecided in their recruitments.
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Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC basketball recruiting news.
