While all the recent talk involving Duke's 2026 recruiting class has revolved around Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje blowing up and becoming a legitimate contender to be the No. 1 pick in the 2028 draft, Jon Scheyer is bringing in a plethora of elite prospects.
That includes a trio of 5-stars from the prep ranks: Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr., and Bryson Howard.
Rippey is one of the highest-ranked guards to sign with Duke recently, and his addition will potentially give Duke the best backcourt in college basketball next season. He'll join a group that includes returnees Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer, and incoming star transfer John Blackwell from Wisconsin. He'll have to earn every minute he gets on the court.
That's just the way he likes it.
SLAM Magazine recently released an excellent profile of Rippey that's well worth your time if you're interested in a deep dive into how Duke's star recruit was molded along the way.
At the end of the article, Rippey talked about his immediate goals for himself with the Blue Devils:
“The biggest thing I’m looking forward to in the summer is getting the feedback and ultimately evolving from a top high school player into a top college player," Rippey told SLAM Magazine. "Using that feedback to shape me as a top college player to an NBA prospect as well. “That’s my biggest goal there.”
Deron Rippey is counting on Duke to help turn him into a legitimate NBA prospect
He's come to the right place!
Nobody turns out pros like the Blue Devils.
Competition breeds success, and Rippey will face a ton of competition for playing time. Duke's backcourt is loaded, and so is the entire roster. This is the deepest roster of Scheyer's tenure as the head coach to date.
The 5-star guard is focused on his development, but he's also focused on doing whatever he can to help Duke win games and snap the soon-to-be 12-year gap between national titles.
"Duke is getting a dog. I just want everyone to know right now I'm a competitor. I'll do whatever it takes to win, whether it's defense, scoring, passing, whatever it is that coach needs, I'm gonna do it," Rippey said at the McDonald's All-American Game in the spring.
That kind of mentality, and the work ethic described in the Slam article, will pay off for Rippey in his pursuit to get on the court quickly at Cameron Indoor and achieve his dream of getting to the NBA.
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