Incoming Duke Basketball Point Guard Lands Prestigious Award

There's still no telling which 2025-26 Duke basketball guards will return to Durham next season. But there's no doubt that fifth-year head coach Jon Scheyer and his Blue Devils will enjoy at least one electrifying backcourt addition in Blair Academy (N.J.) five-star and McDonald's All American sensation Deron Rippey Jr.

On Monday morning, Rippey added a major piece of hardware to his growing trophy collection by being named the Morgan Wootten Player of the Year on the national stage.

Super Congrats To Our Son Well Earned And Deserving. Thanks @McDAAG @Wootten_Camp For Recognizing PG Deron Rippey Jr. @BlairAcademyMBB @NewHeightsNYC For The Morgan Wooten POTY#ForeverGrateful#TGBTG
WeWalkByFaithAndNotBySight!
Driven, Dedicated And Determined To Get Better 🙏🏿❤️💯 pic.twitter.com/C3uccVrGlT
— Deron Rippey Sr. (@rippey_deron) March 30, 2026

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Rippey, a full-fledged point guard and notably crafty playmaker, is the 11th future Duke basketball player to have received the honor. It is named after the now-late Hall of Fame high school coach Morgan Wootten, who is one of the founders of the McDonald's All American Game, and is based on a prep's performance in the community, in the classroom, and on the court.

Rippey currently stacks up at No. 10 overall, No. 1 among point guards, and No. 1 in New Jersey on the 247Sports 2026 Composite. He committed to Scheyer and the Blue Devils back in late December.

Duke Basketball's All-Time Morgan Wootten Player of the Year Recipients

Here is the list of Blue Devils who have earned the Morgan Wootten Player of the Year distinction since the award's inception in 1997:

1997 - Shane Battier

2000 - Chris Duhon

2005 - Josh McRoberts

2011 - Austin Rivers

2013 - Jabari Parker

2014 - Jahlil Okafor

2017 - Wendell Carter Jr.

2018 - RJ Barrett

2022 - Dereck Lively II

2025 - Cameron Boozer

2026 - Deron Rippey Jr.

As one can see above, Blue Devils have now garnered the recognition in back-to-back years three times. And Rippey joins Lively and Boozer as the third to become the Morgan Wootten Player of the Year in the Jon Scheyer era.

Deron Rippey Jr. is one of four 2026 recruits on tap to be on Scheyer & Co.'s 2026-27 Duke basketball roster. The other three include two more five-stars in St. Mary's Catholic High School (Ariz.) power forward Cameron Williams (also a McDonald's All American) and Heritage High School (Texas) small forward Bryson Howard, plus a four-star in IMG Academy (Fla.) center Maxime Meyer.

McDonald’s AA’s Cameron Williams and Deron Rippey Jr. lead the next wave of elite talent heading to Durham.

You can already feel their quiet confidence, their belief. Another group ready to carry the high standards at Duke.🔥@azc_obert pic.twitter.com/hcArtbHNQo
— Blue Devil Voices (@DukeEchoes) March 31, 2026

For now, the Blue Devil recruiting haul ranks No. 1 in the country, per the 247Sports 2026 Composite. If it ends up in that position, that would mark the fourth top-ranked collection heading to Durham across the five cycles that Jon Scheyer has been calling the shots.

Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball recruiting news.

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