Tyler Thornton Watches Duke Basketball Signee Soar

Future Duke basketball floor general Deron Rippey Jr. will arrive in Durham as a back-to-back-to-back New Jersey state champion.

Oct 16, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Tyler Thornton addresses the media during the ACC basketball media day at The Ritz-Carlton. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

With 20 seconds to play and the score knotted at 71-71 in the New Jersey Prep A Open Championship on Thursday night, 2026 Duke basketball recruiting prize Deron Rippey Jr. delivered a lobbed dime to one of his Blair Academy teammates, four-star 2027 center Kamsi Awaka, for what proved to be the game-winning bucket.

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Blair wound up defeating The Patrick School, 74-71, to capture its third straight state title and finish the season with a 26-1 record. In what was a rematch of last year's championship game, Rippey finished with a team-high 27 points in the bout, adding five rebounds, six assists, and three steals.

"I mean, it feels great," the 18-year-old Rippey, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound five-star point guard who ranks No. 10 overall and No. 1 at his position on the 247Sports 2026 Composite, explained to Jersey Sports Zone afterward. "It's definitely the cherry on top to my Blair career. I'm just honestly glad to have finished it with my brothers — couldn't have done it without them."

One Duke Basketball Coach on Hand for Deron Rippey Jr.'s Final Blair Performance

First-year Duke basketball assistant and 2010-14 Blue Devil guard Tyler Thornton was in attendance to watch Deron Rippey Jr. and his squad capture the crown.

On Friday afternoon, Deron Rippey Sr. expressed his appreciation for Thornton making the trip from Durham, captioning the following photo of them standing next to Thornton with a shoutout to the coach who figures to be key to Deron Rippey Jr.'s development as a Blue Devil:

Shoutout to Coach Thornton From Duke
For Coming Out To @BlairAcademyMBB To Watch The Bucs 3 Peat For The NJ State Championship. PG Deron Rippey Help Sealed The Deal 28 Points, 6 Assists, 5 Rebounds And 3 Steals#TGBTG#
WeWalkByFaithAndNotBySight! pic.twitter.com/EBLqrNsSGv

— Deron Rippey Sr. (@rippey_deron) February 27, 2026

Deron Rippey Jr., a turbocharged backcourt talent who figures to compete for a starting job with Jon Scheyer's Blue Devils next season, is one of four signees in the 2026 Duke basketball recruiting haul. That collection, featuring two more five-star prospects in Heritage High School (Texas) small forward Bryson Howard and St. Mary's Catholic High School (Ariz.) power forward Cameron Williams, currently ranks No. 1 in the cycle, per 247Sports.

Dec 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer coaches against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

If the collection finishes at No. 1, it would mark Duke's third straight top-ranked class and fourth across Scheyer's five years calling the shots for the Blue Devils on the recruiting trail.

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