Why 5-Star Hoops Commit Knew Duke Was 'Home'

The newest Duke basketball 5-star commit is ready to get to Durham.

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

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff now sit with the No. 1 overall 2026 recruiting class according to 247Sports. If Duke sticks with the top class, this would be the third straight year that the Blue Devils cement the nation's best recruiting class. Scheyer has long been considered one of the best recruiters in college basketball, but his dominance in terms of consistently winning battles with other marquee programs for top talent is almost unprecedented.

The Blue Devils currently sit with three 5-star commitments from forwards Cameron Williams and Bryson Howard, along with guard Deron Rippey Jr. 4-star Canadian seven-footer Maxime Meyer has also announced his pledge to Durham.

Cameron Williams comes through at the end to give St. Mary's a thrilling 67 to 66 win at Brophy pic.twitter.com/7DihfTsf94

— Richard Obert (@azc_obert) January 8, 2026

The newest of those commits, Rippey, will head into Durham as the next elite guard prospect to play at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The 6'2", 175-pound guard is ranked as the No. 12 overall player, No. 1 point guard, and No. 1 player out of New Jersey according to the 247Sports 2026 Composite Rankings. Rippey ultimately committed to Duke over NC State, Texas, Miami, and Tennessee.

Coming from Blair Academy (NJ), Rippey is an explosive guard with fantastic long-term potential on both sides of the floor. He already thrives on the defensive side of the ball in terms of pressure on the perimeter, and his outside jump shot has only progressed throughout his senior season.

5⭐️ Duke commit was cooking 😈🔥 @DukeMBB

Deron Rippey Jr. just dropped a smooth 14 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, & 3 STLS 🚨 @slam_university pic.twitter.com/EnqWBy4J9x

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) January 8, 2026

5-Star Duke Commit Deron Rippey Jr. Knows He’ll Fit Right In With Duke’s System

Duke has bred several elite guards during Scheyer's tenure as head coach. Kon Knueppel, Sion James, Tyrese Proctor, Jared McCain. Now, it's Rippey's turn, and he knows he'll fit like a glove into the Blue Devils' system.

"I just feel like it was the home for me," Rippey told Jersey Sports Zone. "I trust Jon Scheyer and his developmental process for his guys. His guys play at a high level and they play for each other, and I think I'm going to transition well into their system."

"Each guard has their own journey, their own way into the league. I'm just waiting to make mine pretty unique."

With there being a great chance that both of Duke's point guards, Caleb Foster and Cayden Boozer, will make the jump to the NBA following the 2025-26 campaign, Rippey will likely control the backcourt come his freshman campaign. As most Duke teams are, it seems the 2026-27 squad will feature mainly top-tier rookies, along with a few returners and potentially some complementary pieces out of the NCAA Transfer Portal.

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

As always, make sure you stay up to date with all Duke content by following us on Facebook, by clicking HERE, and following us on X (formerly Twitter) HERE.