Top 5 Schools for No. 1 PG Include Duke

Inching closer and closer to his commitment, Deron Rippey Jr. has officially placed the Duke Blue Devils in his Top 5. Head coach Jon Scheyer knows that the competition for Rippey is going down to the wire, but the Blue Devils are at least within striking distance.

After quite the recruiting journey, Rippey has officially narrowed down his Top 5 to Tennessee, NC State, Duke, Miami, and Texas. The Blairstown, NJ, native is the No. 1 point guard in the Class of 2026, according to 247Sports.

While it may have taken the 6'2'' 175-pound point guard longer than he anticipated to attend all of his official visits, he's finally closer to making his decision. It's a decision that Duke will be watching closely as the Blue Devils are in the home stretch.

Duke Has Four Teams To Beat

Nov 14, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) is greeted by teammates after scoring during the second half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Some of the teams that missed out on the cut were Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, and Syracuse. The Blue Devils outlasted those four in particular, but now have four more to beat. It won't be an easy feat, but Scheyer knows that adding a player like Cameron Williams should only strengthen their argument.

On November 14, Williams pledged his commitment to the Blue Devils. He immediately became Duke's highest commit in the Class of 2026, though all three of their recruits are Top-100 players. They now have a small forward, power forward, and center in the mix.

Without a point guard committed to their team next year, Rippey could be that guy. There's no competition for him, and he could easily become the next "one and done" player to go through Duke. Someone like Williams would only make Rippey an even better basketball player, as the Blue Devils could have quite a few freshmen on the court making an immediate impact next season.

Rippey's Recruiting Journey

Nov 14, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) blocks the shot of Indiana State Sycamores guard Jayan Walker (2) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

247Sports currently lists Duke, Tennessee, and NC State as Rippey's three top schools. There's a very real possibility Will Wade is able to bring Rippey to NC State, a decision that would leave Blue Devils fans in shambles. At the end of the day, they did just get Williams, though Rippey is arguably an even better basketball player, which is telling as to just how great he truly is.

While some teams offered as early as 2023, Duke joined the race on June 18, 2025. They haven't had nearly as much time to communicate with Rippey, but they are the Blue Devils after all. They immediately made his Top 12 as Rippey has continued to prioritize Duke as one of his top choices.

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