Hoosiers Now

Will Deron Rippey Jr. Cutting Indiana Open the Door for Fellow 5-Star Point Guard?

The Hoosiers are out of the mix for Deron Rippey Jr., but now they can fully pursue another five-star in Tay Kinney. Will it ultimately be a net gain?
Jackson Langendorf|
Indiana University men's basketball Head Coach Darian DeVries speaks at the introductory press conference at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
Indiana University men's basketball Head Coach Darian DeVries speaks at the introductory press conference at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Indiana Hoosiers

On Thursday, Joe Tipton of On3 reported that Indiana target Deron Rippey Jr. had officially cut the Hoosiers off his list. A five-star recruit and the No. 11 player in the class of 2026 (247 Sports’ Composite Rankings), Rippey is a tremendously explosive athlete, and all-around talented scorer. 

Although head coach Darian DeVries certainly would’ve loved to add Rippey to his recruiting class, it likely would’ve come at the cost of losing another key Hoosiers target in fellow five-star Tay Kinney. 

As Indiana on SI pointed out mere days ago, landing Rippey and Kinney was never the expectation. Despite being near polar-opposite lead guards, the two 2026 prospects still play the same position – making it tough for both to coexist, let alone star, as teammates. 

What’s next for Indiana

Now, with Rippey off Indiana’s board, all attention turns toward Kinney. Many view Louisville as the current frontrunner in the recruitment of Kinney (a Kentucky native), but Indiana still appears to be firmly in the mix. Less than a week ago, DeVries and his staff hosted Kinney for an official visit – and the young prospect even donned the classic IU threads for a few pictures. 

And despite the Hoosiers being involved with a plethora of other 2026 prospects, many of the targets are wings or bigs, meaning Kinney now seems to be the sole priority at the point guard position. 

Why Kinney would be a massive win

Tay Kinne
Taylen Kinney (0) stands on the court during an AAU basketball game July 4, 2023, at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. A Newport native, Kinney is a Class of 2026 recruit and holds a scholarship offer to play at Louisville. | Brooks Holton / USA TODAY NETWORK

Although he’s a Kentucky product, Kinney has spent his recent years in Atlanta, Georgia, playing for the well-known squad Overtime Elite, and honing his game with some of the finest player development coaches available at the high school level. 

An extremely polished playmaker, Kinney offers a vastly different look at point guard than Rippey – and most prospects in his age group.

Nowadays, the majority of ballhandlers aren’t playmakers; they’re scorers. But Kinney has the ability to turn the clock back to the days of the prototypical point guard, and fully embody a table-setting role. 

That said, Kinney can certainly score the rock too. He’s a good shooter from deep, excellent in the midrange, but can also break down defenders to attack the basket. Patient, poised, and constantly controlling the pace of the game, Kinney has all the intangibles desired in a lead guard. 

He’s arguably the only prospect in his class that can come into a high-major program, be handed the offensive keys to the squad, and lead a true contender, all while making a positive impact on the other end. 

Nevertheless, with Rippey out of the equation, DeVries and Co. must go all in on Kinney to actually land the talented guard, or their future outlook at the lead guard position will quickly be turning bleak.

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Jackson Langendorf
JACKSON LANGENDORF

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