Five Star Point Guard Deron Rippey Jr. Highlights Miami ahead of His Commitment Date
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The Miami Hurricanes have returned to being a brand that is attractive enough, and many five-star players are learning what is happening in Coral Gables.
First-year head coach Jai Lucas has already done an outstanding job quickly rebuilding the Canes, who currently have a 9-2 record, while also showing recruits what stands out about his program.
He has coached the eye of five-star guard Deron Rippey Jr., who has listed Miami in his final five schools. He also listed Duke, NC State, Texas, and Tennessee.
NEWS: 5⭐️ Deron Rippey Jr. will announce his college commitment on December 30th, he tells @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) December 16, 2025
The 6-1 point guard is the No. 6 overall player in the 2026 class, per Rivals.https://t.co/iUMr2JSALP pic.twitter.com/Xs8P44IGii
"What stood out about Miami is obviously Jai Lucas being at Duke before, and they had a lot of NBA Draft picks," Rippey told 247Sports. "He was sort of the head of player development and was the assistant coach who had a relationship with the players and was developing them. That's what stood out to me, and he's carried that over to Miami. Guys are always in the gym, constantly getting a pro-level work ethic."
Rippey Scouting Report:
247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein
“Rippey is an explosively athletic lead guard who can set the tone on the defensive end of the floor. He pressures the ball, picks up the length of the floor, gets over ball-screens, and is ideal at the point of attack. While there could be times down the road where his lack of size and length could be targeted on that end, that's strictly theoretical right now.
Offensively, he's a dynamic athlete with the ball, both in terms of his burst into the lane and ability to rise-up for explosive dunks. That explosiveness allows him to make momentum changing plays at virtually any point. Simultaneously, he's made significant strides with his shooting. He made 34% of his attempts from behind the arc in 3SSB play, has developed very clean mechanics in rhythm, and is just starting to make tougher shots with range. The next area for growth is cleaning up some of the inefficiencies in his game to be totally reliable as a point guard. Like many dynamic athletes, who tends to assert himself in spurts, but there are times he can be a little suspect with his decisions (3.1 turnovers) or shot-selection (38% FG).
The bottom line is that his defense and athleticism separate him, and he has the motor to maximize both. He's also a worker who has cut-up his frame and established a track record of consistently improving his game.”
The Brooklyn (N.Y.) native will make his announcement on Tuesday, December 30th at 4:00 PM Eastern at the Major R. Owens Center (1561 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225).
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.