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Tennessee Basketball Makes Top 10 for Coveted 5-Star Guard

Tennessee makes the top ten list for the best point guard in the nation
Caleb Sisk|
Deron Rippey Jr
Deron Rippey Jr | Deron Rippey Jr

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Tennessee Volunteers

The Tennessee Volunteers continue to show their dominance in the 2026 recruiting classes. They have been listed inside the top 10 schools for one of the better guards in the country, as he has the number one player at the point guard position, as well as the number one player in the state of New Jersey, following a Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of New Jersey performance last season.

His top ten schools include the Louisville Cardinals, North Carolina Tar Heels, Miami Hurricanes, Syracuse Orange, North Carolina State Wolfpack, Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas Longhorns, Duke Blue Devils, Kentucky Wildcats, and the Tennessee Volunteers.

He has already scheduled his official visit with the Vols for October 25th, which is the weekend of the Kentucky game, which means he won't be in attendance for a football game, but basketball will be nearing their first game, which begins on November 3rd.

Adam Finkelstein from 247Sports did an evaluation on him in July, as the five-star prospect is one that no one wants to pass on.

"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). he 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."

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Caleb Sisk
CALEB SISK

Caleb Sisk is a talented sports journalist from the state of Georgia. Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sisk's passion for sports grew. Bringing years of recruiting coverage experience, he has been named a National Recruiting Reporter and covers various college sites on the On SI network. He takes pride in covering recruiting and has been featured by numerous companies for his excellent coverage and knowledge. He has also spent time at other companies, including Rivals, where he covered the Tennessee Volunteers.

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