UNC set to host 2026 prospect Deron Rippey Jr. as Hubert Davis zeroes in on strengthening guard rotation

UNC coach Hubert Davis will host Deron Rippey Jr., the No. 18 recruit in the Class of 2026 (as per On3's Industry Rankings). The 6-foot-2 point guard, who plays for Blair Academy in Brooklyn, New York, will enter his senior year next season.

Basketball insider Adam Zagoria tweeted that Rippey will take three visits - to UNC from Aug. 31 to Sep. 2, Alabama from Sep. 12 to Sep. 14, and Texas from Sep. 19 to Sep. 21, on Thursday.

Rippey, who ranks fourth in the point guard position and first in New Jersey, led Blair Academy to an 11-2 record and a 3-1 record in the Prep Schools Section Mid-Atlantic Prep Basketball League, where they finished second.

He was also a part of the NBPA Top 100 camp, representing Team Taylor. He averaged 17.3 points on 46.3% shooting, including 26.3% from behind the arc and 66.7% from the charity stripe. The point guard grabbed 4.3 rebounds, dished out 4.3 assists, stole the ball 1.5 times and recorded 0.1 blocks per game in four games.

In a scouting report, Rippey's scoring prowess was commended by On3's Zack Geoghegan.

"It was an excellent week for Deron Rippey Jr., who made the All-Camp Team on his way to picking up an offer from the Wildcats. The talented lead guard scored 15 or more points in his three games played, including a 28-point, seven-assist performance in his opener on Wednesday."

Geoghegan talked about the 118-98 loss against Team Thomas, when Deron Rippey recorded 28 points, seven assists, three steals and three rebounds in 32 minutes. He shot 9-for-18, including 3-for-8 from the 3-point arc.

"Rippey has already officially visited Louisville and has another OV set with Alabama for September, but Kentucky will be a real player in this recruitment starting now," continued Geoghegan.

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Tough fight between four programs for Deron Rippey Jr.'s signature

The Class of 2026 recruit has received over 15 offers from top programs across the nation. These include Louisville, Alabama, Rutgers, Villanova and Georgia Tech. However, Rippey has only taken official visits to the Cardinals, on Nov. 8.

With a 30.2% chance of landing Deron Rippey Jr., Louisville leads the race, followed by Alabama with a 26.4% prediction, Rutgers with a 15.3% probability and Villanova with a 12.8% chance.

Hubert Davis' team has less than 1% chance of landing the point guard. However, with one year left for Rippey to decide on his collegiate career, Davis would need to work something out to strengthen his guard rotation at UNC.