Not many recruits in the country have seen their stock rise in recent months more than Deron Rippey Jr. — and Kentucky is paying close attention.
Rippey will take an official visit to Kentucky beginning August 1 and ending August 3, he tells KSR. He also has upcoming official visits on the docket with North Carolina, Texas, Alabama, and Indiana. The 6-foot-2 point guard is considered the No. 17 overall recruit in the 2026 class by On3.
“I love how (Kentucky) continued on the winning program after Coach (John) Calipari left,” Rippey told KSR. “Mark Pope, I think he’s a very high-level coach, he’s a guard’s coach, he’s just an overall savant of the game of basketball. Using that terminology, I think I’m a high-level point guard that can think the game fast, so being able to play for a coach like that will be important for me.”
Kentucky’s interest in Rippey has skyrocketed in recent weeks, starting with the NBPA Top 100 Camp last month, which ultimately landed him a scholarship offer. He communicates with Pope the most on the staff, but adds that he’s hearing from all the assistants. Rippey even made it to Madison Square Garden in New York City during the 2024-25 season to watch Kentucky and Ohio State battle in the CBS Sports Classic.
“I’ve been connected with them for a while now,” Rippey said of UK.
Recently, the staff has been sending him film to watch of last season’s Kentucky team. The Wildcats’ fast style of playing is appealing to Rippey, who prefers to speed up the pace, play in transition, and get downhill.
As of right now, there is no exact timeline for a commitment, but Rippey says he plans to drop a list of his top schools in the coming weeks. He hopes to finish his official visits around Thanksgiving before potentially deciding in January.
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