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Brooklyn point guards are still the ones to watch — and Deron Rippey Jr. just gave the borough another headline moment.
Rippey, a 6-foot-2 floor general from Fort Greene, Brooklyn, announced his commitment to Duke University on a live CBS Sports HQ broadcast, choosing the Blue Devils over a stacked finalist group: NC State, Miami, Texas, and Tennessee.
The decision caps a recruitment that turned into a national chase. Rippey held 30+ high-major offers and finished the process as the top-ranked point guard in the Class of 2026, widely viewed as one of the most complete lead guards in the country — a five-star with the kind of “run the show” swagger that’s always been part of Brooklyn basketball DN.
While Rippey’s roots are Brooklyn through and through, his day-to-day grind has been happening just across the river. He’s a senior at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey, one of the nation’s elite private-school programs and a national pipeline for top-tier talent.
That blend, Brooklyn edge with polished prep-school development, is exactly what makes his rise feel so familiar to New York hoops fans. The city has always produced guards who can command a game: tough, vocal, creative, unafraid of big moments. Rippey fits right into that lineage, and now he’s bringing it to Cameron Indoor Stadium.
In his announcement, Rippey made it clear he’s not coming to Duke to wait his turn.
In his interview with CBS, Rippey stated, “The Brotherhood was the spot for me because I want to play at the highest of levels… I want to go to a school that has a chance to compete for a national title and I want to be an immediate impact as part of that.”
He also delivered a message tailor-made for Durham:
“When I come to town, [Cameron Crazies] are getting a winner, they’re getting a competitor and they’re getting a leader.”
At 6’2, Rippey isn’t the biggest guard Duke has targeted in recent years, but his game plays bigger than the measurements.
Scouts and analysts point to his burst, athletic pop, and two-way motor: quick feet, aggressive on-ball pressure, and the ability to turn defense into instant offense. He’s also the type of guard who can change the energy in a gym, the kind Brooklyn fans recognize immediately
For head coach Jon Scheyer, Rippey is also a major building block for Duke’s 2026 class — and notably, a centerpiece in the backcourt.
Rippey becomes one of the headliners in a Duke recruiting group that’s already drawn national attention, joining Maxime Meyer, Cameron Williams, and Bryson Howard.
In the industry-generated rankings, Rippey has been listed as a top-15 national prospect and the No. 1 point guard, giving Duke a true lead-guard anchor to pair with elite frontcourt and wing talent.
This commitment hits different for Brooklyn — because it’s not just a recruiting win. It’s a reminder.
Even as the sport gets taller, longer, and more positionless, the game still needs a point guard who can control tempo, organize chaos, and bring personality to the floor. Brooklyn has never stopped producing that. Deron Rippey Jr. is simply the latest proof, Fort Greene to Blair Academy to Duke, carrying the borough’s point-guard reputation straight into one of college basketball’s brightest spotlights.