2. Must go all-in on Deron Rippey Jr.
With the Cardinals missing out on Kinney, it is clear who they must go all-in on. Deron Rippey Jr. is a 5-star point guard out of New Jersey and is rising as one of the top prospects in the 2026 class.
Louisville has made it clear that they are interested in Rippey and have continued to nurture their relationship, despite committing fully to Kinney. Recently, Louisville made Rippey's top 10, and is in a heated recruiting battle with Syracuse, North Carolina, Miami, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Duke, Texas, and North Carolina State. Rippey had over 40 offers and cut Kansas and Indiana from his latest list.
The Cardinals were once the favorite to land Rippey, but after Duke and Kentucky's recent recruiting push, Louisville is now slightly behind for the 5-star. After striking out on Kinney, Kelsey must go all-in on Rippey, as this past offseason, he skyrocketed his rankings and is now ranked as high as No. 8 in the nation and the No. 2 point guard in the 2026 cycle.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard won MVP awards at multiple events this offseason, including the Steph Curry camp and the NBPA Top 100 Camp. Rippey is one of the best scorers in the 2026 class, and he must be one of Kelsey's top targets now.
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