Louisville basketball is one step closer to earning a commitment from one of its top dream targets, Deron Rippey Jr. The 5-star point guard updated his recruiting list yet again, as this time he dropped two more schools, making Louisville officially in his top 10.
Louisville is slowly falling behind as the Cardinals have made Taylen Kinney their No. 1 priority, but because of their early recruiting success and visits, Rippey decided to drop Indiana and Kansas and stay loyal to Louisville. The Cardinals being all-in on Kinney has hurt their chances of landing Rippey, but Kelsey and his staff have watched the 5-star guard all offseason and are still incredibly interested.
Kelsey has an uphill battle of landing Rippey over big-time programs, but with Kansas and Indiana not making the cut, that proves Louisville still has a solid chance.
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Louisville planning to make last second push for 5-star Deron Rippey Jr.
The Cardinals were once the favorite to land Rippey after they visited him for a practice in April, and he visited Louisville for the Tennessee showdown in November 2024. However, since he has visited multiple programs, Duke and Kentucky even visited him this week for an in-house visit.
The Cardinals dropped from a 23 percent chance down to a 6.9 percent chance, which is the third-best odds according to On3 Sports. Syracuse's 14.7 percent is the favorite as of now, with Duke creeping up behind at 8.3 percent.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard is a 5-star point guard ranked as high as No. 8 in the nation after winning MVP at multiple events this summer, including the Steph Curry camp, which took place in August. He has earned over 40 offers, as he is one of the top scorers in the 2026 class and has proven it multiple times this offseason.
Louisville jumping Kansas and Indiana is a big step for the Cardinals, but they will now be in a battle with SEC and ACC giants.
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For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.