Louisville basketball receives a massive update from Deron Rippey Jr., as Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals make the 5-star point guard's updated list, per On3 Sports/Rivals Joe Tipton. The New Jersey native received over 44 offers after his impressive junior season and a recent standout performance this past weekend.
The Cardinals now appear to be in a heated recruiting battle with big-time SEC and ACC programs. Louisville is one of 12 teams in the 5-star updated list, which puts Louisville up against Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Miami, Syracuse, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Kansas, and Indiana.
NEWS: 2026 Top-20 recruit Deron Rippey Jr. has cut his list to 12 schools, he tells @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) July 15, 2025
The 6-2 point guard received over 40 offers. https://t.co/xMChIONQjd pic.twitter.com/mPvtXgjNcR
Kelsey and his staff have been all-in on Rippey this summer, as they have been to practices of his and multiple games. The Cardinals are one of the top frontrunners to land Rippey after his official visit to Louisville last fall. However, since then, he has taken visits to multiple schools and has many more lined up.
Louisville was once the favorite to land the 5-star point guard, but since he scheduled his visits, the Syracuse Orange's 15.8 percent odds are the best per On3 Sports. Following Syracuse, North Carolina ranks second with an 8.9 percent, and Indiana and Louisville are tied for third with 7.4 percent.
Related: Louisville basketball receives massive update on 5-star PG after crucial visit
Louisville basketball makes 5-star PG Deron Rippey Jr.'s updated list
Rippey ranks as high as the No. 17 recruit in the nation, and the second-best point guard in the 2026 class. He is the consensus best player from New Jersey in the 2026 cycle, averaging 14 points, 5.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game in his sophomore season, and went on to earn New Jersey Player of the Year honors last season.
The 5-star point guard just won the Adidas Palmetto Road Championships MVP award over the weekend after putting on an offensive clinic. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound also competed at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, averaging 21.7 points, 4.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game.
Rippey is emerging as the best point guard in the 2026 class, and stated the relationship with Kelsey is growing. The big curveball in all of this is that Louisville will have to choose between Rippey and the No. 1 point guard in the class, and Kentucky native Taylen Kinney.
Kinney has yet to narrow down his list, but Louisville is the favorite, according to Tipton. Kelsey loves his guards, but it will be nearly impossible to earn a commitment from both point guards.
Related: Louisville basketball is the frontrunner for 5-star PG - but there’s a major twist
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.