Louisville basketball received more excellent news on Tuesday as Pat Kelsey and his staff made Deron Rippey Jr.'s final 12. The 5-star point guard is one of the top recruits in the nation, as he earned over 44 offers.
The New Jersey native cutting his list down to 12 and the Cardinals being a legitimate contender is a significant sign that Louisville is one of his top targets. The Cardinals have shown interest in Rippey all offseason as they traveled to watch him practice in New Jersey, and were seen at many of his games this past weekend at the Adidas Palmetto Road Championships.
Louisville was the clear frontrunner after earning an official visit back in November for their showdown with Tennessee, but since then, the 5-star guard has taken many more visits and has lined up numerous visits to blue-blood and basketball powerhouse programs.
Related: Louisville fans holding breath after 5-star PG and top target names final 12
Deron Rippey Jr. schedules visits with Blue-Blood programs and SEC giants
As of now, the Cardinals are given the third-best percentage of earning Rippey's commitment, according to On3 Sports. Syracuse and North Carolina are slightly ahead of Louisville in the race, but after Rippey updated his list, it is clear his price is about to skyrocket.
The 5-star point guard is emerging as the nation's top point guard after earning MVP of the Adidas Palmetto Road Championships. The 6-foot-2 guard is nearly impossible to stay in front of and is one of the best ball handlers in the class.
Following this past weekend, it is clear that he is trending as one of the top targets for several programs' backcourts, including Louisville. However, with the Cardinals all-in on Taylen Kinney, the price for Rippey might be too high. Kinney is the No. 1 point guard in the 2026 class and is also a Kentucky native. Louisville not only is the favorite to land Kinney, but they are telling the 5-star that he is their guy.
Rippey's final 12 included Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Miami, Syracuse, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Kansas, and Indiana. The programs the Cardinals are competing against are among the biggest in college basketball. While Louisville is also a big-time program, Kelsey is going all-in on Stokes and Kinney, making it hard to outpay Duke, UNC, Kansas, and the SEC giants.
Rippey has visits lined up for nearly the rest of the teams that made the cut. He will travel to Kentucky, Miami, and North Carolina in August. Alabama, Texas, and Syracuse in September. Finally, Indiana, Tennessee in October, and Kansas in November, according to On3 Sports/Rivals' Joe Tipton.
NEWS: Deron Rippey Jr., the No. 17 overall prospect in the class of 2026, has locked in several official visits, @247Sports is told.
— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) July 12, 2025
Rippey is rated as a composite five-star. https://t.co/0Fe0mOWW8Y pic.twitter.com/thq1fveZ8c
The Cardinals are staying consistent with Rippey as he ranks as the No. 17 recruit in the nation, and the second-best point guard in the 2026 cycle. Tipton reported that Rippey stated the relationship is "growing", and the Cardinals' staff has been "consistent".
Rippey is going to be an absolute stud, but after his updated list and the schools he plans to visit, it is clear that the price for Rippey is about to skyrocket, possibly putting the Cardinals out of the race. The Cardinals will have to prioritize who they are willing to pay the big bucks, and it appears that Stokes and Kinney are the clear top choices.
Related: 3 realistic commitments that would make Louisville’s 2026 class perfect
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.