Deron Rippey Jr. announced Thursday that an official visit to North Carolina has been set up for August 31 through September 2. That promises to be a festive couple of days in Chapel Hill as it marks the opening weekend of the 2025 football season. The game against TCU will actually be played on Monday night September 2. But none of that trumps that the matchup will kickoff the beginning of the Bill Belichick era.

Now back to basketball. The 22nd ranked player in the 2026 class also scheduled other officials for Alabama on the September 12 weekend, and Texas seven days later. He is also looking to take another to Kentucky with the possibility of others as well.

Rippey will not be alone. He is the second player in the top-25 who will be in town within that window. 6-foot-10 big man, Toni Bryant who comes in at No. 16 will also be taking his official as well.

The guard from Brooklyn took an official visit to Louisville as a junior, and he has also taken unofficials to Rutgers, St. John's, Syracuse, Villanova, and UCONN.

Hubert Davis and his staff have been hot on the heels of Rippey for awhile. They offered all the way back in January, and have been in constant contact ever since. Davis had the opportunity to serve as floor coach at Team USA's U19 Camp last week in Colorado Springs. Rippey was a participant how made the group of 18 finalists. He did not make the roster of a dozen who will play at the FIBA Championships in Switzerland. However, the camp gave Davis and Rippey several days to bond.

“Coach Davis has been reaching out to Ron Ron. We also had Coach (Marcus) Paige reaching out to both of us, and following up. It was great to see Coach Davis out at U19. He got a chance to see Ron Ron, and spend some time with him talking, and seeing him play. I know he’s seen a lot of tape. One thing about Coach Davis was he said he definitely wanted to communicate with the parents, and build that bond with Ron Ron a little more. He wanted to reach out, and it was great to see him out there, "his father, Deron Rippey Jr. told Tar Heel Illustrated Thursday evening.

Mr. Rippey went on to say what the message from Coach Davis has been to the the rising high school senior throughout his recruitment from the offer to Colorado Springs.

“The first time I spoke with Coach Davis he was impressed with Ron Ron’s IQ and leadership knowing that he is a point guard who plays defense, and gets his teammates into their sets. He can play. He can score the ball if he needs to. Coach Davis said he definitely wants to play up-tempo, and play fast. He definitely likes to play guards and teach guards. He gave Ron Ron a background about him as a coach, as a person which really stood out. He talked about the Carolina Way, Carolina Basketball. That was impressive for Ron Ron, and for me and my family.”

Rippey is in a battle with a select few such as Dylan Mingo and Taylen Kinney as the top point guard in the Class of 2026. Mr. Rippey detailed that elite ability to play the position is proving to be very attractive to college coaches.

“The main thing is that all of these coaches are looking for a point guard. It’s similar to having the ball in Ron Ron’s hands, and have him come in and run the team. I think Ron Ron is looking forward to taking on that role when he finishes up his senior year. Ron Ron wants to go to a winning program where they are established. I think Ron Ron is excited about coming in and having the ball, and getting a program to the expectations of the coach, the community, and the fan base. He wants to come in and get that going.”

Rippey plays with New Heights on the Adidas 3SSB circuit. In eight games in the spring he made 42 of 84 shots for 50%. But even more impressive was his 42.2% three-point rate. Just more than half of his attempts came from behind the arc. Rippey was also efficient. He averaged 15.3 points in just over ten shots per game. New Jersey guards are known for their toughness and defense. Rippey was one of the best in any league when it came to steals. He snatched two per game.

Rippey was also selected for the Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy earlier in the month. He also was named to that event's first team. Rippey averaged 12 points, and 3.7 rebounds, but maybe more impressively led his squad in assists at 6.3. He put up across the board numbers throughout the tournament. He had 12 points and 8 assists in the opener. He had his high scoring mark with 16 points in the second game, then finished the championship game with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Rippey shot 46.9% overall, 56.5% from two-point range, and 22.2% from three. 23 of his 32 shots were from inside the arc.

He averaged 21.7 points, 4.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals at the NBPA Top 100 Camp . He made just over half his overall shots at 51% (24-47). His two-point numbers were even higher at 61.3%, while he made five of 16 three-pointers for 31.3%.