Four-star guard Deron Rippey (2026) had a breakout summer and cemented himself as one of the top recruits in the country. Currently ranked 26th in the class of 2026, Rippey made a strong case this summer that he should be ranked even higher.

Along the way, he’s also garnered plenty of interest on the recruiting trail and CavsCorner caught up with the Blairstown (NJ) standout to get the latest.

“It was a successful summer,” he told CavsCorner. “I made a lot of strides and got better overall. I focused on a lot of different things to work on in the offseason and I think I really showcased how I improved overall. I have gotten more adjusted playing high school basketball and really just playing at a high level consistently. I still have a lot to prove and want to continue to get better and better.”

UVa was one of the schools that reached out to Rippey since June 15th and he said he is looking forward to building a relationship with Tony Bennett and his staff.

“Virginia told me that they will be monitoring me and I am looking forward to seeing how we can build a relationship,” he explained.

The success that Virginia has had since Bennett as been at the helm has caught his attention.

“They are a national caliber team every year it seems like,” Rippey said. “They are always a consistent and successful program and that is what I really like about them. The defense is really big within the program and I know that is something that the coaching staff stresses a lot and I like that a lot. The success they have had with their guards is also really impressive.”

As Rippey continues to build a stronger relationship with Virginia, he is interested in learning more about how he could potentially fit in with the Wahoos if he were to go there.

“I still have to learn more about how I could potentially fit in at Virginia but I definitely like their program,” he said. “I would still need to see a little more before I can confidently say what my role would be but the hope is to learn more about that as I build a relationship with them.”

Rippey has laid out a few important factors about what will go into his college decision.

“Definitely how big my impact would be is very important,” he explained. “There are a lot of different factors that go into a decision now including the transfer portal so I will have to monitor that. I want to go to a successful program and a program that is really going to feel like home for me. I want to go to a place that has had success with guards in the past and a place that will help me improve on the court and off the court.”

So far Rippey has taken official visits to UConn, Syracuse, Rutgers and St. John’s. He plans to visit Rutgers again soon and Villanova.