3 Duke Basketball Players I’m Buying Long-Term Hype On

This incoming Duke basketball recruiting class is a bit different than in past years.

Head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff once again built one of the top high school classes in the entire country, but this is the first time that the Blue Devils don’t have a surefire one-and-done NBA prospect in the last few years.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer stands on the court during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now, some of that has to do with the 2026 recruiting class itself. Most of the top prospects in the class are viewed as more long-term gems.

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Most, if not all, of these rookies will be playing more complementary roles and could be multi-year college players. Here are three young Blue Devils I’m buying the hype on now.

Mar 30, 2026; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Deron Rippey Jr (0) during the McDonalds All American Jam Fest at Millennium High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Deron Rippey Jr.

It isn’t too often the top point guard in an entire high school recruiting class will enter college basketball as the fourth guard in the pecking order on his team, but that is where Deron Rippey Jr. stands. The 5-star recruit was rated as the No. 1 point guard in the 2026 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports 2026 Composite Rankings.

Now, that is not a knock on Rippey at all. Actually, his being lower in the guard room as a rookie could be a fantastic thing for his development. With Caleb Foster, John Blackwell, and Cayden Boozer to learn from, the rookie will receive fantastic mentorship.

Mar 30, 2026; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Deron Rippey Jr (0) during the McDonalds All American Jam Fest at Millennium High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 6’2″ guard is a fantastic athlete and a tenacious perimeter…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/3-duke-basketball-players-im-103001952.html

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Publish date : 2026-08-17 10:30:00

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