Heel Tough Blog: 2026 Four-Star PG Sets UNC Visit

Sports Illustrated

The Tar Heels currently don’t have a commitment in the 2026 class, but that should change over the next little bit, as the staff is busy recruiting the AAU circuit, and prospects begin to schedule visits and narrow down their recruitment. Labor Day weekend is shaping up to be the big recruiting weekend for Carolina Basketball, and rightfully so, as the entire college football world will be locked in on UNC when they kick off the Bill Belichick off against TCU on that Labor Day night. 2026 five-star prospect, Toni Bryant, will be on campus that weekend, and he will be joined by fellow 2026 four-star point guard, Deron Rippey Jr, according to Patrick O’Brien of Phenom Hoops. 

Rippey Jr is a 6-2 point guard from New Jersey, and his visit to North Carolina is the first of three, with trips to Alabama and Texas to follow. Adam Finklestein is the Director of Scouting for 247Sports, and here is the evaluation he posted after evaluating him last weekend: “Rippey was very solid this weekend, averaging 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and over 2 steals per game to lead New Heights to a 3-1 record. He had head coaches from Connecticut, Duke, Louisville, Auburn, Miami, Texas Tech, and Texas watching him, and even walked away with a new offer from the Longhorns before the weekend was over. While Rippey was largely letting the game come to him this weekend, he’s got the athleticism to make momentum-changing plays at any given point, both rising up at the rim or turning on the jets. Rippey has always been a two-way guard who impacts the game as much on the defensive end as he does on the offensive end. We also saw evidence of clear improvement with his shooting this weekend, which was once considered a liability, as he connected on 10 of his 23 attempts from downtown. While there were some moments he could have asserted himself more, it was a session that showed largely positive developments.” 

For the latest on Carolina Basketball recruiting, stay locked in to the Heel Tough Blog, and The Four Corners Podcast. 

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