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Duke basketball freshman Deron Rippey Jr. is clearly a dedicated student of the game. That much is evident from the way fans have already begun comparing the 19-year-old to former Blue Devil backcourt stars like Jason Williams and Kyrie Irving after his standout exhibition performances.
Rippey, it seems, enjoys studying the tendencies and moves of other guards. He confirmed this during a recent appearance on The Brotherhood Podcast with sophomore guard Cayden Boozer and senior transfer John Blackwell, as the trio reflected on No. 2 Duke's 103-64 exhibition victory over No. 8 Tennessee on Tuesday night at home.
"For me, as a young guy, having three older guards that played college basketball on my team, I think it's been the best thing for me," said Rippey, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound McDonald's All-American from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Boozer and Blackwell. Boozer and Blackwell have started in the backcourt for Duke during the preseason, which also included a 102-62 home win over Belmont on Oct. 8. Meanwhile, senior guard Caleb Foster, who started 30 games last season for a Blue Devil team that went 35-3, is finishing his recovery from a minor ankle injury.
"Little do you guys know, everything that you guys do that works in practice, like, I'm studying that, and I'm implementing that into my game just so that I can get better," Rippey continued, displaying a maturity beyond his years as Boozer and Blackwell listened like proud older brothers. "You guys have obviously succeeded at this level. And I think it's great for me to watch and pick up on your habits."
Key Analysis
Through Duke's two exhibition games, Rippey has led the bench with an average of 16.0 points in just 21.5 minutes per contest. He is also averaging 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting an efficient 72.2 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from three-point range. "I love his competitive spirit," fifth-year Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said of Rippey after the Tennessee win. "I love the fact that a lot of guys would shy away from competition in his position in the first place. He's been a student of the game. Like, he's really tough on himself in terms of being able to quarterback and being able to make the right reads. And I've loved seeing his development in a short period of time. I thought what he did tonight, the energy he gave us off the bench, was a big lift."
Duke wraps up its exhibition slate with a road game against No. 17 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN). The Blue Devils open the regular season against Army at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Monday, Nov. 2, at 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU).