Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope has already put together a solid recruiting class for 2025, and is hard at work on 2026 as well. That work is paying off with recruits. Class of 2026 point guard Tay Kinney has the Wildcats in his top 15 schools.
Kinney is a 6’0″, 160 lb point guard out of Newport, Kentucky currently playing with Overtime Elite in Atlanta. He is ranked by 247sports as the number 20 player in the class and is rated four stars.
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Kentucky offered Kinney back in August while he was on an unofficial visit to Lexington. Louisville also offered him along with multiple SEC schools. In all, he received almost 40 offers, but has narrowed his options down to 15.
Along with the Wildcats, Kansas, Arkansas, the Tennessee Volunteers, and the Alabama Crimson Tide made Kinney’s list. Many consider Kentucky to be the favorite because he’s an in-state recruit, but the other schools are certain to make a push.
A commitment is likely a long way off, but he would be a great addition to Kentucky and fans will want to keep an eye out.