Tay Kinney is nothing short of being explosive. The Rutgers basketball recruit, one of the top players in the nation in the class of 2026, has a unique blend of athleticism and a refined skill set.
Rutgers offered Kinney at the end of April. The 6-foot guard from Newport High School (Newport, Kentucky) has a strong offer list that includes Cincinnati, Dayton, Illinois, Louisville, Notre Dame, Purdue and Texas A&M among others.
He is a four-star and ranked the No. 30 recruit in the nation by ESPN, where he is also the fifth-best point guard in the nation. He is also ranked as a four-star by Rivals and 247Sports.
Kinney has the ability to get to the rim, almost with ease. He is a glider in his movement and then can explode upwards vertically.
This, coupled with a good handle and some very nice range, makes him a complete guard.
Check out a couple of these highlights as Kinney is a name to watch:
MONSTER slam from Newport sophomore guard Tay Kinney to give his team a 2-point lead over Darryn Peterson and Huntington Prep in the 4th quarter 😳😳 pic.twitter.com/cfXBaGTax4
— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) December 16, 2023
Newport 48, Highlands 39, 4:40, 4Q
Tay Kinney gets his first points of the quarter. pic.twitter.com/2AlHL3IHtN
— Joshua Kalb (@joshua_kalb) March 2, 2024
Rutgers put together a strong class of 2024 that included five-star forward [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] (the No. 1 recruit in the nation according to USA TODAY High School Sports) and five-star guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag].
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The class was ranked top-10 in the nation and No. 4 in the 247Sports Composite.