"A playmaker with vision"- Recruiting insider shares his take on Top-25 hooper visited by Kentucky's Mark Pope

Modified Apr 23, 2025 23:57 GMT

Class of 2026 prospect Taylen Kinney (Source: Instagram)

Taylen Kinney, a four-star recruit from the Class of 2026, received an in-house visit from Mark Pope, the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team. Kinney hosted Pope along with assistant coaches Jason Hart and Cody Fueger.

On Wednesday, SportsCenter NEXT shared a post with a picture of Kinney and Pope standing side by side as they posed and smiled for the camera. The post also included a compilation displaying Kinney's skills.

His speed and agility are immediately noticeable. He can also be seen manoeuvring past defenders and scoring three-pointers smoothly.

"Kentucky’s Mark Pope made an in-home visit yesterday to meet with Taylen Kinney, who is ranked No. 24 in the ESPN 60. 👀🔥," read the post's caption.

Recruiting Director and basketball analyst Paul Biancardi left a comment under the post.

"He was terrific @hoopgroup Pitt Jam Fest. Scores with a balance of hard drives and jumpers—a playmaker with vision that is beginning to expand beyond what’s directly in front of him. Must continue to be more vocal throughout the course of a game. Displays a good disposition on the court during game action and on the bench," commented Biancardi.

Taylen Kinney is a 6-foot-2 guard from Newport (KY) High School. He is gradually emerging as a top prospect in the Class of 2026. He ranks 24th among the top recruits on ESPN 60. Among the point guards, he ranks fifth while he's the top player in Kentucky.

As a sophomore, playing for Overtime Elite, he averaged 17.5 points, four rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He is known to be an efficient player, shooting 41% from three-point range and 83% from the free-throw line.

During his outing for OTE's RWE in the past season, he averaged 20.1 points, five assists, four rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game.

Taylen Kinney also helped his team win the second consecutive 9th Region championship.

What are Taylen Kinney's plans for recruitment?

Taylen Kinney has earned offers from programs like Kentucky, Purdue, North Carolina, Louisville, and Creighton.

Kinney has already made an official visit to Purdue. Talking about Kentucky to On3, he said:

“(Kentucky) had a great year, you know. Made it to the Sweet Sixteen with all transfers. You know, they got Jasper (Johnson) coming in. I like what (Pope) did to that program. Jasper is on me every day, just saying, ‘Come to Kentucky. Come to Kentucky.’

Jasper Johnson is Kinney's teammate in Overtime Elite.

Talking about coach Mark Pope, he said:

“Coach Pope is really outgoing. He’s real funny, but he’s real cool though.”

Kinney hasn't decided yet. He still has the senior year ahead.

About the author

Nishant is a Delhi-based journalist at Sportskeeda specializing in High School Sports. He graduated in Mathematical Sciences and is pursuing a Masters in Operational Research at Delhi University.

With his educational background and over four years of experience, Nishant likes to be precise with information. He is passionate about cricket, football, basketball, and chess, often writing about events and game analysis.

His favorite team is the Michigan Wolverines, and he thoroughly enjoyed their unbeaten season and championship win, especially when it culminated in Jim Harbaugh fulfilling his promise of getting a tattoo.

When he is not working or watching sports, Nishant likes to play football and write poetry. Wrapping everything in humor with relatable memes and defending his heart out on the football field is why he gets up every day.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande