Newport Kentucky native Taylen Kinney, the No. 11 overall prospect in the 247Sports rankings, has narrowed his list of schools to 12. The Kentucky Wildcats are firmly in the mix, as expected. The five-star point guard has already taken visits to Purdue, Louisville, and Kentucky, with additional visits planned for the fall.
Kentucky’s Recruitment Timeline
- August 21st, 2024: Taylen Kinney unofficially visits the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington
- August 21st, 2024: Taylen Kinney receives an offer form the University of Kentucky (as expected).
- December 25th, 2024: He names the leaders in his recruitment, with Kentucky included.
- February 1st, 2025: Taylen Kinney unofficially visited Lexington (again).
- April 23rd, 2025: Mark Pope conducted an in-home visit with him, watching film with him, spending time, etc.
- June 24th, 2025: Taylen Kinney officially vists the Kentucky Wildcats.
What He’s Said About Kentucky
After his Kentucky visit back in September of 2024,, Kinney described the experience as meaningful and revealing:
“It was just me and the whole coaching staff, all day. It was good vibes. We watched film. They had film of all my plays… They were showing my strengths and weaknesses. They were keeping it real with me. I appreciate that a lot.” Kinney told AOL back in September of 2024
The connection with Coach Pope and the staff appears strong, and Kinney noted that most of his family are Kentucky fans, which definitely helps the Cats’ case.
The Competition
Kinney’s final 12 includes programs include Kentucky, Auburn, Louisville, Texas, Xavier, Arkansas, Kansas, Purdue, Oregon, Tennessee, Miami, and Indiana. While Louisville has been considered a serious contender throughout the process, Kentucky’s consistency and home-state ties give the the Cats a solid shot. Arkansas is also pushing hard, with a visit lined up for the fall, and they are someone to keep an eye on.
Kinney is expected to make his college decision before the start of his senior season this fall, so we’ll see what happens between now and then.
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