Kentucky 5-star PG target Tay Kinney trims down his list of top schools

Tay Kinney has revised his list of top contenders.

On3’s Joe Tipton broke news Tuesday night that Kinney is down to a dozen college finalists. Kentucky made the cut, as did Arkansas, Auburn, Indiana, Kansas, Louisville, Miami (FL), Oregon, Purdue, Tennessee, Texas, and Xavier. Kinney was previously down to a top 15, which he released in December, but cut a few schools and added some more this time around as he inches closer to making a decision.

A 6-foot-2 point guard and native of the Bluegrass State, Kinney is considered a five-star prospect and the No. 13 overall recruit in the 2026 class by the Rivals Industry Ranking.

NEWS: 5⭐️ Tay Kinney is down to 12 schools, source tells @Rivals.

The 6-2 rising senior is one of the top point guards in the country. https://t.co/OlCaBZUirS pic.twitter.com/9yMcl6P9Lj

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) July 22, 2025

Kinney has already completed official visits with Purdue, Louisville, and Kentucky. He has upcoming OVs locked in with Kansas, Indiana, Oregon, Texas, and Arkansas. Louisville is viewed as the frontrunner at this stage in his recruitment, with Arkansas’ John Calipari thought to be a darkhorse candidate, but Kentucky head coach Mark Pope was front and center for several of Kinney’s games on the adidas 3SSB circuit this month.

“Really good visit,” Kinney recently told reporters about his trip to Kentucky. “The team this year, the way they was practicing, the way they play, that really stood out. We hung out with Pope at their house, went out to dinner, and watched a practice. They play fast, get up and down, and shoot a lot of threes.”

Kinney has said a commitment decision could come before the 2025-26 Overtime Elite season begins this fall. Kinney adds that, despite being signed to adidas and playing for an adidas AAU program, he’s not automatically guaranteed to go to an adidas school. His current partnership with adidas ends after his final high school season wraps up.

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