Four-star PF Tyler McKinley has Tennessee basketball in top seven
Tennessee is one of the top seven basketball programs in the recruitment of 2024 four-star power forward Tyler McKinley. The Vols made the cut alongside Alabama, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Virginia Tech and Xavier.
The 6-foot-9, 220-pound McKinley, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, attends Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, where he was teammates with Tennessee signees Cameron Carr, the four-star wing, and three-star power forward Cade Phillips.
McKinley is ranked No. 65 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking. He’s the No. 10 power forward in the 2024 class and is ranked No. 3 overall in the state of Missouri.
Freshmen Cameron Carr, Cade Phillips recruiting Tyler McKinley to Tennessee
“(The Vols) produce and develop their forwards,” McKinley told Jamie Shaw’s On3. “They got a great staff shoutout to Rod Clark; he’s a great guy. I have two great friends and teammates of mine who are signed with Tennessee, and they keep telling me it’s a great program.”
McKinley has taken an official visit to Cincinnati and unofficial visits to Xavier and Ohio State.
“I’m a versatile forward who is an overall good basketball player,” McKinley told Shaw in a previous interview with On3. “Coming to Link Academy, playing with 12 high-major guys, I’m expanding my game, doing anything I can to help my team win. With the work I’ve put in on my body this season, people will see this summer how in shape I’m in.”
Tyler McKinley is ‘a big man who knows his role and affects winning’
Shaw named McKinley as one of the notable players at an EYBL live session in April.
“(McKinley) seems to have found his comfort zone with this MoKan team,” Shaw wrote. “He has been active on the boards, pushing the break under control and finishing around the basket. A big man who knows his role and affects winning.”
McKinley also detailed in an interview with Shaw what he’s looking for in a college basketball program.
“I’m going to be looking at what program can best develop me and get me ready for the next level,” he said. “But I will also look closely at what situation is best for me and my family, especially my mom.
“I want to play at a high tempo, a lot of pace, and I want to get up and down the floor quickly.”
Scouting Report — 2024 4-Star PF Tyler McKinley
Jamie Shaw: “Tyler McKinley is a strong-framed power forward. He is not afraid to mix it up and has an understanding of what his game is. At 6-foot-9, McKinley has soft hands and is an active rebounder. While he is a below-the-rim defender, he understands angles and has good footwork and a motor. McKinley finishes well around the basket and knocks down his free throws. He plays with a lot of energy and does not shy away from contact. There is a throwback nature to his game, and while he is still developing the range on his jump shot, there are a lot of tools to carry into the highest level of the college game.”
