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Men's Basketball

Five-Star Guard and Kentucky Target Commits to Kansas

Taylen Kinney, a top prospect in the 2026 class and longtime Kentucky target, has committed to Bill Self and Kansas.

Published

10 months ago

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Taylen Kinney commits to Kansas.
Icon Sportswire | Getty Images

While Wildcats fans ramp up in excitement for the basketball team’s incoming November tipoff, a bit of relative bad news has surfaced on the future recruiting front: 2026 five-star guard, Kentucky native and target Taylen Kinney has officially committed to Kansas.

Kinney, who has ties with current Cat Jasper Johnson and was heavily recruited by both Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey at Louisville due to his in-state ties, in addition to his obvious class-defining talent, was seen for a while as likely to stay home regardless of his final destination.

That is, until Kansas and Bill Self swooped in at the final bell and seemingly stole the recruit right out from under his hometown suitors. His announcement was officially publicized on Twitter (X) by recruiting insider Joe Tipton, alongside an accompanying quote from Kinney about the decision.

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“It was really a no-brainer,” Kinney said. “I feel like I’m going to be on that stage to be able to get to the league.”

Kinney, in his recent stretch playing for the Overtime Elite (OTE) squad, averaged a staggering 20.1 points, five assists, four boards and 2.3 steals per contest. 20 points alone is enough to excite any recruiter, but taken with four rebounds and two steals, there are few guard prospects, if any, in the 2026 class with more versatility on both ends of the floor.

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Even so, Kentucky fans shouldn’t lose hope in a roster that hasn’t even begun to take shape, at least not with new faces. The current team is chalk-full of multiple players at the position that have the potential and eligibility to return – such as Jaland Lowe, Collin Chandler and Jasper Johnson – not to mention Mark Pope’s basically patented ability to turn recruiting trends on their head and put together a hand-picked roster at the last second.

For Kentucky, while Kinney is certainly a high-level talent that would’ve impacted the roster at any level, the Wildcats’ staff has the entire year to work on filling a gap that isn’t even immediately necessary.

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In the meantime, they’ll be focused on this year’s roster which not only has the potential to translate to the 2026 season, but to leave their mark in banner-hanging fashion next spring. In the NIL-era, recruitment is a much different beast that changes every year; BBN shouldn’t sweat the “loss” of a player that wasn’t concerned with staying in the Bluegrass State, either way.

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Men's Basketball

College Basketball Rankings: Where Kentucky Stands in Updated “way-too-early” Polls

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2 weeks ago

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July 3, 2026

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Where Kentucky basketball stands in ESPN and CBS Sports updated way-too-early rankings after more coaching changes, player additions, and injuries.
UK Athletics

Last offseason, Kentucky was considered a top-10 team and a true title contender, but ended the season as one of the most disappointing teams in the country, winning just one game in the NCAA Tournament.

This offseason, Kentucky is barely cracking the top 15 in most preseason rankings and will look to climb the rankings throughout the season rather than fall.

Still 120+ days out from the start of the regular season, ESPN and CBS Sports have updated their “way-too-early” rankings following Dusty May’s jump from Michigan to the NBA, more player additions for teams, and some early-season-ending injuries.

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The rankings remain fairly static, however, with the Wildcats holding steady in ESPN’s rankings while moving ahead of St. John’s in CBS Sports’ rankings following Donnie Freeman’s Achilles injury.

ESPN

17. Kentucky Wildcats

Previous ranking: 17 (no change)

Impact newcomer: Milan Momcilovic

Momcilovic was the best transfer in the portal, after a season in which he established himself as the best shooter in college basketball. The 6-8 forward withdrew from the NBA draft on the night of the deadline, committing to coach Mark Pope’s team a few days later after also being pursued by Louisville and Arizona. He’s immediately an All-America contender and the most dangerous player on the Wildcats’ roster, after averaging 16.9 points and shooting 48.7% from 3 last season.

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Projected starting lineup

Zoom Diallo (15.7 PPG at Washington)
Alex Wilkins (17.8 PPG at Furman)
Milan Momcilovic (16.9 PPG at Iowa State)
Ousmane N’Diaye (9.8 PPG for Cremona in Serie A)
Malachi Moreno (7.8 PPG)

CBS Sports

16. Kentucky Wildcats

Previous ranking: 17 (⬆️1)

This ranking is based on the Wildcats returning one of the top six scorers — specifically Malachi Moreno — from a team that finished 22-14 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic, Washington transfers Zoom Diallo and Franck Kepnang, Washington State transfer Jerone Morton, James Madison transfer Justin McBride, Providence transfer Alex Wilkins, four-star prospect Mason Williams and international prospect Ousmane N’Diaye.

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Men's Basketball

Mark Pope Discusses Final Assistant Coach Position, “I’m not in desperate need of adding more pieces”

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2 weeks ago

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July 3, 2026

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Mark Pope isn't rushing to fill Kentucky's final assistant coach opening, saying pending NCAA rules on international players could shift his plans.
UK Athletics

Kentucky basketball has operated this offseason without a full staff. Assistant coaches Alvin Brooks III and Jason Hart left the program back in March, and Mark Pope has only filled one of the two spots since, hiring former NBA All-Star Mo Williams from Jackson State.

Despite that, Kentucky managed to bring in the 3rd ranked transfer class in the country, highlighted by Milan Momcilovic, and have secured a commitment from 2027 five-star Ryan Hampton.

“I like my organization a lot right now. I think this group is functioning at a high level,” Pope said about his staff in an interview with BBN Tonight. “I like the way our staff feels. I like the way we feel in the staff meeting every day. I like the way we’re executing on the road. I like the way we feel on the court right now.”

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With an assistant coach position sitting vacant, Pope is satisfied with how his staff is performing and says there is no urgency in filling the role. Instead, he’s waiting to see how NCAA guidelines and rules unfold in the coming weeks.

“I’m not in desperate need of adding more pieces, although I’m open to the idea,” he said.

“There are going to be a whole host of legal cases from our league testing the CSC and the NCAA on their current guidelines and rules on international players. And depending on what the outcome of those are, it could very much shift the direction we go with hiring.”

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Mark Pope Says Kentucky’s Final Roster Spot Is About Fit, “There’s got to be a very uniquely positioned piece”

Published

2 weeks ago

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July 3, 2026

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Mark Pope opens up on Kentucky Basketball's final roster spot, emphasizing fit over hype as the Nikola Kusturica recruitment nears a decision.
UK Athletics

Kentucky basketball is wrapping up its third week of practice in an eight-week summer training block. While the players are getting acclimated to Mark Pope’s system and to each other, there is still one roster spot to be filled.

“I am enjoying coaching these guys, but we’re also still really active in recruiting,” Pope said in an interview with BBN Tonight.

One name that Wildcat fans have been keeping a close eye on in recent weeks is Nikola Kusturica, a 17-year-old prospect from Serbia, who is currently playing for FC Barcelona and is a projected lottery pick in the 2028 NBA Draft. His recruitment is down to Kentucky and UCLA, with the latter having the momentum and a decision expected soon.

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Whoever the final roster piece will be, Pope emphasizes that they must fit with the other 14 players on the roster.

“Where we are with our roster, there’s got to be a very uniquely positioned piece that fits,” he said.

“There are several different archetypes of piece that would fit this roster really well, but there’s also a lot of guys who are popping up as available or have been available for a little while who don’t turn out to be the fit that’s going to work for this team.”

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