Mar 1, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky basketball is losing ground with one of its top 2026 targets

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Wyatt Huff | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Kentucky looks to be losing momentum with one of their top targets in the 2026 class. Over the past month, the Wildcats have let the lead slip away for one of the best point guards in the class, Tay Kinney, who was for a long time seen as a strong Kentucky lean.

As Louisville began to separate themselves in the race, another school has recently emerged as a close second, Kansas, who have came out of nowhere with a late surge in the recruitment. This comes after both Kentucky and Louisville head coaches made trips at midnight last Tuesday to conduct an in-home visit with Kinney. Now, Kentucky continues to slip down the ranks among contenders in his recruitment. The Wildcats were seen as second to Louisville, but now, Kansas has seemed to have jumped Kentucky.

As far as visits, the five-star guard has one visit left, to Arkansas, which will begin on Sept. 26. Kinney has already taken visits to Kentucky, Louisville, Indiana, Oregon and Kansas. He also canceled his upcoming visits to Texas and Miami. Now, with just one official visit remaining, we could be closer to a decision than previously expected. That wouldn't bode well for the Wildcats, as they need some time to gain ground.

Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Kinney discussed his relationship with the three presumed frontrunners in a recent interview with Rivals.

Kentucky: “Really good visit. The team this year, the way they was practicing, the way they play, that really stood out. We hung out with (Mark) 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.”

Kansas: “Bill Self, he’s a great coach. He’s got a National Championship. I really wanna see what they do with DP (Darryn Peterson) this year. But I think he will do good. I think it’s a good program.”

Louisville: “It’s a great relationship. They tell me I’m their guy. They want me to step in for Mikel (Brown)."

The good news for Kentucky? They're continuing to turn up the pressure on five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr., which could bode well if things do end up going wrong with Kinney.

Kentucky is in good shape with many of their 2026 targets, and we'll see if the Wildcats can make a late surge very soon, as Kinney's recruitment looks to be heading into the final stages with just one visit remaining.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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