Jan 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman reacts from the sidelines during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks Basketball To Land Elite Recruit Taylen Kinney Over Louisville, Kentucky?

Originally posted on Oregon Ducks on SI
By Arden Cravalho | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 8:30 AM ET

Four-star recruit Taylin Kinney is one of the most sought-after point guards in the 2026 recruiting class, and he has an official visit scheduled with the Oregon Ducks. The four-star is a Newport, Kentucky, native and plays for Overtime Elite in Georgia as well as the Wildcat Select on the AAU Adidas circuit.

He has already taken official visits with the Louisville Cardinals on June 5, the Kentucky Wildcats on June 24, and the Purdue Boilermakers way back on Jan. 20.

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Kinney is the No. 15 overall prospect in the nation and the No. 3 point guard amongst his peers, according to On3. In his junior campaign for RWE of Overtime Elite, he averaged 20.1 points per game on a 55.6 field goal percentage, 33.3 three-point percentage, and 73.3 free throw percentage in the regular season. He also contributed 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game.

During the 97-96 overtime loss to Fear of God Athletics in the first round of the postseason, Kinney put together 23 points, eight assists, and two rebounds.

On3's Joe Tipton asked what Kinney's thoughts are on the Oregon Ducks and assistant coach Josh Jamieson before he heads to Eugene for his official visit on Sept. 6. Kinney also has planned official visits to Bloomington with the Indiana Hoosiers on Aug. 29, to Austin with the Texas Longhorns on Sept. 12, and to Fayetteville with the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sept. 26. A trip to Lawrence with the Kansas Jayhawks is in the works.

“Coach Josh Jamieson was one of my first offers ever when he was at Louisville. He’s been loyal to me since then, so I want to give him an opportunity.”Taylin Kinney on Oregon via On3

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Kinney signed a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal with Adidas, but just through his high school career. After that, he's up for grabs with the major sports brands, depending on which college he signs with. If Kansas, Louisville, or Indiana were Kinney's final choice, a continuation with Adidas could be in play.

Oregon coach Dana Altman and his staff have been traveling to all the different AAU circuits searching for the next batch of Ducks, including a handful of guards like five-star Brandon McCoy, four-star Ikenna Alozie, four-star Cameron Holmes, four-star Katrelle Harmon, and three-star Noah George. Five-star forward Tahj Ariza and four-star center Arafan Diane are two recruits that Oregon seems to be pushing for the most, and both are expected to be game-changing players for any college basketball program.

The Ducks' 2026 recruiting class currently only consists of three-star forward Kendre Harrison, who also plans on playing tight end for coach Dan Lanning and the football team. Oregon's basketball class ranks No. 13 in the country and No. 5 in the Big Ten Conference behind the No. 4 Maryland Terrapins, No. 3 Indiana Hoosiers, No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers, and No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (per On3).