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Jeff Borzello
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Paul Biancardi
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Paul Biancardi
Basketball recruitment
- National Recruitment Director for ESPN.com
- 18 years of experience in coaching at the level of division I
- Former coach of the Horizon League year at Wright State
The five -star senior Taylen Kinney, the number 4 owner in the 2026 Sportscentr ranking, announced his commitment to the Kansas Jayhawks on Sunday.
The 3 -foot 3 -inch Kinney held the 17th position in general in class 2026, also had Louisville, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky and Oregon in their final list. He visited his six finalists, and it was an August trip to Kansas that seemed to change the impulse of his recruitment towards the Jayhawks, whom he perceived that he was running behind Louisville during most summer.
“He felt like a family from the moment I arrived until I left,” Kinney told ESPN. “We did a lot. We saw the school, the facilities and the dinners. We reviewed my movie, both the good clips and the bad clips. The football game fans were great. As soon as I entered the stadium, they knew who I was.”
Kinney developed solid relationships with coach Bill Self and the new assistant coach Jacque Vaughn, former Kansas star and twice NBA chief coach who was hired for Self staff in May.
“Bill Self is a winner,” Kinney said. “He has developed professionals. He is sincere, kind and feet on the ground. He is hard with his boys and is good for them out of the court … it will be great to learn from [Vaughn]. He kept him real. “
Kinney, who is Kentucky and plays for the extra time elite program, continues to develop as a creator of games, balancing his ability to score with the creation of his teammates. He is an aggressive and changing driver who shows burst when attacking the painting. He has natural instincts in transition, but he has the skills of the ball and the foot game to create separation when the game slows down on the half court. Kinney has a good range in her perimeter shot, but also has an effective float when she approaches the edge.
He averaged 20.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists for RWE in the extra time elite circuit last season, shooting 65% inside the arch and 33.3% of 3. He continued his star game in the Adidas 3SSB circuit in spring and summer, placing 18.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 Wildcat Select assists.
Kinney is Kansas's first commitment in Class 2026 and marks the second consecutive group that has presented a five -star owner after Self landed the possible selection of the NBA Drary Darryn Peterson's Draft Taylor, Center No. 3, for a visit this weekend.
