Taylen Kinney used his speed, IQ, and scoring prowess to pour in 16 points in RWE’s win over Drive Academy. He has the ability to get downhill in the blink of an eye and delivered a powerful dunk that turned heads throughout the gym. He also knows how to draw fouls and get to the free-throw line. Expect the Kansas commit to continue making highlight-reel plays this winter.

Additional Stats – 5 Rebounds and 5 Assists

The Newport High School product took his talents to OTE after his sophomore season and has continued to rise up the rankings. Now regarded as one of the top point guards in the country, Kinney has his pick of some of the top Adidas programs in the country with Louisville, Indiana and Kansas as schools to watch in his recruitment. Kinney was a standout for Wildcat Select the past two summers and is regarded as a top 20 prospect in the country.

One of the top shooters in the gym, he displayed a smooth stroke both off the bounce and off the catch. A sneaky athlete with bounce, he surprised defenders with his ability to finish above the rim.

Kinney is considered by most national outlets to be the top point guard in the 2026 class, and he lived up to that hype at the recent 3SSB Invitational in SoCal. Kinney was superb all weekend and was a key factor in Wildcats Select earning a spot in the championship game, but he took his game to another level in pool play in a win over Compton Magic, as he would put on a scoring clinic with an array of moves and tough shots from start to finish. The 6-2 lead guard has a fluid handle and keeps the ball on a string, dribbles with a purpose to either set-up teammates or create his own offense, the court vision to find open players off the dribble drive, and has the active hands and timing to jump passing lanes, with the lateral quickness to stay in front of his opponent and poke the ball out to get in the open court. Despite his impressive play running the offense, his ability to score the ball from 3-levels with seemingly countless moves and countermoves was what made him one of the best all-around players at the 3SSB Invitational. Kinney is able to create separation from his defender with the hesitation, the crossover, wrap around crossover, spin move, the hard pound dribble, and the step-back to get his defender off balance. Kinney is accurate with the 3-ball off the dribble or the catch, has the body control and strength to finish through contact with creativity on finishes around the basket, and was deadly with the mid-range jumpers, as he connected shots fading away and spin moves into the pull-up, as well as touch on the floater down the lane or off the baseline. Kinney showed there are not many shots he is not capable of making on a consistent basis, which is what makes him a top 15 player nationally. 

One of the top Class of 2026 point guard prospects in the country, Kinney showcased why he is a highly sought after high-major recruit. The floor general for Wildcat Select 3SSB, Kinney led his team to an undefeated weekend while displaying his high-level playmaking ability. He plays with outstanding body control, has an explosive burst when getting downhill, and hit some tough pull-up jump shots throughout the weekend. There was never any doubt that Kinney would be a First Team All-Tournament performer.

A four-star, Top 20 prospect in the Class of 2026, Kinney is considered one of the top point guards in the country. He is incredibly shifty, displays outstanding body control while paying through contact, and shot it well on his way to 21 points in Wildcat Select 3SSB 17’s morning win over the VIP Kings 17u. Kinney backed it up with 12 more points in an afternoon blowout as well.

Kinney was cleared yesterday to return to action and wasted no time making an impact just 15 or so miles from Newport High School where he starred as an underclassman. The most impressive plays he made were on defense with a pair of incredible blocked shots from behind. Kinney can finish above the rim with either hand, throwing down dunks with his left and right hand. One of the top point guards nationally in the class of 2026, Kinney had some tough and-1 buckets that included a 3-pointer where he was knocked over after the release. We’ll see where Kinney will end up at the college level as he’s drawn attention from high major powerhouse programs across the country.

Tay remains in the top spot after a summer spent racking up high major D1 offers as well as getting invited to Team USA and most of the most exclusive events of the AAU season. After rumored flirtations with OTE this summer, it sounds like Kinney will be sticking at Newport for at least one more year and looks to get Newport back to Rupp Arena.

It’s hard to say the number one player in 2026 is a stock riser but according to all the experts, it sounds like Taylen is closing in on 5 star status, nationally. Kinney has had one of the best AAU seasons in America and even got an invite to Team USA last month.