IU basketball recruiting: elite 2026 point guard Tay Kinney official visit primer

Indiana welcomes class of 2026 5-star point guard Tay Kinney to Bloomington this weekend for an official visit.

To help get you ready, below is a comprehensive look at Kinney, with everything you need to know as he arrives on campus Friday.

ESSENTIALS

Status — OFFERED (February, 2024)

-Class – 2026
-Hometown – Newport, Ky.
-School – Overtime Elite (Atlanta, Ga.)
-Position – Point Guard
-Height – 6-foot-1
-Weight – 185
-AAU – Wildcat Select (Adidas 3SSB)
-Rankings – 5-star at ESPN and 247Sports, 4-star at Rivals (No. 15 in nation overall, No. 3 point guard)
-Primary Competition – Kinney has a final eight of Indiana, Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas, Oregon, Texas, Arkansas and Miami.

Other visits — Kinney has visited or has plans to visit all eight of his finalists.

Kinney on Indiana — “(IU assistant) Coach Rod (Clark) who came from Tennessee, he was recruiting me at Tennessee, and that’s my guy,” Kinney told TDH at the Adidas 3SSB stop in Rock Hill, S.C. “I want to give them a chance too and see what it’s like there.”

Favorites — Kinney has had an Adidas endorsement deal, played on the Adidas Circuit, and attends an Adidas high school. So Adidas schools Louisville, Kansas and Indiana could have an edge. But Kinney grew up in the shadow of Kentucky, and in the era of John Calipari there, who is now at Arkansas. So none of those schools can be discounted. Overall, Louisville seems to be the perceived favorite.

Timeline — Kinney’s visit schedule runs through late September, so an October decision seems most likely.

Indiana Connections — Kinney’s connection to the current Hoosiers staff is IU assistant coach Rod Clark. IU has made up significant ground, from out of his top-15 to in his final-8 since Clark was hired. Kinney has already been on campus multiple times ahead of this visit. So this visit will be much more about building relationships and understanding the playing style, rather than seeing the campus and facilities.

Numbers — As a high school junior he averaged 20.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game. He made 65% from two, 33.3% from three, and 73.7% at the free throw line.

On the Adidas circuit this spring and summer he averaged 18.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 49.5% overall, 28.6% from three, and 79.3% at the stripe.

IU’s Class of 2026 fall visit schedule —