4-star recruit Taylen Kinney transferring from Newport boys basketball team

Newport High School is losing a valuable member of its boys basketball team.

Junior point guard Taylen Kinney announced on Monday morning that he is entering the Overtime Elite draft.

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The news is a major setback as the Wildcats aim for a third straight Ninth Region title. After spending much of last season in the top 10 of the Louisville Courier-Journal's statewide media poll , they have been mentioned as an early favorite to win the 2025 state tournament.

Kinney averaged 17.5 points and 4.0 rebounds as a sophomore and is rated by 247Sports as the top point guard in Kentucky in his class and a top 25 player nationally. He is one of the most dynamic players in the region , showcasing elite speed and maneuverability with the ball in his hands, the ability to score at all three levels, and the court vision to find passes whether he's looking at them or not.

He holds 31 Division I offers, and his recruitment has skyrocketed this summer. His most recent offers have come from Louisville, Auburn, Missouri, Villanova, Oregon, Louisiana State, Arizona State, Michigan, Arkansas, Florida State and Kansas. Kinney recently signed with Excel Sports Management , an agency that also represents Caitlin Clark, Jamal Murray and Arike Ogunbowale, among others.

Overtime Elite, an eight-team league based in Atlanta, focuses on skill development while preparing players for a professional career. To date, seven former OTE players are on NBA or NBA G-League rosters, most notably Amen Thompson (Houston Rockets) and Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons).

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 4-star recruit Taylen Kinney transferring from Newport boys basketball team