Taylen Kinney leaving Newport is latest news flash during surprising high school basketball off-season

By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

Taylen Kinney’s recent decision to leave the Newport boys basketball team is the latest in a line of off-season developments that will have an impact on the upcoming 2024-25 high school season in Northern Kentucky.

Kinney announced on Monday that he was joining Overtime Elite, an organization based in Atlanta where players ages 16-20 can continue their studies for a high school diploma while training and competing in a league to improve their basketball skills.

There were eight teams in the Overtime Elite league last season. After it was completed, several players entered the NBA draft and others were recruited by major college teams.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Kinney thanked his coaches, teammates and teachers at Newport for helping him get to this point in his young career.

“I’m really grateful for the relationships I’ve built here and the support system I have who have given me the confidence to take this next step in my basketball develpoment,” he wrote.

The high-level league must have appealed to Kinney after a whirlwind summer. The 6-foot-1 point guard was invited to the Adidas Eurocamp in Italy, USA Basketball under-17 tryouts in Colorado Springs and Under Armour Next Elite 24 boys basketball game in New York City.

And a result of that exposure, Kinney has received more than 30 scholarship offers from NCAA Division I teams across the country, even though he has two years of high school remaining. The University of Kentucky made him an offer on Wednesday.

Newport won the last two 9th Region boys basketball championships with Kinney in the lineup. He saw limited action in last season’s region final due to a strained hamstring muscle. He wasn’t able to play in the state tournament and Newport lost to Campbell County, 43-40, in the opening round.

During the off-season, Newport added another point guard to its roster when Yamil Rondon transferred from Cooper, the 9th Region runner-up the last two years. He will likely take Kinney’s place in the Wildcats’ lineup that also has James Turner and Griffin Starks returning.

Another interesting development in 9th Region boys basketball that took place in the spring was Covington Catholic coach Scott Ruthsatz resigning after winning two state championships, six 9th Region titles and compiling a 363-79 record the last 13 seasons. His replacement is Jake Thelen, an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati last season.

The other head coaches hired by 9th Region boys basketball teams during the off-season are Todd Humphrey (Boone County), Nate Browning (Conner), Scott Code (Dixie Heights), Sam Elsbernd (Holmes) and Jim Meyers (Villa Madonna).

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