UK Target Tay Kinney Wants to be Role Model for Younger Players

(Elaine Bailey Photo)

Former Newport star Taylen Kinney had plenty of family and friends at Woodford County High School recently when he helped Overtime Elite’s RWE beat Huntington Prep in an exhibition game and scored 13 points in the win. His late free throw clinched the win.

It was a sold-out crowd that included Kentucky coach Mark Pope. The Wildcats are one of 15 teams on the junior point guard’s current college list.

Kinney said the “intensity” had him a bit nervous early in the game and he definitely noticed that Pope was sitting court side with his wife and UK commit Malachi Moreno of Great Crossing. However, he also appreciated the way so many youngsters got to see him and teammate Jasper Johnson, a UK signee, and other college-bound players perform.

“A lot of kids look up to me now. Just showing them that hard work can take you anywhere was important,” Kinney said.

Johnson likes that Kinney challenges him in practice daily and he does the same for his younger teammate.

“Us challenging each other, picking each others’ brains, watching film together and stuff like that. I definitely think he’s taking the game at a great pace. Being a point guard out there, getting us in our sets and stuff like that. I feel like he’s performing highly,” Johnson said.