The Kentucky Wildcats and Purdue Boilermakers are two of the top college basketball programs in the nation. Both programs have turned into elite destinations for recruits and transfer portal players over the years.
Looking ahead to the 2026 recruiting class, there is one specific prospect the two teams are battling hard against each other to get.
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That 2026 prospect is none other than Overtime Elite guard Tay Kinney, who is currently ranked as a four-star prospect by On3 Sports.
Kinney, a 6-foot-2 and 160-pound guard, has received heavy interest from many of the top programs around the nation. At this point in time, Kentucky and Purdue lead the way for his services.
According to On3 Sports, the Wildcats are leading slightly with a 35% chance of landing his commitment. Matt Painter and the Boilermakers are right behind them with a 30.7% chance of landing Kinney.
Kentucky Wildcats head basketball coach Mark Pope.© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Outside of the two front-runners in Kentucky and Purdue, there are other teams still in the mix. Cincinnati is being given a 7.1% chance to land him, Louisville is at 5.9%, and Notre Dame is at 5.9%.
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As of right now, Kinney is ranked as the No. 3 point guard in the 2026 recruiting class and is also the No. 18 overall player in the nation. He is given the No. 2 ranking in the state of Georgia.
On3 Sports also has Kinney’s NIL valuation at around $700,000 and his roster value at $686,000.
There is no current timeline of when the talented point guard could make his commitment. Both the Wildcats and Boilermakers have a shot at landing his services, but there is no guarantee in the recruiting world.
Related: Duke, Jon Scheyer Emerging as Favorites for 5-Star 2026 Guard
