When the recruiting clock struck midnight, Mark Pope wasn’t sleeping — he was grinding.
The moment the fall recruiting period opened on Wednesday, Kentucky’s head coach went straight to the home of Tay Kinney, a four-star point guard and top-15 national recruit. According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Pope arrived for an in-home visit at 12:00 sharp, determined to make an impression before anyone else.
But this wasn’t just any home visit. Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey was also there, turning Kinney’s living room into the first battle of what’s shaping up to be one of the fiercest recruiting wars of the 2026 cycle.
Kinney, a 6-foot-2 guard out of Newport, KY, is ranked the No. 15 overall player and the No. 3 point guard in his class. He recently narrowed his recruitment to eight schools: Kentucky, Louisville, Kansas, Indiana, Oregon, Texas, Miami, and Arkansas.
Louisville Surging, But Kentucky Stays in the Fight
Most insiders believe Louisville has gained the inside track, with momentum swinging in Pat Kelsey’s direction. But Pope isn’t waving the white flag. He was a regular at Kinney’s games on the adidas 3SSB circuit this summer and now made a statement by showing up at the earliest legal second to recruit him in person.
A Busy Visit Schedule Ahead
Kinney’s recruitment is far from over. He has already taken official visits to Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas, and Indiana. Next up:
Oregon (Sept. 6)
Texas (Sept. 12)
Miami (Sept. 19)
Arkansas (Sept. 26) — his final stop, where John Calipari will get the last word.
Kinney on Kentucky
Despite Louisville’s surge, Kinney still talks highly about Kentucky. After his July visit, he said:
> “Really good visit. The way they practice, the way they play — that really stood out. We hung out with Pope at his house, went out to dinner, and watched a practice. They play fast, get up and down, and shoot a lot of threes.”
Decision Timeline
Kinney has hinted that his decision could come before the start of the 2025-26 Overtime Elite season this fall. While he’s currently tied to adidas through his AAU program, that partnership ends after high school — meaning brand affiliation won’t decide his future.
What It Means
Recruiting battles don’t get much more dramatic than this. Midnight visits. In-state rivalry. Blueblood programs circling. For Pope and Kentucky, it’s a statement: they’re not letting Louisville run away with this one.
Kinney might still lean Cards, but Pope made sure the Wildcats are very much alive in this fight.
