Kansas Commit Taylen Kinney Sinks Unreal Game-Winner in Tarkanian Classic

It was exciting to learn that Kansas commit Javon Bardwell would be teaming up with fellow Jayhawk pledge Taylen Kinney on the Overtime Elite circuit this season.

Through the first few games of their time together, they have been an absolutely exceptional duo. They opened the Tarkanian Classic with consecutive wins and were the best players on the RWE squad.

That held true again on Thursday, when Kinney knocked down an incredible game-winning shot as the buzzer expired, with the score tied at 54.

TAYLEN KINNEY FROM HALF COURT FOR THE WIN 🤯 @Taylen_0 @TarkClassic pic.twitter.com/KSzHFt9gOw
— BallerTV (@BallerTV) December 19, 2025

Taylen Kinney Is Putting on a Show at Overtime Elite

In the win over Iowa United, one of the best grassroots programs in the nation, Kinney finished the game with 22 points and three assists. Bardwell added 21 points and six rebounds of his own.

Kinney, who committed to the Jayhawks in September, brings a lot to the table as an offensive player. Standing at 6-foot-1, he is a lead guard who excels at setting up his teammates with his playmaking ability.

As the No. 14-ranked player in the country per 247 Sports and the top-ranked point guard in his class, Kinney will enter Lawrence with lofty expectations.

He is expected to succeed Darryn Peterson as the Jayhawks' point guard and will be tasked with running a Bill Self offense. Game-changing plays like the one he made on Thursday are further proof that Kinney has the potential to be a star at Kansas.

5⭐️ Kansas signee Taylen Kinney put the nation on notice in Las Vegas! 🎰 @TarkClassic, @Taylen_0

📊: 20.3PPG, 5.0RPG, 4.0APG, 55% FG

Led RWE to a 3-0 overall record and hit the game-winner vs. Iowa United‼️ pic.twitter.com/9bP4jxOm1y
— Overtime Elite (@OvertimeElite) December 19, 2025

Kinney is also a capable and willing scorer at all three levels, as shown by his game-winning basket. He has a fluid shooting stroke and is a very good finisher around the rim. Here is what 247 Sports Scouting Director Adam Finkelstein had to say about Kinney in a scouting report back in July:

"Kinney is a scoring and playmaking lead guard who is smooth and versatile with his attack. He’s a multi-level scoring threat with a creative and crisp handle to get to his advanced pull-up game or pressure the rim. He can rise-up to finish when he has momentum, and also owns dexterity and touch as a lay-up maker. He’s a bit streakier from long-range, with a tendency to short-arm that release more, (33% in OTE & 27% in 3SSB), but plenty capable when in a good rhythm.

While Kinney has trended towards more of a scoring lead guard recently, he also has good natural instincts as a passer, averaging 5 assists per game in both OTE & 3SSB. He’s great in drive-and-kick actions, can make pick-and-roll reads, and understands how to feed the post. He also has a pretty good feel, even while in attack mode, of how to utilize his versatility to make plays without pounding the ball or settling unnecessarily. Where he’s a little less natural at this point, is in the rare situation when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands.

Defensively, he’s good with his hands (1.3 steals in 3SSB play) and shown flashes of being able to blow-up ball screens when he’s fully engaged on that end, which isn’t totally consistent yet. He’s also a good rebounding guard (5.8 per game). Physically, while he measures in at just over 6-foot-1, he plays much bigger than his size, thanks his long 6-foot-6-plus wingspan, increased muscle mass, and the physicality in his game."