Kansas' Taylen Kinney will see extra time on the court this summer with USA basketball

Kansas is getting ready to welcome in a slew of young freshmen this summer, seven to be exact, but some are going to get an early start on the court before then. The USA Men's Basketball U18 National Team just announced its roster, and there is not only one incoming Jayhawk, but two on the squad.

One half of the five-star duo coming to Kansas in the fall, Taylen Kinney, was named to the squad alongside Davion Adkins. Both Kinney and Adkins went through a six-day training camp with 30 other players at the U.S Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Kinney and Adkins will both stay at training camp to prepare for the team's upcoming tournament, the 2026 FIBA U18 Men's Americup, which will run from June 1 to June 7 in Leon, Mexico. This is a great playing experience for both players, especially before setting foot on campus in Lawrence, where they will begin training with the rest of the Kansas team.

This is the first time Kinney has been selected to the U18 team, even after spending lots of time in USA Basketball minicamps for the USA Men's Junior National Team in 2024 and 2025. Kinney is looked at as being one of the centerpieces alongside fellow five-star recruit Tyran Stokes next season for Kansas.

Taylen Kinney can become everything Bill Self needs at Kansas next season

Everyone knows that all eyes will be on Tyran Stokes for Kansas next season, just like all eyes were on Darryn Peterson last season for the Jayhawks. Things didn't go so well for Peterson at Kansas, and there is hope Stokes won't be a repeat of that, but if he is, Taylen Kinney will be the perfect player for head coach Bill Self.

Self loves a player that can do it all and be willing to do even more if needed, and Kinney can be that guy for the Kansas basketball legend. The 2026 McDonald's All-American was a huge pickup for Kansas, but his recruitment has certainly been overshadowed by Stokes', but it doesn't mean he can't also be the guy for the Jayhawks.

In his senior season with the Overtime Elite program in Atlanta, Kinney was averaging 18.8 points per game, 6.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds. He proved he can score, he can get the ball in the hands of other scorers, and be a difference maker on the rim.

Kinney feels like the complete package for Self at Kansas, and if Stokes can live up to the very high hype, having two stars on the court could make the Jayhawks simply unstoppable next season. It could even lead Self to another National Championship in Lawrence.

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