Kansas basketball head coach Bill Self loves his point guards. During Self's tenure at KU, the Jayhawks have had more than their fair share of tremendous floor leaders who are Self's most trusted players. Taylen Kinney could be the next in line as the next great point guard at Kansas.
Aaron Miles, Mario Chalmers, Sherron Collins, Tyshawn Taylor, Frank Mason III, Davonte Graham, Devon Dotson, Dejuan Harris, and Melvin Council Jr. are just some of the outstanding point guards to play under Self at Kansas.
Kinney is a ways from adding his name to that list of exciting KU point guards, but fans should be eagerly awaiting him taking the court in crimson and blue this fall.
What's nice is that Kinney won't have to shoulder the point guard duties all on his own. Leroy Blyden Jr. is a sophomore transfer from Toledo, and like Kinney, he is a point guard who can score as well as facilitate. Self can use them together or rotate them at the point guard position. If they are on the court together, they will be a nightmare for defenses to prepare for.
What does Taylen Kinney bring to the Kansas basketball roster?
247Sports ranked Kinney as the 19th-best prospect in this class and the second-best point guard. Their top basketball analyst, Adam Finkelstein, put together a scouting report that makes it obvious why Self likes Kinney and why fans should be excited.
"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."
Finkelstein also notes that he has quick hands on defense, is good at driving the lane and kicking the ball out, and is a good rebounder for his size.
Kinney does plenty of good things for his size. He can also get to the rim and finish, as is evident from this video posted on X. This dunk shows just how athletic Kinney is on the court.
Good morning y'all pic.twitter.com/JGO9HPQ0UR
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) June 29, 2026
The prospect of a Kinney/Blyden tandem is an exciting one to think about. It shouldn't matter which guard has the ball in their hands. Both should be able to get the ball down court, or shoot, or facilitate the offense in both the half-court offense and on fast breaks.
There is little doubt that Kinney is talented and seems to be a perfect fit with Kansas and Self. He is a talented player. There is a good chance that if Self and Kinney mesh, Kinney could be a Kansas for multiple seasons. His 6-foot-1 height may keep him in college more than one season.
In the 2026 NBA Draft, none of the players drafted in the first round were under 6-foot-2, and only two in the entire draft who were shorter were selected. This doesn't mean Kinney will never be drafted, but it might mean Self will have the talented youngster around for at least a couple of seasons.
The point guard tandem of Kinney and Blyden could be a dynamic duo for the Jayhawks for a few seasons. They could be the foundational players from which Self can rebuild the program that hasn't met expectations since the 2022 championship team.
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