5-star PG recruit Louisville basketball desperately wants gives recruiting update

Louisville basketball hears more good news this August as the Cardinals learned they secured a spot in their top targets updated recruiting list. The nation's No. 1 point guard and Kentucky native, Taylen Kinney, cut his list down from 12 schools to just eight, and Louisville is sitting right where they belong, per On3 Sports Joe Tipton.

The Cardinals were once the favorite to land Kinney's commitment, but since that report, Arkansas and Kentucky have emerged as legit threats. Joining Louisville in Kinney's top eight are Kentucky, Arkansas, Miami, Indiana, Kansas, Oregon, and Texas.

The four schools that did not make the cut from the list of 12 schools were Auburn, Xavier, Tennessee, and Purdue. Louisville is trying to become that PGU program and earn elite 5-stars, and Kinney eliminating Purdue is an excellent step in the right direction. Now, the Cardinals have a massive September month upcoming and must earn his commitment.

Related: 3 realistic commitments that would make Louisville’s 2026 class perfect

Louisville basketball makes 5-star Tay Kinney top 8

Kinney has made it clear that Kelsey told him that the Cardinals' head coach wants Kinney to be a one-and-done superstar and replace Mikel Brown Jr. The Cardinals are trending to be an elite guard program as Brown and Chucky Hepburn completely flipped this University around.

Kinney emerges as the Cardinals' glaring top target in the 2026 recruiting class to fulfill Kelsey's goal. The dream scenario is sweeping the state of Kentucky and earning both 5-star Tyran Stokes and Kinney's commitment.

The Cardinals earned an official visit from Kinney earlier this summer in June and have hopes for more good news later in his recruiting process. The Cardinals host Kansas this October, and with Kinney's commitment announcement looming, it wouldn't be surprising if the Kentucky native schedules a visit for that game.

Kelsey and the Cardinals made sure to prioritize Kinney this offseason as they were at nearly every summer event of his and watched almost every game he played in. Before this summer, he played for RWE, where he averaged 20.1 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game.

Kinney is ranked as high as a 5-star prospect and the No. 12 best recruit in the 2026 cycle. Louisville must continue to push the pedal to the metal and do all it can to earn Kinney's commitment.

Related: Louisville's No. 1 target is undeniable after Cardinals whiff on Jordan Smith Jr.

For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.