Louisville basketball is trending for multiple 5-star point guards, but it is reported that the Cardinals' head coach is zeroing in on their top guy.
Despite the Cardinals recently making 5-star Deron Rippey Jr.'s final 12 schools in his updated list earlier today, Sam Lance of Zags Blog recently unveiled that Kelsey is making it clear that 5-star point guard Taylen Kinney is his guy.
The Cardinals will have a massive decision to make, as it is unlikely to earn commitments from both Kinney and Rippey. However, in a recent interview with Kinney, it appears Kelsey has already made up his mind, and he is pushing all his chips in on Kinney.
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Pat Kelsey pushes all chips on Taylen Kinney as Louisville zeroes in on their guy
With the recruiting stakes at an all-time high for both point guards, the Cardinals are in a tricky situation. Rippey is trending to be one of the best point guards in the 2026 class. He has already jumped up two spots to the second-best point guard, and Jeff Goodman believes there is a serious debate that can be made that Rippey is the best point guard in the class.
However, with that said, Kinney is still ranked as the No. 1 point guard by On3 Sports, Rivals, and 247Sports. Rippey is close behind Kinney at No. 2, but it was made evident in Lance's recent post that Kelsey is all-in on Kinney, and that he is priority one, and Rippey is priority two.
"Staff’s message: “They were just saying that I’m their guy. They want me bad, you know. They want Mikel [Brown] to be a one-and-done, and they want me to come in and be one-and-done too," Kinney stated per Lance.
5⭐️ Tay Kinney spoke with @slancehoops recently about Pat Kelsey & #Louisville:
— Jeff Lightsy Jr. (@jlightsy7) July 14, 2025
“They were just saying I’m their guy. They want me bad you know. They want Mikel (Brown) to be one-and-done and they want me to be one-and-done too.” https://t.co/0WbsVbZu5o pic.twitter.com/9izPIEUt4I
The Cardinals were trending towards Rippey after his recent visit, and it is clear they continue to grow their relationship. However, that might be smart recruiting by Kelsey to keep his options open.
Winning the in-state recruits is crucial for Louisville, especially in the 2026 cycle. Kinney comes from Newport, Kentucky, and the dream scenario for Louisville is not only Kinney's commitment, but also to earn Tyran Stokes' commitment.
Stokes is a Louisville native and the consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class. Kelsey has to make Stokes his No. 1 priority in the 2026 class, and it is reasonable to think the Kentucky native would love to pair up with Kinney and play for the Cardinals and the state they grew up in.
“It was a great visit," Kinney stated in Lance's post. "It was a great visit all-around from practice, to spending time with the staff, spending time with the players. They treated me like I was on the team already. Like, I’m not even committed there, and they just showed love."
Louisville might have just made Rippey's top 12 and is in the mix for both point guards, but the message is clear. Kinney is the guy Kelsey wants, and he must land his commitment before striking out on both guards.
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For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.