“Proud” Meleek Thomas drops 2-word reaction as Taylen Kinney shortlists 8 final schools feat. John Calipari’s Arkansas, Mark Pope’s Kentucky and more

Five-star recruit Meleek Thomas expressed pride in Taylen Kinney's recent Instagram post. Kinney, a Newport, Kentucky native, shared the final list of his top eight schools on Thursday. The list includes Mark Pope's Kentucky and John Calipari's Arkansas. Other schools are Louisville, Indiana, Texas, Oregon, Miami, and Kansas.

Thomas, who recently committed to play collegiate basketball for the Razorbacks, shared the list on his Instagram story.

"Prouda u kid," he wrote.

Thomas Meleek shares Taylen Kinney's final eight list on IG story. Image via @leek

A five-star prospect, Kinney is ranked as one of the top point guards in the 2026 recruiting class. He is also regarded as a top-15 prospect by most recruiting services. At last season's Overtime Elite, Kinney averaged 20.1 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game. He also shot 55.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent on three-point attempts.

In his sophomore season at Newport (Ky.) High School, Kinney played 33 games, averaging 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. He also shot 48.4 percent overall and 41.4 percent from three-point range, leading the Wildcats to a 32-4 record and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2024 KHSAA boys' basketball playoffs.

Kinney has already visited Kentucky and Louisville, and has scheduled trips to Kansas and Arkansas at the end of September.

Taylen Kinney considering Kentucky

Taylen Kinney is reportedly considering joining Kentucky men's basketball after earning a UK scholarship offer last August during an unofficial visit to the school. The Kentucky native added the Wildcats to his final eight list of schools on Thursday. In an interview with On3's Joe Tipton, Kinney discussed his visit to Kentucky.

“Really good visit. The team this year, the way they was practicing, the way they play, that really stood out. We hung out with (Mark) Pope at their house, went out to dinner, and watched a practice. They play fast, get up and down, and shoot a lot of threes.”

Meanwhile, Kentucky head coach Mike Pope and assistant coaches Cody Fueger and Jason Hart visited Kinney at his home in April. The UK coaching staff also watched Kinney play with his Wildcat Select team during the summer Adidas grassroots circuit. Additionally, they attended the NBPA Top 100 Camp in South Carolina and a USA Basketball Under-19 national team training camp to evaluate the point guard.

Earlier in the summer, Kinney took part in the 2025 Adidas EuroCamp in Italy, where he teamed up with fellow class of 2026 Kentucky recruits Caleb Holt and Anthony Thompson.