Alabama
Oregon Ducks Favorites Over Alabama, Kentucky For Four-Star Recruit Tay Kinney?
The Oregon Ducks are looking to begin the 2026 recruiting class on the right foot after reeling in the No. 82 class in the country last cycle according to 247Sports.
Oregon basketball coach Dana Altman and the Ducks are inching closer to pulling in one of the highest-rated recruits in recent memory in four-star guard Tay Kinney.
Kinney spoke with On3 about why the Ducks have began to separate themselves from the pack in his recruitment.
“Coach Josh Jamieson, just the way he has been recruiting me. He has been recruiting me since the eighth grade. He was my first high-major offer when he was at Louisville, and he has just been showing that same loyalty since then. I’m visiting them on September 6,” Kinney said. “I’ll cut my list down pretty soon to six. And I will probably commit before the season starts.”
The No. 4 point guard and No. 14 player in the country according to 247Sports rankings, Kinney is being courted by some of the biggest brands in college basketball like Alabama, UConn, and Kentucky.
It’s easy to see why the Ducks stand out as they offer Kinney a chance to make an instant impact as a true freshman with Oregon star guard Jackson Shelstad potentially heading to the NBA next spring. If he commits to Oregon, Kinney would be the No. 5 highest-rated recruit to sign in program history according to 247Sports.
Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports said that Kinney plays bigger than his frame, a trait that should translate to the next level.
“Kinney is a scoring and playmaking lead guard who is smooth and versatile with his attack. He’s a three-range scoring threat who is creative and crisp with his handle. Physically, while he measures in at just over 6-foot-1, he plays much bigger than his size, thanks his long 6-foot-6-plus wingspan, increased muscle mass, and the physicality in his game,” Finkelstein said.
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One of the biggest recurring themes in the Ducks’ recent recruiting classes has been there lack of success in recruiting the cream of the crop. Rated as only a four-star recruit, Kinney could become a five-star prospect by the time he signs.
During the 2025 recruiting cycle, Altman and the Ducks struck out on five-star guard Brayden Burries, who ultimately signed with Arizona. In fact, Oregon only signed one high school prospect in that cycle in three-star guard JJ Frakes.
In 2024, Oregon signed four-star guard Jamari Phillips, who should compete for a solid role in the Ducks’ rotation this upcoming season. The last time Oregon signed a five-star prospect was when they brought in forward Kwame Evans Jr. and Shelstad in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
If Oregon is able to reel in Kinney before the season begins, it would give them momentum and confidence on the recruiting front and could translate to more recruits, something that hasn’t been seen in a few years.
The Auburn Tigers are firmly on the bubble heading into the final game of the regular season, and the urgency couldn’t be higher for Steven Pearl and company.
Auburn travels to Tuscaloosa for a rematch with the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, currently standing at 16-14 overall and 7-10 in the SEC. Alabama knocked off the Tigers on their home floor at Neville Arena just over three weeks ago, meaning Auburn should be seeking revenge this weekend inside Coleman Coliseum.
The Tigers have dropped seven of their last nine games, most recently falling to Ole Miss 85-79 last Saturday and defeating LSU by 14 points on Tuesday’s senior night. Auburn played like two extremely different teams in these two matchups, and it certainly needs to carry the momentum it garnered from the midweek win into Saturday.
The newly updated NCAA Tournament projections feature Auburn on the outside looking in, according to multiple outlets. The Tigers are listed as ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s second team out of the field, which is disappointing after sitting as a solid No. 7-seed just a few weeks ago.
In CBS Sports’ latest bracketology, Auburn is projected to land as the First Team Out, alongside New Mexico, Seton Hall, and Indiana. However, the Tigers actually boast a higher NET ranking than all seven of the other squads featured in CBS Sports’ Last Four In and Last Four Out.
Prior to its clash with Ole Miss last Saturday, the general consensus was that if Auburn took care of business on its home floor against the Rebels and LSU, the Tigers would put themselves in a good position to crack the tournament, assuming they lost to Alabama in the season finale.
However, obviously, Auburn was unable to get both tasks done, as Pearl’s squad, frankly, seemed uninspired in what was a near must-win game for the Tigers versus Ole Miss. Auburn looked slightly more motivated in its victory over LSU on Tuesday, but could it be too late?
Now, with Auburn sitting just two games over .500 overall and playing some of its worst basketball as of late, it feels as if its season is absolutely on the line in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.
ESPN’s most recent betting odds lean toward Auburn missing the tournament, but a win over the Crimson Tide could, and would, certainly shift that line.
If the Tigers are able to emerge from Coleman Coliseum victorious, which would be a top-20 Quad-1 win on the road, they will most likely hear their name called on Selection Sunday.
But on the flip side, if Auburn falls to its arch rival to close the regular season, it would likely need to win three games or more in the SEC Tournament next week to feel somewhat hopeful about its postseason fate.
Nonetheless, as mentioned previously, there’s no excuse why urgency shouldn’t be at an all-time high on Saturday. With their NCAA Tournament hopes virtually on the line and a chance for revenge on their most-hated rival, the Tigers should come out desperate and hungry from the tip.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — — Terrance Dixon Jr.’s 19 points helped Southern defeat Alabama A&M 88-85 on Thursday.
Dixon shot 7 of 10 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line for the Jaguars (15-16, 11-7 Southwestern Athletic Conference). Michael Jacobs scored 15 points while going 4 of 11 and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line, and added five rebounds. AJ Barnes shot 3 for 7 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points, while adding six rebounds.
Koron Davis finished with 23 points for the Bulldogs (17-14, 10-8). James Graham added 19 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals for Alabama A&M. Kintavious Dozier also had 12 points.
The Jaguars led by 10 points with 59 seconds to go, before the Bulldogs executed a three-point play from Bilal Abdur-Rahim then got a 3-pointer from Dozier in the span of nine seconds, cutting the deficit to four. A free throw battle closed out the result for the Jaguars.
——
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Jaxon Richardson, the No. 27 overall recruit in the 2026 class per the Rivals Industry Ranking, has committed to Alabama.
The 6-foot-6 four-star small forward out of Southeastern Prep (FL) ultimately chose the Crimson Tide over USC, Creighton, and Ole Miss. He also received offers from Miami, Cincinnati, Michigan, Florida, Villanova, and others.
Richardson, a McDonald’s All-American, becomes the Crimson Tide’s third commitment of the 2026 cycle. He joins four-star shooting guard Qayden Samuels (No. 28 NATL) and four-star small forward Tarris Bouie (No. 54 NATL).
He’s the son of NBA veteran and two-time NBA Dunk Contest champion Jason Richardson. His older brother, Jase, played for Michigan State last season before being selected 25th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.
More on Richardson
Rivals’ National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw says Richardson is one of the most explosive players in the 2026 class:
Jaxon Richardson is able to combine fluid athleticism with explosive burst in a way no other player in this class can. He uses his athleticism to his advantage on the floor. He fills the outside channels with a purpose in transition, he is aggressive in the passing lanes, and he plays as a vertical floor spacer in the dunker spots and lob plays. Last summer, playing with the Florida Rebels on Nike’s EYBL Circuit, the 6-foot-6 wing averaged 12.8 points on 54.0 percent shooting and 10.5 attempts per game. Last high school season, he averaged 12.9 points on 61.0 percent shooting on 8.9 attempts per game. He is a highly efficient player, as 84.4 percent of his makes last high school season were at the rim.
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