CINCINNATI — Walnut Hills High School 2024 forward Tyler McKinley announced Friday afternoon he will attend Link Academy in Branson, Mo., this school year.
"I loved the coaching staff and I like the energy," McKinley said. "The motive is just to get better. This opportunity is to get me prepared for college and pro basketball and building connections."
McKinley, who is 6 feet 9 inches tall, is rated Ohio's No. 1 boys basketball player in the 2024 class by 247 Sports and the nation's No. 10 power forward by the 247 Sports Composite.
McKinley has scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Xavier, Ohio State, Kansas State, South Carolina, West Virginia, Dayton, Tennessee, Ohio University, Miami University, Pittsburgh, Penn State and Virginia Tech.
McKinley visited Link Academy earlier this week and said it felt like home. He said the opportunity to elevate his game was an easy decision for McKinley and his family.
Link Academy, in its second year as a program, plays a national schedule.
Link Academy had 34-2 record and was a runner-up in the GEICO Nationals tournament. The team finished this past season as No. 3 in the MaxPreps National Top 20 in 2021-22.
Link Academy named former Louisiana State University associate head coach Bill Armstrong as its new head coach in late July. Former Link Academy head coach Rodney Perry was named a Kansas State assistant in late July.
McKinley was a finalist for the 2022 USA Basketball Men's Under-17 national team this summer. He participated in the national team training camp in Colorado Springs in June. He was the only Ohio player invited.
He averaged 17.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks as the Eastern Cincinnati Conference player of the year this past season for Walnut Hills (23-3). He was a Division I honorable mention all-state selection, too.
"Wherever Tyler is he will make an immediate impact on and off the court," Walnut Hills boys basketball coach Stu Holt said. "I'm excited to see all that he accomplishes at Link. We are definitely rooting for him back at home."
Indian Hill coach Ricardo Hill, a former longtime Walnut Hills coach, also expressed his support for McKinley.
"The city will miss you tremendously but we will always have your back," Hill said in a tweet. "Go be great and never forget you have a community of support when things are difficult. We are proud of the young man you have grown into these last several years."
McKinley said he enjoyed playing for Walnut Hills and putting smiles on the faces of those in the crowd.
"I always love putting on a show," McKinley said.
