13d ago football Edit

Kayden Mingo shining in the spotlight

Jason Jordan • Basketball Recruiting

Staff

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. – After two years operating under the tutelage of V.J. Edgecombe and soaking up knowledge from the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2024 Rivals150 during the high school season at Long Island Lutheran, Kayden Mingo knows that he’s equipped to step into a leadership role.

“I picked up a lot from watching VJ, mostly just doing whatever it takes to win,” Mingo said. “It didn’t matter if that meant I don’t score a lot, as long as I’m impacting the game and helping my team win then everything else takes care of itself. I definitely feel like I’m ready to step up.”

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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team

2026 Rankings: Top 100

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Mingo started in that regard this season playing in the country’s most grueling league, the Nike EYBL Scholastic, averaging 15.2 points and four assists a game playing alongside Edgecombe, a Baylor signee.

Now, he’s found another way to stand out, picking up where he left off in Memphis last week to dominate in Atlanta.

Mingo left the first session leading the league in steals, swiping 2.7 a game.

On Saturday, Mingo dropped 20 points in a 69-66 loss to Team Final.

“I take pride in my defense just as much as I do my offense,” Mingo said. “My goal is to try and dominate the game in any way that I can, whether it’s scoring or making my teammates better or getting a deflection. I just want to be the best.”

To that end, multiple programs are lining up to try and lock in the 6-foot-3 point guard.

“I hear the most from Penn State, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, California and Virginia Tech,” Mingo said. “I’m planning to take visits to those schools; not sure on dates because I’m setting that up, but I want to see everything the different schools have to offer.”

That said, Mingo is keeping his options open and dished on a couple schools in particular he’s hoping to hear from in the coming months.

“I would say Baylor is a dream offer for me,” Mingo said. “I really like Houston too. I would love to pick up those offers, so we’ll see how it goes.”

A ferocious competitor and gifted three-level scorer, Mingo is adept at controlling tempo and making the right reads for the given situations, an attribute he prides himself in as talks intensify about his interchangeable in the backcourt at the next level.

“I’m comfortable at both spots,” Mingo said. “It’s all about what the team really needs. I’m just focused on keeping my foot on the gas, so it can lead to things like McDonalds and things like that. You don’t get to that level by focusing on those games. You have to focus on the work you’re putting in.”