Newport High School has reportedly added three-star recruit Ben McKinney to its boys basketball program as a transfer.
The X account Prep Hoops Kentucky reported the news on Aug. 29. Neither McKinney nor the Newport program has made a formal announcement, but McKinney has Newport listed as his high school on his Instagram page.
McKinney is a 6-foot-11 post player who has multiple Division I offers including Cal, Oral Roberts and Akron. He is ranked 171st in the Class of 2027 nationally by On3 and 20th at center, though he has reportedly reclassified to the Class of 2028 and would have two seasons with Newport.
He attended Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, during the 2025-26 season. No stats were available for that year. The Indianapolis
native spent two seasons at Brebeuf Jesuit in Indianapolis, averaging 5 points and five rebounds, plus 1.5 blocked shots during the 2024-25 season.
He joins a Newport program that was 21-10 season and returns its leading scorer, guard Amontae Lowe (20 points per game). Post player Griffin Starks has returned to the program after spending a year away at prep school. They have also added Jayden Wilkins, son of former NBA player Damien Wilkins, who transferred in from prep school. His uncle is Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins.
With those four on the roster, Newport would be a strong contender in the Ninth Region race and potentially a state title hopeful.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Newport boys basketball adds 3-star center via transfer
