Tyler McKinley, Tyler Betsey officially sign with Cincinnati Bearcats basketball

Another four-star local product is heading to play for Wes Miller and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats as Tyler McKinley of Winton Woods put ink to paper on Wednesday evening.

It was the first day of the NCAA National Letter of Intent signings for 2024 grads to make their verbal promises an official commitment.

McKinley made his initial plans known back in June after becoming the No. 1 recruit in Missouri while playing for the Link Academy in Branson. Also on McKinley's list of suitors were Xavier, Ohio State, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia Tech and Michigan State.

“I love to win!” McKinley said. “I can do anything. I don’t have to score 30 points. I love to rebound. I can defend all the positions. Once I got to a certain point of the recruiting process, it felt like I was already on the team.”

Two months after announcing for UC, McKinley moved back into town to play his senior year at Winton Woods High School for one-time Bob Huggins Bearcat Mike Pilgrim. He also spent part of the summer with the FIBA U19 Men's National Team in training camp in Colorado Springs.

“For me, he can play the 3,4 or 5 positions in offense,” Pilgrim said. “I believe they’re getting a future pro. If you get the best of his potential, you’ve got a future pro on your hands. He puts me in the mind of DerMarr Johnson with low post skills.”

McKinley at Link Academy played current Bearcat Rayvon Griffith's Arizona Compass team in the spring, defeating them in the GEICO Nationals. McKinley had 17 points and six rebounds, while Griffith scored 12 points.

Both were young phenoms in local high school hoops with Griffith starting at Taft and eventually winning a state title with the Senators as a junior. McKinley played his first two seasons at Walnut Hills for current Indian Hill coach Ricardo Hill.

For Walnut Hills, McKinley averaged 10.7 points and 6.5 rebounds as a freshman pivot, then returned as a sophomore to win ECC Offensive Player of the Year averaging 17.2 points and 7.4 rebounds.

McKinley is a 6-9, 220-pound power forward. Wes Miller's staff made a huge impression on him when he was at Walnut Hills and the entire UC staff arrived for a 6 a.m. workout to greet him.

"We've been recruiting him for two and a half years, so we have a great relationship with not only him but his family that is from right here in Cincinnati," Miller said. "We are proud to have a national champion high schooler joining us. He's a versatile player in the frontcourt, passing and handling well. He's also gotten explosive in the past year."

Tyler Betsey also signs

The 6-8, 185-pound forward from St. Thomas More High School in Connecticut is a four-star like McKinley and ranked among 2024’s top 75. Betsey committed in early October.

"We are thrilled to have Tyler sign his National Letter of Intent. We have recruited him for a year,” UC coach Wes Miller said. “He's a great kid and big-time player. I think our fans will be excited to see him. His mother and the people around him are special. Cane Broome, a former Bearcat, is one of his assistant coaches, which is really neat, and he's played for a Hall of Fame high school coach in Jere Quinn, who even I played against as a player. Tyler will come in prepared, and I'm really excited he's a Bearcat."

Betsey averaged 21 points, five rebounds and three assists as a junior to earn Gatorade Player of the Year honors for Connecticut. UC competed with Alabama, Connecticut, Kansas and TCU for his services.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Tyler McKinley, Tyler Betsey sign with UC basketball