Stokes, potential '27 No. 1 pick, chooses Kansas
Tyran Stokes, the No. 1-ranked player in ESPN's 2026 SC Next 100 and the consensus favorite to be the top pick in the 2027 NBA draft, chose Kansas over Kentucky on Tuesday.
Tyran Stokes , the No. 1 senior in the country and the consensus favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA draft, will play for Kansas next season, he announced Tuesday.
Stokes chose the Jayhawks over Kentucky , announcing his decision on ESPN's NBA Tip-Off before the start of Tuesday's playoff games. He is ranked No. 1 on ESPN's 2026 SC Next 100 .
Kansas and Kentucky waged an intense recruiting battle for Stokes' commitment, going back-and-forth over the last several months. The Wildcats seemed to be the clear leader in the fall, but when the early signing period came and went without a commitment from Stokes, Kansas surged and appeared to become the favorite as the college season progressed. After the season, however, Stokes went on a visit to Kentucky, and the Wildcats closed the gap. But Kansas was able to hold off the late push from Mark Pope's program.
Stokes is a massive and much-needed recruiting win for Bill Self and Kansas. He's the second five-star commitment for the Jayhawks in the 2026 class, joining point guard Taylen Kinney , and gives Self a potential No. 1 NBA draft pick for the second straight season after Darryn Peterson spent this past season in Lawrence. Kansas also now has the No. 2-ranked recruiting class in the country.
After four straight seasons without advancing to the Sweet 16, Self has a preseason All-American and focal point for next season's team in Stokes. His commitment comes on the heels of portal additions Leroy Blyden Jr . (Toledo), Keanu Dawes (Utah) and Christian Reeves (Charleston).
A 6-foot-7 small forward, Stokes has been considered the best player in his class for most of the last couple of years. He earned several power-conference scholarship offers before his freshman season at Prolific Prep (California) even began, making a name for himself playing with older age groups on the Nike EYBL circuit and with USA Basketball.