Tyran Stokes is still a recruiting option for Kentucky basketball
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UK basketball continues to recruit top-ranked prospect Tyran Stokes.
- Stokes is a 6-foot-7 small forward who is originally from Louisville.
- Kentucky’s top recruiter for Stokes is leaving the UK coaching staff this offseason.
As Kentucky basketball’s offseason roster-building process begins, there’s plenty of intrigue about the players Mark Pope may pursue or retain.
Stay-or-go decisions will be made by members of the 2025-26 UK team. The transfer portal opens April 7. The Cats’ big board of potential roster additions will evolve based on the players available.
But no potential option has been part of the UK basketball discourse longer than Tyran Stokes, the top-ranked high school recruit in the 2026 class, who is still yet to make his college decision.
Stokes — a 6-foot-7 small forward who is originally from Louisville — was first offered a UK basketball scholarship in November 2023, when John Calipari still led the Cats. In more than two years since, Stokes has remained a key Kentucky recruiting target.
Shortly after he became the UK coach in April 2024, Pope picked up the pursuit of Stokes and reoffered him a scholarship. The Cats seemed to be close to the finish line with Stokes last fall, but reports of a Kentucky commitment for Stokes came and went without the high school star making a college pledge.
Which brings us to the current situation as Pope begins a crucial third offseason as the Kentucky coach.
Stokes’ recruitment is perceived to be primarily a race between Kansas and Kentucky, but Oregon was also listed as a finalist when Stokes announced his top three schools in November, and schools like Arkansas and Washington have also received buzz of late.
Still in recent months, Kansas and Kentucky have each been viewed at some period as the leader for Stokes, who began his final prep school year in California before transferring to Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School. Now plenty is in flux with both programs as their respective offseasons begin.
Kansas and Kentucky both exited the NCAA Tournament this past Sunday following second-round defeats.
Earlier this week, major news broke regarding Kentucky’s recruitment of Stokes.
UK’s top recruiter for Stokes was Jason Hart, who was in his second season as an assistant coach on Pope’s staff. Hart — whose contract at UK was set to expire this offseason — will be leaving to become the associate head coach at SMU on Andy Enfield’s staff. Previously, Hart was on Enfield’s staff for eight seasons at Southern California.
Even without Hart in the picture, Kentucky is expected to remain a top contender for Stokes, who visited UK this past summer. Earlier this month, ESPN reported Stokes is planning to take another trip to Kentucky.
At Kansas, there’s uncertainty about the future of head coach Bill Self, who has led the Jayhawks since 2003. Following Kansas’ season-ending loss to St. John’s, Self said he hadn’t yet decided if he’d return to Kansas for a 24th season as head coach.
Sam Lance, who covers college basketball nationally for The Field of 68, said Stokes would fill a need for the Jayhawks for next season.
“Kansas doesn’t really have anybody on the wing (for next season) besides Kohl Rosario and Jamari McDowell who are eligible to return,” said Lance, who also hosts a Kansas-focused podcast for The Field of 68. “Honestly, the wing is the biggest spot right now. And getting a talent like Stokes to solidify the 3 spot would be asbolutely huge.”
Lance has been a fixture at grassroots basketball events in recent years. This includes Stokes’ past two years playing on the Nike EYBL circuit for California-based Oakland Soldiers.
“I think people forget that two years ago on the EYBL circuit he was playing with AJ Dybantsa and going against all those guys from that (2025) class: Caleb Wilson, Cameron Boozer, everybody,” Lance said. “... He was undoubtedly a top-five player at that time. Obviously he played last year on the circuit and I got to watch him a lot then, and he was the best player, in my opinion. Probably him and (Arkansas commit) Jordan Smith and (Arizona commit) Caleb Holt are the top three in my mind.”
This past summer, Lance spoke with Stokes’ trainer, who said Stokes’ workout regimen was focused on efficient on-court movement. That manifested in a 2025 grassroots season which showcased Stokes’ offensive versatility, be it with Euro steps to the basket or an improved 3-point shot.
Kansas basketball already has 2026 recruits in place
As Kansas and Kentucky jockey for position in Stokes’ recruitment, there’s a big difference between the schools.
The Jayhawks already have one of the best 2026 high school recruiting classes in place for next season. Self has signed four prospects in this recruiting cycle, headlined by five-star point guard and Northern Kentucky native Taylen Kinney.
Kansas is also set to bring in a trio of four-star prospects in center Davion Adkins, small forward Trent Perry and shooting guard Luke Barnett. Combined, this represents the third-best 2026 recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports.
Kentucky’s first commitment from the 2026 class didn’t arrive until Friday afternoon. That’s when four-star point guard Mason Williams — the son of former NBA All-Star guard Mo Williams — pledged to join the Cats.
UK hosted the Williams family for a recruiting visit Wednesday.
“We’re really excited about where we are,” Pope said Monday night on his final radio show of the season about recruiting. “Just hang in there, guys. Hang in there with us. I think recruiting is going to work out just great.”
There’s also a chance Kentucky could get back involved with Maximo Adams, a five-star small forward in the 2026 class who committed to North Carolina in November from a group of finalists that included Kentucky. Earlier this week, UNC fired head coach Hubert Davis after five seasons. North Carolina has yet to hire a replacement for Davis.
“I think for Kentucky specifically, if they get no commits and then they have a bunch of people (enter the) portal, that’s when things are going to get tricky,” Lance said. “... If they can keep the core together that they had toward the end of the year, and then maybe add a piece or two out of the portal, then I don’t think it will matter very much just in terms of roster building.
“But I think it’s more of just ‘You’re Kentucky, and you don’t have a five-star recruit?’ When’s the last time that’s happened?”
Pope’s first Kentucky team — which skewed heavily toward transfers after Pope inherited a roster with no returning players on it following Calipari’s departure — also didn’t have any five-star high school recruits on it.
As of Friday morning, only two of the 25 five-star prospects in the 2026 recruiting class — those players are Stokes and shooting guard Brandon McCoy — had yet to make their college choice. While Kentucky has extended a scholarship offer to McCoy, the Cats aren’t expected to be in the mix for his commitment.
More clarity in Stokes’ recruitment, and possibly Adams’, too, could come next week. Each player has been selected as McDonald’s All-Americans and will be taking part in the McDonald’s All-American Game, which is set for Tuesday in Glendale, Arizona.
Media day for the McDonald’s showcase is Monday.
This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 6:15 AM.
