Tyran Stokes, the nation’s top college basketball recruit, will visit UK again
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Class of 2026 college basketball recruit Tyran Stokes is taking recruiting visit to UK.
- Stokes is the top-ranked high school senior in the country.
- The 6-foot-7 Stokes also visited Kentucky last summer.
The top-ranked high school senior in the country is still a recruiting option for Kentucky basketball.
And the Wildcats are getting another, in-person chance to recruit him.
Tyran Stokes — an uber-talented, 6-foot-7 small forward who is originally from Louisville — will be taking a recruiting visit to Mark Pope’s Kentucky program next week. Stokes said he would be making the trip to Lexington during an interview with Krysten Peek, a contributor for NBA.com and Hoops HQ.
The interview took place in Portland, Oregon, where Stokes is representing the United States at the annual Nike Hoop Summit, a top showcase of prep basketball talent. The event takes place Saturday night.
Stokes — who previously narrowed his college recruitment to Kansas, Kentucky and Oregon — also took a recruiting visit to Kentucky this past June.
In the interview with Peek, Stokes said he wanted to meet with Kentucky basketball’s new-look coaching staff.
The Wildcats have made some changes this offseason. Former associate head coach Alvin Brooks III and assistant coach Jason Hart are both gone, with Brooks heading to North Carolina State and Hart to SMU.
Hart was Kentucky’s top recruiter for Stokes.
Kentucky has hired Mo Williams, a former NBA All-Star and most recently the head coach at Jackson State, as an assistant coach. Williams’ son, Mason, is a four-star point guard who committed to UK last month.
“It’s a different coaching staff since the last time I was on campus,” Stokes told Peek. “So just being able to go out there, talk to them, get to see what they’re for, see what their plan is for me. Just go out there and see what they’re talking about.”
Stokes’ drawn-out college recruitment is perceived to be a battle between Kansas and Kentucky. Stokes was first offered a UK basketball scholarship in November 2023, when John Calipari was still the Kentucky coach. Soon after Pope became the UK coach in April 2024, he picked up the pursuit of Stokes and reoffered him a scholarship.
Stokes, who began his final prep school year in California before transferring to Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School, is the only five-star prospect in the 2026 class yet to make a college choice.
Last month, ESPN reported Stokes was planning to take another trip to Kentucky. That will come to fruition next week.
“Just feeling like I’m in the best situation for me, development-wise,” Stokes said of what will be important in his college decision. “... Just being able to go there, having a coach that puts his trust in me, me putting my trust in him just to help me develop to be a great player.”
Stokes said he plans on being a one-and-done college player.
While Kansas has been heavily connected to Stokes in recent weeks, Kentucky is still expected to be a factor in his recruitment, even with Hart’s departure from the coaching staff.
The Wildcats are in the midst of a roster rebuild this offseason. Kentucky will need to replace at least its top five scorers from this past season. So far, seven players from the 2025-26 Kentucky team have entered the NCAA transfer portal this offseason. Three of these players have committed to new schools.
Senior guard Denzel Aberdeen has committed to Florida. Sophomore forward Andrija Jelavic has pledged to Ohio State. Sophomore guard Collin Chandler is heading to BYU.
It’s also been an active offseason for Kansas, the other school strongly involved with Stokes. Bill Self has confirmed he will return to the Jayhawks for a 24th season as head coach. Seven players from this past season’s Kansas squad are in the portal, led by star sophomore forward Flory Bidunga.
Stokes told Peek that he’s been in contact with Self and Kansas assistant coach Kurtis Townsend during the offseason.
Kansas is set to bring in a four-player 2026 high school recruiting class that’s highlighted by five-star point guard Taylen Kinney, a former UK recruit and Northern Kentucky native. Kentucky’s lone 2026 commitment is Williams, the four-star point guard.
Stokes has a name, image and likeness deal with Nike. Kansas is outfitted by Adidas while Kentucky is a Nike school.
This story was originally published April 11, 2026 at 11:09 AM.
