Kansas' Tyran Stokes Takes Early Shot at Duke Basketball

Duke will face Kansas in an exhibition game next season.

Mar 30, 2026; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Tyran Stokes during the McDonalds All American Jam Fest at Millennium High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Duke Blue Devils will face an absolute gauntlet of a non-conference schedule in 2026-27. However, the Blue Devils also scheduled a couple of big-time preseason matchups.

On Wednesday, the program released its preseason schedule. The slate features one scrimmage against Belmont (Oct. 8) and two exhibition games against Tennessee at home (Oct. 20) and at Kansas (Oct. 25).

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer shoots a ball during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff will take on former Duke assistant Evan Bradds, who took over as the next head coach at Belmont, his alma mater, after spending one season on Duke's staff.

Tennessee could be a top-10 team in college basketball entering next season, and Kansas certainly has some potential as well. The Jayhawks' headliner next season is 5-star freshman Tyran Stokes, who just took an early shot at the Blue Devils ahead of the exhibition bout.

Mar 31, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Tyran Stokes (4) during the McDonalds All American Boys Game at Desert Diamond Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kansas' Tyran Stokes Ready for Duke Basketball

After Kansas posted the announcement of the exhibition matchup against the Blue Devils, 5-star rookie Tyran Stokes commented "Bet" in the comment section. Seems like Stokes is ready for his first premier game as a college player.

The 2026 recruiting class was unique, as many of the top prospects are viewed as long-term developmental projects rather than polished stars ready to lead a top team right away. Stokes might be the only exception to that label.

Looks like Tyran Stokes wants the smoke 👀🔵😈 pic.twitter.com/Ws9FuN8Zmy

— Bearded Blue Devil (@BeardedBlueDevl) July 29, 2026

The 6'7", 230-pound big man was rated as the No. 1 overall player in the 2026 high school class, according to the 247Sports 2026 Composite Rankings. Stokes will follow Darryn Peterson as Bill Self's next star freshman. He will probably be a similar offensive catalyst for the Jayhawks as Peterson was a season ago. Stokes is expected to be firmly in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self looks on in the first half against the St. John's Red Storm during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Outlook for Kansas Next Season

Obviously, exhibition games don't count towards a team's record and don't mean all that much in the grand scheme of things. Still, especially against elite competition, it provides a good opportunity for both coaches to experiment with different rotations and styles.

Bill Self lost much of his production from a season ago, headlined by the departures of Peterson, who was the No. 2 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, and big man Flory Bidunga, who transferred to Louisville.

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the second pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson after he was selected by the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jayhawks lost seven of their top eight scorers from a season ago, with rising sophomore Kohl Rosario as the only returner from that bunch. Melvin Council Jr. is reportedly seeking an additional year of eligibility, but as it currently stands, he is out.

Along with Stokes, Kansas is bringing in 5-star point guard Taylen Kinney, the No. 3 point guard in the class per the 247Sports Composite.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) dribbles the ball past St. John's Red Storm forward Dillon Mitchell (1) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kansas lost a lot from the 2025-26 campaign, making it a fairly tough group to evaluate heading into the year. The Jayhawks will be led by two freshmen in Stokes and Kinney, and in today's college basketball landscape, that isn't necessarily ideal for consistent success.

Nonetheless, the Blue Devils will have a beneficial early test against Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, and Stokes didn't waste any time setting the table for a stellar exhibition match.