Analyst’s New Crystal Ball Puts Kansas on the Outside for Tyran Stokes

The Kansas basketball program recently wrapped up one of its most eventful recruiting weeks in recent history.

In a matter of eight days, Bill Self and his coaching staff reeled in commitments from top-rated point guard Taylen Kinney and 4-star prospects Davion Adkins and Trent Perry in the 2026 class, along with 5-star forward Javon Bardwell in the 2027 class.

Missing from that list is Tyran Stokes, the consensus No. 1 overall player among the nation's rising seniors.

While the Notre Dame High School (CA) phenom released his list of final schools on Sunday and KU made the cut, a recent prediction from the 247 Sports staff likely confirms that Stokes is heavily leaning toward a different school.

247 Sports Staff's Crystal Ball for Tyran Stokes: Kentucky

The website's staff placed a crystal ball in UK's favor with a confidence level of 6, putting them in the driver's seat to land Stokes in the coming weeks.

Kentucky has been involved in his recruitment for a long time, dating back to when it hosted him on an official visit in June. Head coach Mark Pope and members of his staff made several visits throughout the summer to watch him play on the Nike EYBL circuit.

While Kansas was once considered a frontrunner to bring Stokes on board when it had him on campus for a visit in April, other schools like UK, Oregon, and USC began to surface in recent months.

There was some renewed hope when Kinney openly admitted he was attempting to recruit Stokes to Lawrence following his commitment, but it appears that Kinney's efforts weren't enough to sway Stokes' mind.

Jan 4, 2025; Gilbert, AZ, USA; Notre Dame High School (CA) forward Tyran Stokes (4) against Sandra Day O'Connor (AZ) during the Hoophall West High School Invitational at Highland High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Jayhawks were prepared for this possibility ahead of time, evidenced by their pursuit of Bardwell, a 6-foot-7 forward who plays a similar position to Stokes as a hybrid forward.

Although he is technically a member of the 2027 class, his high school coach at PHH Prep told The Arizona Republic that he was attempting to pan out his eligibility to reclassify to 2026 and become the program's fourth pledge for next year's freshman class.

Stokes also signed an NIL deal with Kentucky's partner school, Nike, last week, putting the nail in the coffin for any hope Kansas still had as an Adidas school.

He certainly would have been a tremendous addition to the Jayhawks, but all signs are pointing to Kansas not landing back-to-back consensus No. 1 recruits after landing Darryn Peterson last year.

It remains to be seen whether Self will continue to pursue other targets like Tajh Ariza and Ethan Taylor or if the class will be set once Bardwell inevitably makes the jump to 2026.