KU Basketball Recruiting: 3 High School Prospects Still on Jayhawks' Radar

After Bill Self wrapped up an incredible recruiting stretch that saw Kansas basketball land four commitments in just eight days, things have since quieted down on the recruiting trail in Lawrence.

KU's 2026 class currently features three members, with the possibility of a fourth if Javon Bardwell decides to reclassify.

Even though there is no commitment expected in the immediate future, the Jayhawks remain in the mix for several top prospects. Here are three players who look like the most realistic candidates to eventually pledge to Kansas, even if their announcements might not come anytime soon.

Tyran Stokes

Stokes, the No. 1-ranked player in the 2026 class, has been considering Kansas for months and appears to be getting closer to his college choice.

While most recruiting outlets have Kentucky as the favorite, the Jayhawks seem to be the second-leading team in his recruitment. Landing Stokes would give KU back-to-back No. 1 overall recruits in consecutive classes, following the decision of Darryn Peterson.

The Jayhawks continue to recruit him heavily despite trailing Kentucky, which could mean one of two things — either there is still genuine mutual interest between Stokes and KU, or his camp is simply keeping other schools in play to increase NIL leverage with the Wildcats.

Regardless, it would be foolish to rule out a player of Stokes' caliber until there is a definitive commitment elsewhere.

Ethan Taylor

Another name to keep an eye on is Taylor, a standout from Link Academy who has yet to make his college decision.

Taylor is ranked as either the No. 1 or No. 2 center in the 2026 class depending on the outlet and has tremendous upside.

While the momentum for KU cooled a lot after Davion Adkins committed, Taylor has made several visits to Lawrence and is still a great fit. Since Adkins can play both inside and out and is relatively undersized for a center, Taylor still fits the archetype of big man Coach Self loves to develop.

Recently, Michigan State has gained traction after hosting Taylor for his final official visit in early October, but Kansas still has a shot at competing along with Indiana and MSU.

Luke Barnett

Barnett hadn't been on the recruiting radar until recently, but he quickly emerged as a realistic target to round out the 2026 recruiting class.

The Mater Dei High School standout was the only prospect on campus for Late Night in the Phog this past week, a strong indicator of KU's growing interest in him.

The 4-star prospect is regarded as one of the best pure shooters in the 2026 class and has developed into an elite scoring threat at the high school level. His ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc makes him an intriguing player.

If he continues to shine on the AAU circuit and refines other areas of his game, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Kansas snag a commitment from him down the line.