KU Target Tyran Stokes Scores 63 on Senior Night; Decision Nearing?

Tyran Stokes continues to solidify his spot as the No. 1 player in the 2026 class after putting on a show for Rainier Beach High School earlier this week.

The 6-foot-7, 225-pound high school superstar scored a season-high and career-high 63 points on Tuesday as Rainier Beach took down an outmatched West Seattle team on Senior Night by a final score of 107-38. The 63 points from Stokes also set a school record as he topped his previous career-high of 50 points scored back in December versus Seattle Prep.

Kansas basketball assistant coach Tony Bland made the cross-country trip to watch Stokes play, as did Kentucky assistant Jason Hart. Both Kansas and Kentucky are considered the frontrunners to land the highly coveted prospect, with KU looking like the current favorite according to 247Sports and On3’s Joe Tipton. Oregon is also in his top three.

Why He’s No. 1

It’s not hard to see why Stokes is the top-ranked prospect in his class when you watch him play.

He’s someone with an NBA-ready body who can dominate in the lane and step out to shoot the three as well as any player in the country. His athleticism also pops off the page with his ability to block shots, finish above the rim, and run the floor.

He’s averaging an absurd 33 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals per game this year for Rainier Beach – a stat line very few recruits could match this season.

He, along with future Jayhawk Taylen Kinney, was named a McDonald’s All-American earlier this week. He’ll be going against Kinney as a member of the West Team in the boys’ game which takes place March 31 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Commitment Timeline

While no firm date has been set, a commitment from Stokes could be coming soon after he recently visited KU to watch the Jayhawks play AJ Dybantsa and BYU last Saturday.

He currently has no other visits planned as he and his Rainier Beach team prepare to begin postseason play this Friday at 10:30 p.m. CT versus Eastside Catholic High School in Seattle. That game will be streamed live on MaxPreps.com.

A decision could come shortly after his high school postseason tournament wraps up, or he may wait to announce at the McDonald’s All-American game like others have done in the past. He could also wait until closer to the spring signing window which opens April 15.

Either way, it won’t be long before we know where Stokes will take his talents for what is expected to be a highly anticipated one-and-done season in college basketball.