No. 1 Basketball Prospect Tyran Stokes Commits to Kansas on ESPN

Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 ranked high school basketball player in the country, is headed to play at Kansas for coach Bill Self.

Stokes, a McDonald's All-American who played his senior season at Rainier Beach in Seattle, was reportedly down to three schools in Oregon, Kentucky and Kansas. He made his decision live on ESPN’s NBA Tip-off Tuesday afternoon.

“A lot of the people look at rankings, I just look at it as a number. That’s people’s opinions. I always knew I had to work hard,” Stokes said when Kenny Smith asked about his ‘No. 1 player’ moniker.

STOKES' HIGH SCHOOL CAREER

Stokes is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2027 NBA Draft at 6-foot-8, 240 pounds. He really can do it all, from ball handling and passing, scoring inside and shooting 3-pointers. However, he's got somewhat of a checkered past when looking at where he played his high school basketball.

He was at Prolific Prep in Northern California for his first two years before transferring to Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks in Los Angeles for his junior season where he made himself the No. 1 prospect in the country. He led the Knights to the CIF Southern Section Open Division final and the CIF State SoCal regional final in 2025. Notre Dame fell short in both games to none other than Eastvale Roosevelt, led by All-American Brayden Burries.

Stokes averaged 21ppg, 9.3rpg, and 3.9apg before earning All-CIF and All-Mission League honors. He was also selected to the High School On SI All-SoCal Team.

'WITHDREW' FROM NOTRE DAME

In the fall of the 2025-26 school year — Stokes' senior season — he 'withdrew' from Notre Dame in early November, according to a school release.

"Notre Dame High School acknowledges Tyran Stokes' decision to withdraw and explore new opportunities. We appreciate the contributions he made to our basketball program and community during his time here. We wish Tyran all the best as he pursues his future goals, and we are confident he will find success," the release from athletic director Alec Moss reads.

According to sources close to the situation, Stokes was facing disciplinary issues at the school, including altercations with students. The No. 1 recruit decided to play football for the school in the fall, but missed games while serving a suspension for these disciplinary infractions. Before leaving the school, he wasn't seen on campus for weeks.

SENIOR YEAR AT RAINIER BEACH

Stokes ended up at Rainier Beach with former NBA guard Jamal Crawford's son, JJ Crawford, who is one of the top freshman players in the country. Stokes and Crawford led the Vikings to a 29-1 record en route to a WIAA 3A state championship, beating Tacoma Lincoln 75-53.

According to reports, Stokes averaged more than 30 points per game this past season.

Stokes was also selected to play in the 2026 McDonald's All-American game. He played 21 minutes in the prestigious game and tallied 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He was 5 of 13 from the field, including 0 for 4 from the 3-point line. He was 2 for 3 from the free throw line.

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