It appears as if Tyran Stokes might be nearing a decision as to where he will play his college ball. Although Stokes has kept his recruitment fairly quiet, Kansas and Kentucky seem to be the favorites.
Stokes would make the Kansas basketball impressive recruiting class the top class in the country for next season. Stokes would join point guard Taylen Kinney, center Davion Adkins, and shooting guards Trent Perry and Luke Barnett.
It is incredible that Kansas is still in the running considering Stokes signed an NIL deal with Nike in 2025 and KU is an Adidas school. It would be a miracle if KU landed him, based on that fact alone.
Kansas is still considered the favorite to land Tyran Stokes
The 247Sports Crystal Ball has Kansas as the favorite. It would make sense for Stokes to push back his announcement until Kansas head coach Bill Self makes a definitive decision himself about his immediate future at Kansas.
It's been eight days since the Jayhawks were ousted from the NCAA Tournament on a last-second layup by St. John's. There has been little word from Self or Kansas on the situation other than Self denying that any announcement was imminent last week. He put an end to rumors with a statement to Gary Bedore, who covers KU for the Kansas City Star.
Bill Self tells me as of now there is no news to report regarding his decision. In fact he told me "b.s., bad info" referring to some comments out there. That's as of now from the head coach.
— Gary Bedore (@GaryBedore) March 25, 2026
Bedore also mentioned there was a set timeline for the decision.
Self tells me there is no timeframe for a decision at this time.
— Gary Bedore (@GaryBedore) March 25, 2026
Stokes may very well be waiting to see how the situation plays out at Kansas. If Self stays at KU, the speculation around Stokes being a Jayhawk next year might come to fruition.
Furthermore, it is interesting that none of the eight scholarship players on the roster with eligibility left have yet to announce their intentions either. No one has entered the transfer portal yet, but none have made it clear they are staying yet either.
The players might be waiting for Self to make his decision one way or another. Or Self and his staff might just be meeting with players and their families to discuss their futures in relation to Self. The head coach probably doesn't want his players or recruits blindsided by either of Self's possible options.
There are plenty of moving parts surrounding the Kansas program right now. As hard as it is for fans, patience is necessary because everyone should want Self to make the best decision for him and his family. He has earned the right to take all the time he needs. Stokes seems willing to be patient with his decision.
It would be surprising if some word didn't emerge sometime this week. Once the announcement is made, players may follow with news of their own. If that is the timeline, then Stokes probably makes his announcement early next week.
Hang tight, Jayhawk fans!
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