Tyran Stokes, who won the MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic this weekend, still hasn't decided on a school for next season. Kansas and Kentucky appear to be the favorites, but no one knows for sure because Stokes and his camp have not given many hints during the long-drawn-out recruiting process.
It is a fair assumption that the hangup is about shoes and apparel. Stokes signed a deal with Nike last fall. Kansas is an Adidas school, while Nike supplies Kentucky. If Stokes attends Kansas, the two sports companies may have to reach an agreement.
It is doubtful if Nike would be okay with a prominent athlete wearing their chief rival's products, nor would Adidas want a top-tier player sporting Nike shoes at a school where they spend so much money. It is a sad state of college sports that this is where things are. Still, there are instances of deals being worked out.
It may be hurting Kansas waiting on Tyran Stokes
As the Kansas basketball team continues to bide its time, the Jayhawks might be losing opportunities to sign other recruits. Stokes will surely take up a considerable chunk of the KU NIL budget if he were to sign with Kansas.
Bill Self might be losing other players like Terrance Hill Jr. and Kamerson Taylor because he might be holding money back for Stokes. The Jayhawks have only signed two players from the portal so far. Keanu Dawes agreed to sign with Kansas last week. On Monday, Leroy Blyden Jr. committed as well.
Kansas has just seven players on the roster for next season. Kohl Rosario is the only player from last season who has remained, and Self has Tylan Kinney, Luke Barnett, Trent Perry, and Davion Adkins in the fold, plus Dawes and Blyden Jr.
If Stokes drags his decision on too much longer, Self may not have many more options left. He'll have to fill in the rest of his roster, more than half of his allotted scholarships, with who knows what.
This brings about a discussion on if it is better to sign one great player, who gets a significant percentage of a school's NIL budget, or to grab three good players. These players might be signed for the same amount as the one superstar.
Self likes to have one superstar, but his best teams have been those that were filled with good players who played together as a unit. Andre Wiggins, Hunter Dickerson, and Darryn Peterson are all examples of teams with stars that didn't perform as well as expected.
Speaking of Peterson, he still hasn't declared for the NBA Draft or entered the transfer portal. This doesn't mean a lot, as he isn't the only star who hasn't made it official. The deadline isn't until Friday, April 24. Until he makes an official announcement, however, there is always a bit of hope he could return to KU.
Hopefully, Stokes will come to a decision soon, and if it is Kansas, hopefully the shoe companies can work something out. If he chooses another school, Self and the Jayhawks might be in big trouble.
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