Tyran Stokes joins long list of elite basketball prospects to pick Bill Self, KU
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tyran Stokes committed to play for Kansas as a five-star recruit, No. 1 prospect.
- Stokes is a 6-foot-7, 230-pound top-level scorer from Seattle joining the Jayhawks.
- Stokes is the sixth top-5 recruit under Bill Self per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Five-star recruit Tyran Stokes made plenty of Kansas basketball fans happy with his commitment to the Jayhawks on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-7, 230-pound Seattle native is a high-level scorer who puts the cherry on top of KU’s recruiting class. He’ll also provide some hope to Jayhawks fans worried after the recent transfer portal exodus.
Stokes is the sixth top-5 recruit brought in under Self’s leadership, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Other top-5 recruits include eventual NBA players Josh Selby (class of 2010), Andrew Wiggins (2013), Josh Jackson (2016) and Cliff Alexander (2014), as well as Darryn Peterson last season.
Kansas has become accustomed to landing top recruits who plan to leave for the NBA after one year, although it rarely guarantees success.
Wiggins has emerged as one of the best in Self’s time, proving his No. 1 ranking in college and eventually being selected No. 1 in the NBA Draft. He’s enjoyed a productive pro career, being named an All-Star once and winning an NBA title.
Jackson was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year en route to an Elite Eight berth and the fourth overall pick in the ensuing draft. He had a promising start, making the NBA All-Rookie Second Team with the Phoenix Suns, but bounced around the league before mounting up legal issues. He hasn’t played in the NBA since 2022.
Alexander didn’t live up to the lofty expectations set for him, dealing with injuries, inconsistent play and an impermissible benefits investigation regarding his mother. He left after his freshman year, going undrafted and playing in just eight NBA games in his lone season in the league with the Portland Trail Blazers. The power forward has built a steady career overseas.
Peterson’s roller-coaster season was plagued with injuries and other ailments, but he still showed flashes of why he was a top recruit.
Those players are included among the many top-10 recruits who have played for Self. Julian Wright (2005), Xavier Henry (2009), Cheick Diallo (2015), Kelly Oubre (2014) and Quentin Grimes (2018) round out the rest of that list.
Other top prospects like Sherron Collins (2006), Wayne Selden and Joel Embiid (2013) landed just outside the top 10.
The results for any recruit are unpredictable. KU’s most recent season with Peterson was the epitome of that.
The only guarantee with Stokes’ commitment is that a talented young man will be enrolling at the University of Kansas to play basketball. The rest of the story will be played out in time.
