Newly-committed Kansas Jayhawks forward Tyran Stokes is excited for the new chapter of his career. On Tuesday, Stokes announced through Inside The NBA that he has committed to play for Bill Self’s Jayhawks after snubbing the Kentucky Wildcats.
Stokes is coming off a stellar high school basketball career at Rainier Beach High School, where he established himself as the top recruit in the Class of 2026. It took him a while to finally commit to college, but it seems as though Stokes is enjoying Kansas.
“Love it already!,” Stokes wrote.
– Tyran Stokes, May 2, 2026
Stokes is set to join Self’s Kansas, which finished the 2025-26 season with an overall record of 24-11 (12-6 Big 12), third in the standings. They then made it to the second round of the national tournament, only to lose to Rick Pitino’s St. John’s Red Storm 67-65.
Kentucky, a Nike school, was widely considered the favorite to land Stokes after reports suggested he was not a fan of Adidas, which partners with Kansas. However, Self managed to sway Stokes, leading to a big recruitment win. He will now be under pressure to deliver a strong season and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Tyran Stokes Talks About How Big A Factor Curtis Townsend Was In His Commitment
Tyran Stokes faced the media on Wednesday for the first time since announcing his commitment to the Kansas Jayhawks. At one point, Stokes was asked about how much of a factor former Jayhawks head coach and current assistant coach Curtis Townsend was in his decision. Stokes said Townsend trusts him deeply.
“ Man, he’s been there from the get-go; like that was the first coach I talked to at Kansas. You know, he’s trusted me, trusted my game. So, you know, just continue to with everything that’s going on and through my recruitment process, he’s been there just giving me advice. Every time he talks to me he’s like, ‘Even if you don’t come to Kansas I’m always supporting you,'” Stokes said. (0:28)
“So just having that, you know, respect level for, you know, a guy like me that isn’t even committed to him yet, it just shows his character,” he added.
Also Read: Tyran Stokes Shows Off New Tattoo, But One Background Detail has Kentucky Fans Excited
