Stokes, potential No. 1 pick in '27 NBA draft, chooses Kansas - ESPN

Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 senior in the country and the consensus favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA draft, will play for Kansas next season, he announced Tuesday.

Stokes chose the Jayhawks over Kentucky, announcing his decision on ESPN's «NBA Tip-Off» before the start of Tuesday's playoff games. He is ranked No. 1 on ESPN's 2026 SC Next 100.

Kansas and Kentucky waged an intense recruiting battle for Stokes' commitment, going back and forth over the last several months. The Wildcats seemed to be the clear leader in the fall, but when the early signing period came and went without a commitment from Stokes, Kansas surged and appeared to become the favorite as the college season progressed. After the season, however, Stokes went on a visit to Kentucky, and the Wildcats closed the gap. But Kansas was able to hold off the late push from Mark Pope's program.

Stokes is a massive and much-needed recruiting win for Bill Self and Kansas. He's the second five-star commitment for the Jayhawks in the 2026 class, joining point guard Taylen Kinney, and gives Self a potential No. 1 NBA draft pick for the second straight season after Darryn Peterson spent this past season in Lawrence. Kansas also now has the No. 2-ranked recruiting class in the country.

After four straight seasons without advancing to the Sweet 16, Self has a preseason All-American and focal point for next season's team in Stokes. His commitment comes on the heels of portal additions Leroy Blyden Jr. (Toledo), Keanu Dawes (Utah) and Christian Reeves (Charleston).

A 6-foot-7 small forward, Stokes has been considered the best player in his class for most of the last couple of years. He earned several power-conference scholarship offers before his freshman season