NCAA Basketball Recruiting: 7 early teams to watch for No. 1 class of 2026 forward Tyran Stokes
![Vegas Elite's Tyran Stokes (4) look to the sidelines during the Vegas Elite and Boo Williams game on the third day of the Peach Jam at Riverview Park Activities Center on July 5, 2023 in North Augusta, S.C. Vegas Elite defeated Boo Williams 71-52. Vegas Elite's Tyran Stokes (4) look to the sidelines during the Vegas Elite and Boo Williams game on the third day of the Peach Jam at Riverview Park Activities Center on July 5, 2023 in North Augusta, S.C. Vegas Elite defeated Boo Williams 71-52.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6043,h_3399,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/184/01j2ry38za482bsvgfqe.jpg)
Kansas Jayhawks
It’s hard to find a better possible spot for a top-tier prospect than Kansas, with multi-time national championship head coach Bill Self. He’s dealt with past health issues so it is a legit question to ask if he’ll be around two years from now by the time Stokes were to arrive.
It may also be possible for Stokes himself to reclass to the 2025 group. The Jayhawks will lose starting forwards KJ Adams and Hunter Dickinson after next season and power forward is a glaring need in the 2025 class. Plus, it would all but guarantee that Coach Self will be around.
Kentucky Wildcats
Even with Coach Calipari off to Arkansas, Kentucky still remains a top-tier NCAA Basketball program that can land 5-star prospects going forward. That’s the task new coach Mark Pope has going forward, starting in the 2025 class.
With the vast majority of the roster being seniors, the next couple of recruiting classes will be huge for the Wildcats in the Pope era. We’ll see how successful he is with the 2025 class and its top targets (which there are plenty of) and whether they remain in the mix for someone like Stokes.