Kentucky or Kansas? The KSR Staff Calls its Shot on the Tyran Stokes Decision

The Tyran Stokes saga will soon conclude. Mark Pope and Bill Self have courted the top-ranked player for a very long time. Tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET on Inside the NBA, Stokes will reveal his college decision. Will it be Kentucky or Kansas? The large Kentucky Sports Radio staff is calling its shot ahead of the announcement.

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Nick Roush: Kansas

Although there have been many twists and turns, most of those twists and turns feel like nothing-burgers. Tyran Stokes is getting paid a lot of money by Nike. Going to one of Nike’s top schools to be its top player should be a no-brainer. The fact that this process has been drawn out for so long leads me to believe that he’s just been looking for the right excuse to go elsewhere. That is why, ultimately, I believe he will choose to play for a more proven coach who has experience with top-ranked players in Lawrence.

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Justin Rowland: Kansas

Mark Pope still has to prove to me that he can win a recruiting battle like this before I predict it. At the end of the day, it’s Kentucky and if the No. 1 player picks the Wildcats in the NIL era then it definitely won’t be a shock. But let’s be honest. Kentucky doesn’t have the most forward momentum as a program right now and most of these recruitments have gone the other way for a couple of years now. Then there are the reports that, with all the factors at play, Stokes may have a personal preference for Kansas. I’ve got to assume that will win out. Bill Self is probably viewed as a safer choice given the last couple of seasons in Lexington.

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Jeff Drummond: Kan… tucky

I can’t think of another high-profile recruit who has played things closer to the vest than Tyran Stokes has in this saga. It doesn’t feel like anyone has a good grasp on what he might do tonight. In that regard, it reminds me a little bit of the Terrence Jones recruitment when the elite forward initially chose Washington, had second thoughts almost immediately after his announcement, and wound up signing with Kentucky. I don’t anticipate anything like that going down, but I could definitely see him going into the ESPN program thinking one thing and coming out the other. I have believed all along that, if he wanted to play for Kentucky, it would have already happened. (And, yes, a Kansas follower could easily say the same thing about the Jayhawks.) So I have wavered. My hunch is Nike ultimately wins out. Mark Pope is due for some good fortune.

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Drew Franklin: Kansas

I could talk myself into the recent signs pointing toward Kentucky, like Mo Williams on a flight to ATL this morning and Mark Pope liking a post about celebrating Stokes’ commitment this afternoon. However, I’ve not heard anything to suggest that Kentucky is the frontrunner otherwise. For many months, most of the talk has been pro-Kansas, even if only with slight confidence, as Stokes managed to keep things quiet around him. Though small, the Kansas buzz and expert predictions are louder than anything for Kentucky.

But there is the Nike connection. Mark Pope may not lead Bill Self in their head-to-head recruiting battle for Stokes, but the Nike connection could still win the war. Kentucky could pull off the shocker in the end with help from Phil Knight, so I’ve not given up on a Kentucky commitment. Still, my guess is Kansas as we count down to the moment. It will feel great to be wrong.

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Tyler Thompson: Kansas

I wrote an entire post today making the case that Stokes will pick Kentucky over Kansas. As others have mentioned, Nike would be the reason why, the brand pushing its star toward one of its flagship schools. Kentucky desperately needs it to happen, too, and with Scrooge McDuck money, it can sweeten the pot as much as possible. I’m sure the NIL offer on the table is insanely high, probably higher than Kansas’.

This means it all comes down to Stokes and where he wants to go; I still get the feeling that is Lawrence, not Lexington. Throughout this recruitment, we’ve heard that Stokes is closer to Bill Self and his staff than Mark Pope and Kentucky’s. That could change if Jamal Crawford comes aboard, but we’ve yet to hear if that is the case. With so little information actually out there, I’m going with my gut on this one, and it believes Stokes will pick the Jayhawks. Like Drew, I’d love to be wrong.

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Adam Luckett: Kansas

Kansas has been the perceived leader in this high-profile recruiting battle for months now. Bill Self needs a star to fill out his roster. Kentucky made a very strong push for Tyran Stokes, but never seemed to get over the hump in this race even with the backing of Nike behind them. This one just feels like one the Jayhawks will win. The relationships just feel stronger in Lawrence.

Mark Pope and his staff did everything they could. The Cats stayed in the fight until the bitter end. Self’s reputation wins out despite the awkward Adidas situation. An old school recruitment in the NIL era finally ends with Rock Chalk Jayhawk.

Kentucky goes back to the drawing board to try and fill out the rest of the roster.

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Zack Geoghegan: Kansas

My thoughts on Tyran Stokes’ recruitment come down to exactly what Jeff Drummond said above: if he wanted to be a Wildcat, he already would be. His relationship with Nike would have already pushed him to Kentucky if this were the school he wanted to play for. That line of thinking could very well be wrong, and Stokes has done an impressive job of keeping his recruitment under wraps, but he’s had plenty of opportunities to pounce on UK’s Nike connection and fortify next season’s roster.

All of that tells me Stokes would rather play elsewhere. His decision to announce the same month that it was revealed Bill Self is sticking around as the Kansas head coach for at least one more season does not seem like a total coincidence. Too many signs are telling my gut he’s picking the Jayhawks.