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As the 2026-27 college basketball season approaches, excitement is building around Kansas freshman Tyran Stokes, who has already garnered significant attention. The highly touted recruit, ranked No. 1 in the 2026 class by all major recruiting services, committed to the Jayhawks after a heated battle involving Kentucky and other programs last spring.
Stokes's arrival in Lawrence comes with immense expectations, as he is widely projected to be a top contender for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. College basketball analysts are also predicting that he will be one of the premier players in the country this season.
On Tuesday, CBS Sports unveiled its Preseason First Team All-American selections, with Stokes earning a spot alongside Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., Florida small forward Thomas Haugh, Vanderbilt point guard Tyler Tanner, and Illinois power forward David Mirkovic. The teams were determined by votes from college basketball reporters at CBS Sports, 247Sports, and analysts and on-air talent from CBS and CBS Sports Network.
CBS Sports writer Isaac Trotter praised Stokes, saying, "College basketball's most naturally gifted player will lace 'em up for the Jayhawks." Trotter added that Stokes is on the inside track to be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft because he can blend excellent positional size with real on-ball utility. At 6-7 and 230 pounds, Stokes will bully smaller defenders and dust heftier defenders. His big-boy drives will be a staple of Kansas' offense, and he should automatically vault to the top of the charts in transition scoring.
Trotter also noted that if Kansas head coach Bill Self can reel in the emotions of his young star, the sky could be the limit for him this season. "Stokes' maturity and on-court antics have long been a point of emphasis, but if Bill Self can help his star freshman stay on the straight and narrow, he has a chance to be a terrifying two-way player who could put up some bonkers counting stats as Kansas' head honcho," Trotter continued. An average stat line of 20 points, eight rebounds, and three assists is firmly in Stokes' range of potential outcomes.
Stokes is one of just four Big 12 players to earn preseason honors from CBS Sports. The others include Texas Tech power forward JT Toppin (Second Team), Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (Second Team), and BYU point guard Robert Wright III (Third Team).
Kansas fans will get their first real look at Stokes on Friday night when the Jayhawks take on Pittsburg State in their first exhibition of the season inside Allen Fieldhouse as part of this year's Late Night in the Phog. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT with the game streaming live on ESPN+.