Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 prospect of the 2026 NCAA basketball class, is set to announce his commitment decision on ESPN’s Inside NBA on Tuesday, April 28. With Portland out of the race, Stokes is set to decide between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Kansas Jayhawks.
However, the timing of the announcement today has caused some confusion. Initially, college basketball insider Matt Norlander reported that Stokes will appear on the Inside NBA program on ESPN at 3:30pm ET. However, he later said that instead of 3:30pm ET, the show will go live at 6:30pm ET.
“UPDATE: Source just texted to clarify. After initially communicating that it was 3:30 ET, Tyran Stokes’ public college commitment will now instead be sometime around 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 Pacific on Inside the NBA on ESPN with Ernie, Shaq, Charles and Kenny,” Matt Norlander.
Where Will Tyran Stokes Join?
Most of the drafting discussion around Tyran Stokes has featured three teams, mainly: The Kentucky Wildcats, the Kansas Jayhawks and the Oregon Ducks. However, in the past weeks, it has been widely reported that Oregon has dropped the pursuit, leaving the Wildcats and the Jayhawks in the fray.
SB Nation reports that to an extent the decision of Stokes could be formed by his brand endorsement with Nike. Both Oregon and Kentucky have Nike as their program sponsor, whereas for Kansas, it is Adidas. With Portland now out, and Nike’s influence on Stoke evident, it seems Kansas has fallen slightly behind.
Kentucky was in pursuit of Stokes for most of last year, and though at one point it was being reported that Kansas could be a frontrunner, the tide has turned in recent weeks again in favor of Kentucky.
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Why Tyron Stokes Is The No. 1 Prospect
Tyran Stokes has put up elite numbers across his high school career. In the 2024–25 season at Notre Dame High School, he averaged about 21.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Earlier at Prolific Prep, Stokes averaged around 10.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists as a freshman, improving to 13.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists as a sophomore. He’s also recorded a 63-point game and surpassed 1,000 career points.
If he eventually joins the Kentucky roster, as is widely expected, it will be a significant boost to the program in the upcoming NCAA CBB season.