Bill Self isn’t handing Tyran Stokes a soft landing.
The Kansas coach made it clear Wednesday that the incoming five-star freshman will be expected to do more than just score and flash the talent that made him the nation’s No. 1 prospect. Self said Stokes is “a natural leader,” and Kansas plans to test that part of his game right away.
Stokes arrives with plenty of buzz after a recruiting process that went down to the wire before Kansas won out. The anticipation only grew after his final high school season at Rainier Beach, where he put up 31 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals per game while helping the Dragons to a second straight 3A Washington State title and a 31-1 record.
Self said leadership is about more than a title or a role handed down by age.
“You know, how you react to a bad call? That's leadership.
How you encourage others that’s leadership. Can you make other players raise their level because of your presence?
That's leadership. So there's a lot of things to it, but absolutely we're going to challenge him to be that.”
That challenge matters because Kansas is young. Of the 13 players currently on the roster, only Keanu Dawes and Christian Reeves are seniors. Dawes is the only player with meaningful Big 12 experience, and even that came over two seasons with the Utes.
The transfer additions bring some power-conference background, but not a ton of it. Dennis Parker Jr. logged 778 minutes across 56 games at NC State, while Reeves has 202 minutes between Duke and Clemson in 45 games. Those are the kinds of numbers that leave plenty of questions once Big 12 play ramps up.
Still, there are a few names who could emerge as voices in the locker room and on the floor. Kohl Rosario stands out because he’s been spotted getting extra shots up in an empty gym long after others are gone, and that kind of mindset suggests a player wired for more than the moment. Dawes’ experience also gives him a path to that role.
Sophomore transfer guard Leroy Blyden Jr. is another possibility. He averaged 16.4 points, 4 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season and made 32 starts, production that could quickly put him in the mix as one of the team’s more trusted players.
For now, though, the spotlight is on Stokes. Kansas brought him in for his talent, but Self is clearly looking for something bigger than buckets.
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