CHICAGO - Kansas left Chicago with a statement win Tuesday night, and Tyran Stokes was right at the center of it.
The Jayhawks rolled past Kentucky 89-69 to move to 3-0, with Stokes delivering his best performance of the young season in front of a national TV audience. The freshman finished with 23 points and knocked down four 3-pointers, giving Kansas the kind of scoring punch that had been waiting to show up.
The matchup carried extra weight because Stokes picked Kansas over Kentucky last April, and that decision made this one feel personal. Afterward, he made clear he felt that edge going into the game.
“Everyone obviously knows for me it was up to Kansas and Kentucky for my last two schools,” Stokes said. “Obviously when I chose Kansas, I knew [this] game was going to be personal for sure, and we got the [win], played together great as a team; that's all that matters.”
The Louisville product had been under a bright spotlight all night, and he handled it by making quick, timely shots for Kansas. His three-point touch, which had been quiet earlier this season, finally came alive against the Wildcats. That’s a big part of why he’s sitting near the top of plenty of mock draft boards for next June.
Kansas coach Bill Self said the first make changed the feel for Stokes.
“What helped him a lot tonight was seeing that first 3 go in,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said. “After that, I thought he played under control. I thought he played within what we were trying to do and still found a way to be aggressive.”
Stokes wasn’t the only freshman with Kentucky ties making noise. Taylen Kinney, another Bluegrass State product who was heavily recruited by the Wildcats, turned the game into something of a homecoming too. He didn’t stuff the scoring column, finishing with four points, but he added three rebounds and eight assists while Kansas posted a +24 point differential with him on the floor.
“TK didn’t have the numbers game, but if you watch at eight assists, he didn’t turn it over,” Self said. “I thought he played really solid, but I think it should give them both (Kinney and Stokes) a lot of confidence, and that was a big game for both of them obviously since they were both recruited by Kentucky, and they both lived there.”
With Stokes and Kinney flashing why they’re among the headliners in this freshman class, Kansas now heads to Las Vegas for its next national-stage test. The Jayhawks will face UNLV in the first round of the Players Era 8 on Tuesday, with tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. CST on ESPN.
In Other News...
Kansas Just Sent An Early Warning To The Rest Of College Basketball
The Champions Classic offered an early snapshot of where the college basketball powers stand, and Kansas left Madison Square Garden with the kind of win that tends to travel. While Michigan States upset of Duke grabbed plenty of attention, the Jayhawks handled Kentucky and reinforced why they are already being viewed as a team with the look of a serious national contender. It was the sort of opening-night result that can shape the conversation around a program before conference play even begins.
For Kansas, the win also came against a Kentucky team that still has obvious questions to sort through, especially at point guard and at power forward. Duke, meanwhile, was left to regroup after an uneven offensive showing despite its talent, while Emoni Bates continued to draw eyes as one of the early NBA draft names to watch with his improved outside shooting and assertive style. For the Jayhawks, the bigger takeaway is simple: they did not just survive a marquee stage, they used it to send a message. [Read more 🡒]
Tyran Stokes Just Gave Kansas Fans A Reason To Dream
Tyran Stokes gave Kansas plenty to feel good about in the Champions Classic, turning in a 23-point, 10-rebound effort in an 89-69 win over Kentucky. The freshman forward looked comfortable in a big setting, and Bill Self pointed to the way Stokes handled his emotions while still staying effective from start to finish.
For Stokes, the matchup carried extra weight. He grew up in Louisville and was recruited by Kentucky, so the stage had a little more meaning than most November games, and he said as much afterward while crediting his coaches for the confidence he showed in his shooting. For Kansas, the encouraging part is not just the performance itself, but the possibility that a young player already looks ready for nights when the spotlight is brightest. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Already Looks Like A Team Nobody Wants To Face
Kansas got the kind of early-season win that tends to travel well, handling Kentucky 89-69 in a game that looked comfortable long before the final buzzer. The Jayhawks were connected on both ends, and Trey Kaufman-Renn played a big part in that rhythm, finishing with 12 points, six rebounds and six assists without a turnover while helping keep the offense flowing cleanly.
Kentucky never found much traction, especially with Malachi Moreno hampered by fouls and the Wildcats struggling to generate easy points off cuts. For Kansas, that kind of complete performance is exactly why the rest of the sport will start circling this team sooner rather than later, because it already has the look of a group opponents would rather avoid. [Read more 🡒]