Kansas has one of the most talked-about names in the sport sitting at the center of the preseason conversation, and Tyran Stokes just got another reminder that the hype is real.
CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander asked coaches around college basketball to name the best player in the country this season, and the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2026 landed 5% of the vote. That puts Stokes fifth nationally in the poll.
He finished behind Thomas Haugh of Florida, who led the way with 43%, Jeremy Fears Jr. of Michigan State at 15%, Tyler Tanner of Vanderbilt at 14% and David Mirkovic of Illinois at 6%. Right behind Stokes were John Blackwell of Duke and JT Toppin of Texas Tech, each at 3%, along with Flory Bidunga of Louisville at 2% and a group of others.
The piece on Stokes made clear just how high the ceiling is viewed. “If he lives up to expectations, the 6-8 wing should be the next one-and-done top-five pick to emerge from Hall of Fame coach Bill Self's program, joining the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Darryn Peterson, Josh Jackson, Thomas Robinson and 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid,” it said.
Stokes has done plenty to fuel that kind of buzz. At Rainier Beach High School, he posted 31 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals per game while helping lead Washington to a 3A state title. He’s also stacked up gold medals with the United States, winning with the USA at the 2023 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship, the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup in Turkey and the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland.
Still, the coaches’ poll underscores the challenge in front of him. “But to win NPOY, as our poll indicates, Stokes will have to out-perform more-experienced projected first-round picks like Haugh, UConn's Braylon Mullins, Arizona's Motiejus Krivas and Duke's Dame Sarr, all of whom received votes and are on teams expected to compete for the national championship.”
As for Kansas, the bigger question is whether this group can stay in the national-title picture by March. The feeling around the team is divided, and the shadow of the Darryn Peterson drama from last season still hangs over how the 2026 campaign is being viewed.
But there’s one clear upside: the Jayhawks will be tested early and often. They’re scheduled to face Kentucky in the State Farm Champions Classic, Villanova, Missouri in the Border Showdown, UConn and Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic. Those are all teams expected to be in the NCAA Tournament mix, and Kansas will get those measuring-stick games before conference play even begins.
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Kansas Turns To A New Frontcourt Option After Missing On Kohler
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Olayinka brings production and versatility from a stop at FIU, where he averaged 10 points and 6.7 rebounds last season, and his path through multiple schools gives him the kind of background staffs often value in portal recruiting. He is also eligible for another season after being granted an additional year through a preliminary injunction, which keeps the market moving and leaves Kansas still working to see whether it can land the frontcourt piece it needs. [Read more 🡒]