When Mark Pope put $22 million on the line to build a championship team at Kentucky, it was reportedly the most money ever spent on a college basketball team. While the 10-6 record sure raised questions, Pope can still save face by getting Tyran Stokes, the best 2026 recruit in the country. But it looks like Kentucky is losing the fight for Stokes.

“No. 1-ranked Tyran Stokes is eyeing a college visit to one of his finalists as a frontrunner emerges in his recruitment,” Joe Tipton wrote on X.

The Louisville native plans to attend Kansas’ game against BYU on January 31, which shows that the Jayhawks are back in the race. The timing is important because Kansas commits Taylen Kinney and Javon Bardwell will be there, and Kinney has been actively trying to get Stokes to come to Lawrence.

Previously, Stokes had visited Kansas on April 18 and Louisville back on October 4, 2025.

Not just this, there was another update a week ago that caused significant worry.

According to Chris Beasmore’s recent report on X: “Kansas has surged to the front in the race for the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2026, Tyran Stokes, according to Eric Bossi of 247Sports. Kentucky once looked like the clear favorite heading into the fall, but JMI-related complications have cooled that momentum.”

Now, this was a considerable blow to Kentucky’s recruiting strategy because the Wildcats seemed to be the frontrunners for the 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward from Louisville all through the fall of 2025. And it appears that Kentucky is no longer the favorite because of a number of problems with the program.

One of which happens to be the $465 million deal with JMI Sports. As per the deal, JMI makes recruits sign restrictive agreements that give up their NIL rights. These terms are almost unheard of in college basketball. While other schools make it explicit how much money they will pay, the lack of a clear figure from Kentucky frustrates top prospects and their families. This is causing problems for Stokes as he tries to figure out his new Nike shoe deal.

Now, add to this their 8th place in the SEC, and the problem becomes all the more grave. After all, the near misses and the five losses in six games against ranked opponents don’t exactly scream ‘attractive’ to a prospect.

Turning the page in a different direction, Stokes even had real trouble off the court. After getting into fights and being suspended from Notre Dame Prep in California, he moved to Seattle’s Rainier Beach. But here’s the important part: he’s handled the chaos with maturity and calm, showing that he’s ready for the stress of being the best recruit in the country and having to choose between Kentucky, Kansas, and Oregon.

However, amid all the uncertainty, there is a positive update.

Tyran Stokes leads the USA to the Nike Hoop Summit

Stokes is already showing why he’s worth the fight between Kentucky and Kansas for his signature. He just made the USA Basketball team for the Nike Hoop Summit, where he will join world champions Caleb Holt, Brandon McCoy, and Jordan Smith Jr. These four will play against the World Select Team in Portland on April 11. They won gold in Switzerland last summer.

But what is it about Stokes that makes him special?

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Well, he does everything. In the Round of 16 last summer in Lausanne, he dropped a jaw-dropping triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists against Jordan. He was the first American to get a triple-double at the U19 level, which has only happened six times in tournament history.

The awards say it all. In 2024, Stokes won the FIBA U18 AmeriCup, and in 2023, he won the U16 AmeriCup.

With a record of 19-7, Team USA is the best at the Hoop Summit. His old AAU teammate, AJ Dybantsa, was on last year’s team, but with Stokes in charge this year, expect another big win.