Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - TYRAN STOKES COMMITS TO KANSAS | Huge Addition Impacts Roster, Jayhawks' Season & More for Bill Self

Starting point is 00:00:00 The long recruiting battle is finally over and it comes with a huge result for Kansas, an offseason saving move, a season saving move. Tyron Stokes is officially a Kansas Jayhawk. And that sounds so good to say. You are locked on Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks, part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. What's going on? Derek Johnson here with Locked on Jayhawks.

Starting point is 00:00:35 Iron Stokes is officially a Kansas Jayhawk. We're going to break down his impact to the team what the roster currently looks like. What still needs to be done this offseason for KU? And we'll get into a little bit of a scouting report on Stokes as well. If you missed it, Stokes was on inside the NBA on ESPN, had some interview questions.

Starting point is 00:00:55 And then he pulls out a little, I don't know, rectangular box looking thing. And I started to back in my mind panicked a little bit. I don't know if anybody else caught this, but it looked like Kentucky. blue on the wrapping paper on this thing. He unwraps it, and it was not Kentucky. It was a picture, a card of himself in a Kansas uniform. He announces himself that he will be attending the

Starting point is 00:01:17 University of Kansas. This was another Bill Self, Spring Bill Masterclass that we are talking about here, right? This is in line with, you know, Andrew Wiggins. And, you know, Peterson was obviously a huge addition for KU, but he was not a spring edition. I know this one didn't work out, but Sheck Diallo at the time was a huge addition for KU, whether it was Hunter Dickinson from the transfer portal. Bill Self has been able to come through with the big name in the spring so often. And all this talk about the relationship with Bill Self and Tyrant Stokes and him wanting to coach Tyrant Stokes and coming back for another year.

Starting point is 00:01:53 And the idea that he went to Rainier Beach, which was coached by Jamal Crawford, who was coached by Curtis Townsend when he was in college, the relationship won out here. Now, it sounds like KU was able to pony up. up and be able to meet the amount of money that they needed to get. So you credit, you know, the donors and Travis Gough. And I certainly heard a fun story about what a donor did in writing a check for Tyrant

Starting point is 00:02:15 Stokes. And they were able to meet those things and the relationship of Bill Self and the staff won out. This is a gigantic deal because KU's roster, while I really liked the Leroy Blyden edition, I love the Keanu Daz edition. You know, I like that you have Colrosario and Paul M. Bia back. I like some of the freshman class. it is an incomplete roster without a star on it.

Starting point is 00:02:37 And you now have that star with Tyron Stokes. And here is the perfect example of how important this edition is for KU, right? Because this to me is an offseason and season saving move. Without KU or without Stokes on the roster, KU was ranked 29th before this decision on Bart Torvik. After the addition, they move up to number 10 in the, country, right? And this is still with a handful of scholarships available to maybe move up even further. But you go from a team that is not a top 25 team on one site to a team that is now top

Starting point is 00:03:13 10. That's a final four contender, right? Um, shooty hoops, which is a cool website that, that I've seen this year that have been kind of playing around with has a cool look and everything, kind of the same idea you can play around with the potential roster. They were 45th before this decision of Stokes. Stokes bumps them up to 22nd. And again, once you start adding a couple other players just to fill out the roster rotation, it moves even further into the top 20, top 15, and so forth. So yes, this is the difference for Kansas between being a team that just, I don't know, like I guess you'd be happy that the NCAA tournament got expanded to now one that you feel like has what it takes to be a final four contender.

Starting point is 00:03:53 Like that's seriously what we're talking about here because now you say, hey, we have Tyron Stokes. We feel like any given night, we can have the best dude in the building. And then beyond that, you say, you know, I like Keonner. I wouldn't love him if he was your your second best player, but if Keanu Daz is your third best player, like that can work. If, you know, you have less pressure now on Taylin Kinney and Leroyd Plyden coming in at the guard positions, you have less pressure at the center position.

Starting point is 00:04:19 And like, just the roster with and without Stokes is just completely night and day for what you're able to do. So let's break down his game, what all he is bringing to the table, what does the roster look like around him? What does KU still need to do in the off season? and we'll get to all that next. This is Locked on Jayhawks. Today's episode is brought to you by Fandul.

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Starting point is 00:05:25 So just head to fandual.com to get started today. That is Fandual. Play your game with the official sportsbook partner of the Lockdown Podcast Network. Thanks again for joining us here on Lockdown Jayhawks. Tyron Stokes, the number one recruit in the class of 2026, is officially a Kansas Jayhawk. Now, let's learn a little bit more about Tyron Stokes game, right? This is a player who was advanced from an urge. I think they were talking about on the broadcast, how we got his first offer when he was in like eighth grade.

Starting point is 00:05:54 He goes to prolific prep for his freshman season where, you know, he put up pretty good stats, like 10.6 and a half rebounds per game as a freshman in high school. he was one of just two players that offseason to get invited to the NBA top 100 camp with AJ DeBanza, right? That's good company to be in. And then he goes to Nike Peach Jam. Again, this is just a freshman, or I guess it would have been freshman going into sophomore year because it's over the course of the, I guess, sort of summer. And he average 11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists per game on 51%.

Starting point is 00:06:28 Then going into a sophomore season, he goes to prolific. prep with AJ DeBanza averages like 13.6 rebounds, three assists per game. They go to the Chipotle Nationals. He was a sophomore All-American, also freshman All-American. And at the Nike Peach Jam, he goes for over 20 points per game, nine rebounds, three and a half assists per game. He ends up going to the final for the under 17 where they lose to the team with Cameron Boozer, Caden Boozer, Caleb Wilson, like a very loaded team.

Starting point is 00:07:00 But those guys were all a year older. than him, obviously. He had 22 points and nine rebounds in that loss. So really showed what he can do against elite level competition. So then he goes to Notre Dame High School back in kind of my neck of the woods in Sherman Oaks, California for his junior season. He ends up having wrist surgery one year. It comes in later in the year, puts up really good stats. You're talking 21 points over nine rebounds, almost four assists per game. You know, it has a little football highlights in there, too, which is certainly cool. And then he goes to the Nike Peach Jam and leads everybody at the Peach Jam with 10.4 rebounds per game.

Starting point is 00:07:35 He was second among everybody in points per game, right? Then he goes and gets MVP at the Slam Summer Classic with 27 points. Then he gets kicked off the team. So I don't know if it kicked off the team or kicked off the school would be the right way of putting it. So there is a little bit of baggage here, right? I don't know if it was like a fight or what kind of led to it. But he ends up going to Rainer Beach, right?

Starting point is 00:07:55 This isn't a legal issue that you have in the background. It's an unfortunate issue that happened at a school. And, you know, that's something you're going to have to work on. but at least it's not like again, the legal issue. So you end up at Rainier Beach, which again, you have the tie with Curtis Townsend and Jamal Crawford. And he just puts up unbelievable. I mean, you could constantly find stats where they're playing like

Starting point is 00:08:15 teams that, you know, it's a lot smaller like little dudes who he's just destroying and just like toying with to score like 60 points. But he had an unbelievable season, even when he was going up against, you know, better competition there. And now at the, you know, the different circuits, I guess you would say the All-Star Games. I guess you would say, performed pretty well. Played 21 and a half minutes in the McDonald's All-American game.

Starting point is 00:08:38 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists. That's a pretty darn good stats in 21 and a half minutes. Shooting wasn't totally there, but that makes it even almost more impressive where it's like if the shots falling, then what does it look like? And in the Jordan Classic, which isn't everybody from the McDonald's, you know, all-American game.

Starting point is 00:08:53 So it's not as good of competition, but he dominated 29 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks. So looked really good there. the FBA stats are really fun to look at here too because he's I think he's won like three gold medals obviously they have the different classifications like under 17 under 15 or whatever so 2023 he plays for the under 16 team and averages 10.3 points 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game

Starting point is 00:09:19 and that goes on and on and then like his last year in 2025 9.7 points 4.4 rebounds per game 2.6 assists per game in the Fiba U19 and you're sitting there like well what's the big deal those numbers don't like jump off the page. Like that doesn't sound crazy. What if I told you he was averaging those numbers in 14.7 minutes per game. So meaning if you like extrapolated that out to playing 30 minutes per game against the world's best. He would have been averaging close to 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists per game in those situations.

Starting point is 00:09:50 So yes, he was efficient shooting the ball as well as part of it. I've seen one comp that had him as like Karan Butler. I don't know that I totally get that. I don't know. because when I watch him, I almost, there's part of me that thinks the passing is the best part of his game, you know? And that's what makes me so excited about this edition. We'll get into the fit with the roster and everything, but it just makes things a lot easier, I think, on everybody. This situation where, you know, it's Darren Peterson coming in and there weren't always, there wasn't always the best meshing between the team K you had and Peterson with who's going to have the ball in their hands, who's taking the shots.

Starting point is 00:10:28 I think there's going to be a little bit more synchronization by having Stokes because I think his passing is that good. I don't really know what the comp is, to be completely honest, because it is such a unique player. Like you're talking like 6, 7, 2.30. I mean, here's some stuff from Adam Finkelstein who does great work at 24-7 sports. And you can go read the full blur, but I'm just going to take a few snippets from it over at 24-7 sports. But mentions he has a seven-foot wingspan, powerful, long, explosive athlete, built like a forward, but he plays like a guard, has good footwork on the perimeter, good passer. Um, you know, it mentions that shooting is the biggest swing set or swing skill, but even acknowledges he shot 36% from behind the arc on over three attempts for game. And that was as a junior, you go watch his highlights from his senior season.

Starting point is 00:11:11 He's hitting all sorts of step back crazy three. So I even view him as being a, you know, solid three point shooter there too. Um, the big thing is just, you know, avoiding the, the, the issue that led to him leaving Notre Dame for to go to Rainier Beach, right? like avoiding those things is going to be the biggest key. And having that high motor on both ends of the floor at all time. Like those are going to be the biggest things here. But you're talking about an explosive power athlete who could realistically play the four because of his

Starting point is 00:11:39 athleticism and body, but can basically play the point guard on offense because of his passing ability, driving ability. You can play him off ball a little bit if you want to get him an open three to get him a little bit of a breather on a play. Like there's a lot you can do with this. So let's break down the roster and the fit a little bit more next. This is locked on Jayhawks. Get locked on Jayhawks, ad free with the everyday air club.

Starting point is 00:12:02 You just got to go to locked on jhawks. That is locked on jhawks.supercast.com. Okay, Tyron Stokes, the newest member of the Kansas Jayhawks, and you look at the roster now, it was a little light on wings. Right now, Col Rosario was basically the one wing on the roster of non-freshmen, right? Because, I mean, you know, you're bringing in some freshmen. We'll see if they're part of the rotation or not.

Starting point is 00:12:26 And Rosario is probably more of a two-guard, but he can play at the three because of his athleticism and stuff. But he didn't have a lot of wings on the roster. So Stokes, you know, checks that off too. But he also gives you your, there was nobody on this team who you looked at and said, you know, and again, I'm very high on Leroyd-Blyden and Keanu Dawes, but there was nobody on this team that I looked at and said, yeah, that's your potential All-American candidate.

Starting point is 00:12:48 And now you have that. Now you look at Tyron Stokes and say, that is your potential All-American candidate. It just makes everybody's roles so much easier that they can slide into. So the way I look at it, starting five, looks pretty clear right now. Taylin Kinney, who's a good friend of Tyron Stokes, that doesn't hurt either. You've got Leroyd-Buyden, that's your backcourt. You got Tyron Stokes of the three. You got Keanu Daz at the four.

Starting point is 00:13:11 And then, you know, I said it's clear. It's not really clear who starts at the center position, but it's clear it's probably one of Christian Reeves or Paul Mbilla, right? So you look at that and then you extended further and say, Bill Self probably an eight-man rotation. Cole Rosario, one of your first pieces off the bench. Paul and Bia or Christian Reeves, whoever loses out on the center position, also off the bench. And then your eighth man.

Starting point is 00:13:32 It could be one of the incoming freshman, right? What if Luke Barnett is that good of a three-point shooter? What's Perry just Bill Self loves his defense? You know, what if Javon Bardwell reclasses? What if it's this guy or that guy, right? What if it's an addition we don't even know about yet, right? There's a bunch of guys that could be that kind of eighth man, who's going to be the ninth man, kind of the spots minute guy.

Starting point is 00:13:49 Like, those are questions they still need to answer in the offseason and are now ones they have to accomplish. But those answers are a lot easier to come by now and say, hey, let's look for a scoring guard to be our sixth man. Or let's look for somebody who can just drain threes and be our ninth man who can come into specific games. That is a lot easier of a task now in the off season for Bill Self than it is to be like, oh, no, we lost Tyrant Stokes. And now we have to go find a potential All-American player overseas or in the transfer portal who's also in the NBA draft and try to convince him to come out. that is a lot more difficult of a task. This makes it so much easier to roster build now that you have Stokes. And you are pretty close to being complete with your impact players on your roster.

Starting point is 00:14:31 So I think it's like five scholarships open. If Bardwell were to reclass, it'd be like four open at this point for Kansas. I don't know that they'll fill all of them from a money perspective, but probably looking at least two more additions, if not three more additions for KU, but up to like four more, not counting whatever happens with Bardwell. I think it would make sense to look overseas. Like I said, I think it would make sense to add a six-man scoring type and maybe a good three-point shooter. Maybe it makes sense to add like a wing that can be your backup wing who can play the three or the four for you off the bench.

Starting point is 00:15:02 Like there are certain things they can still do in the offseason. But this was the meat of it. This was the big one for KU to get done. And they did do just that. Now, as far as how he fits in on the roster, it's amazing because I think with Taylin Kinney, I'm excited for his game. But he's still freshmen coming in. that you're kind of viewing it as, hey, can we have somebody else to help Kenny handle the basketball? And now you're looking at Leroyd-Blyden and saying he can help help handle the basketball.

Starting point is 00:15:30 Tyron Stokes can help handle the basketball on the offensive end of the floor. So now you really have three ball handlers that can initiate the offense for you if you're Kansas. You look at it from a shooting perspective. I think Kansas should have enough shooting, right? Taylon Kinney is known as being a good shooting prospect. Leroyd-Blyden shot 40% from three. Tyrant Stokes is at least going to be a decent three-point shooter. Keanu Dawes, you know, he was at least a decent three-point shooter for a four.

Starting point is 00:15:55 And there was some reporting from Michael Swain that, like, that's one of the biggest things that he's working on in the off-season to where you would think he's going to at least be decent from the four. So the way I look at it, they should, I think there'll be a better three-point shooting game this year than they were last year as a whole. Obviously, you still need some three-point shooting off the bench, I think. And Rosario should improve there too, which will help you. I think from a rebounding perspective, this team is going to be a lot better rebounding than they were a season ago, right? Keanu Dawes is a much better rebounder than Bryson Tiller. Now, Flory was probably, I don't know, like, if you look at the stats, Reeves was actually a better rebounder than Florey, but he was doing it against worst competition.

Starting point is 00:16:34 But like if Reeves can just be in the general vicinity of where Florey was and you're much better at the four. And I think Stokes will be a more consistent rebounder than Trey White, who had games where he was really good, but games or he wasn't in the involved rebounding. You got something there with the rebound. I know Blyden's small, but he was still getting like four rebounds a game. So he'll get his nose dirty on those too. And I do think him BN Reeves can do a good job at least clearing the glass, especially because that'll be their main role.

Starting point is 00:17:00 Then you look at the passing ability of Stokes that it allows everybody else in the offense to get involved. You have a lot of new players, a lot of players that are going to be trying to get involved. It's less of a, hey, Darren Peterson's on the floor, watch him shoot and watch a set up this play for him. and more of let Stokes create, he can create for himself or he can create for others. And so I absolutely love that. And then I love the ability of the versatility now.

Starting point is 00:17:25 KU lineup can show out, right? You can play big, right? Playing big is in vogue right now in college basketball. You can play Stokes of the three, Daws at the four, and a B at the five. That is a huge lineup. Even if it's Reeves at the five, that's a huge lineup, right? And you can even, you know, go with a lineup where you have one of Kinney or Blyden at the one and Rosario at the two. And Rosario at 6-4 with the hops he has is, you know, a good size for a two guard.

Starting point is 00:17:49 So you can really go with a bigger lineup if you want for KU. But you can also go with a smaller lineup, right? Like if you're playing a specific matchup where it is better to play a smaller lineup, a team who wants the space, the floor on you and you can't play the bigger matchup as much, or a team where you want to match up that way or like you need to come from behind late and you're just like, let's just go with a race car package and try to play super fast and play small. I am super excited for a lineup that you throw out at times. Again, it won't be the primary lineup,

Starting point is 00:18:18 but just a little bit here and there, where Dawes is in at the five, Stokes is in at the four. I mean, you could go Rosario at the three or let's say you add another wing or something, and then you got Blyden and Kenny at the one, too. That one, you know, there would be defensive questions, but I certainly wouldn't have offensive questions

Starting point is 00:18:36 and certainly it would be a fun lineup to watch. And at the end of the day, too, that's part of this, right? Kansas basketball at time. There were a lot of moments this past season where it was a lot of fun, right? There's been a lot of moments over the last three years where it's been a little stale. It feels like this is a move to get away from the stale. Now, going back to the off the court stuff with Tyrone Stokes, I'll say this. Bill Self has done a lot better with players that he has to reel in than players that he has to get going, you know?

Starting point is 00:19:07 And a little bit of that with Darren Peterson. some of it was out of his hands with the injury, but a little bit of that with Andrew Wiggins mentality-wise. I think this one feels more like Josh Jackson from the mentality. And hopefully, you know, Stokes doesn't follow the Josh Jackson off the court. That would not be a good thing. Don't advise on that. But from a standpoint of guys that you need to reel in,

Starting point is 00:19:28 as opposed to guys that you need to, you know, kick out, self does better with those guys than he does the other way around. So I just think this works on so many levels. I'm so excited for it. And this was the biggest news, K, you could get all off season long, and they got it done. It's a credit to Bill Self and Company who, you know, they were walking a tight rope here, but they got across in a gigantic edition. We're going to break it more down on Wednesday mornings episode, too.

Starting point is 00:19:56 So thank you so much for joining us. Hit the like button if you liked what you saw, even if you didn't like it, just hit the like button because I'd be, you know, helpful on my end. Subscribe to the show as well, and we'll see you next time on another edition. of Locked on Jayhawks.

Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - TYRAN STOKES COMMITS TO KANSAS | Huge Addition Impacts Roster, Jayhawks' Season & More for Bill Self

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