The 6-foot-7, 225-pound small forward from Louisville, who currently plays high school basketball in California, has been at the center of a heated national recruitment. Stokes has already taken official visits to Kentucky, Louisville, and Kansas, with additional trips to Oregon, USC, and Gonzaga expected. Both Oregon and Kansas were in to see him earlier this week, underscoring just how tough the battle for his commitment will be.
Mark Pope and his Kentucky staff have been grinding on the recruiting trail as the evaluation period opens. Alongside their visit to Stokes, the Wildcats have also been active with several other top-tier prospects. Kentucky was expected to be in to see 5-star forward Baba Oladotun on Wednesday morning and has already conducted in-home visits with 4-star guard Tay Kinney and 4-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. Kentucky is also expected to visit with 2026 4-star center Ethan Taylor, per Polacheck of KSR.
With Pope’s first full recruiting cycle underway, it’s clear that Kentucky is casting a wide net, keeping themselves firmly in the mix with some of the biggest names in high school basketball.
