Top 2026 recruit Tyran Stokes opens up on representing hometown amid Team USA U19 selection buzz

Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2026 (as per On3's Industry Rankings), was among the 18-member roster selected to represent Team USA at the U19 World Cup in Switzerland.

Stokes, hailing from Kentucky, spoke to Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) and talked about how it felt to represent his state at the international level.

“Representing the state with this opportunity with USA Basketball speaks for itself and is significant,” Stokes told KSR. “Being from Kentucky means a lot to me but representing Louisville really matters to me."

"Being able to do things that shine a light on the city is a good thing. My journey and putting on for the city feels good because I come from a small place where they have my back and I have theirs."

The 18 members list was released by League Ready's Jacob Myers on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.

From the Class of 2026, Stokes will be accompanied by his Oakland Soldiers teammate Jason Crowe Jr., No. 3 recruit Christian Collins, Caleb Holt, No. 2 Brandon McCoy Jr, Deron Rippey Jr. and Elijah Williams.

Stokes also talked about some of his teammates set to represent Team USA and the kind of relationship he shares with them.

“Taylen [Kinney] and I used to play together in eighth grade, everyone knows that," Stokes said. "I’ve spent a lot of time with Jasper [Johnson] over the summer at training camps all over the place. This is my first time being around Malachi [Moreno], I know he is a great guy and a great player. It’s a group of really cool people.”

In the Nike EYBL, Stokes led the Oakland Soldiers to an 8-3 record, finishing third in the Merritt Division with eight points.

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Which program leads the race to sign Tyran Stokes?

The Class of 2026 recruit has over 20 offers from programs across the nation. These include the Oregon Ducks, Kansas Jayhawks, Kentucky Wildcats, Arkansas Razorbacks and Louisville Cardinals.

Furthermore, he paid three official visits to Louisville on October 3, last year; Kansas on April 19, and Kentucky on June 8. According to On3's Industry Rankings, the Cardinals have the best chance of signing Stokes at 32.6%, followed by Kentucky at 28.5% and Kansas at 24.4%.

The rest of the colleges have less than a 1% chance. Stokes still has another year to decide on his college career.