The month of October might be one of the biggest months for college basketball recruiting. Louisville basketball recently got its heart shattered by the 2026 No. 1 point guard and Kentucky native, Taylen Kinney, when he committed to Kansas over Louisville.
The Cardinals now must shift their focus to their glaring No. 1 target and the nation's No. 1 overall recruit, Tyran Stokes. The Louisville native is the unanimous No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class, and after Kinney committed to Kansas, Pat Kelsey has to do everything he can to earn Stokes' commitment, or this program might face significant consequences.
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Louisville basketball fans anxiously await Tyran Stokes decision
Louisville has a rare opportunity in front of them right now with Stokes being a Louisville native. It isn't common for a 5-star recruit to be from Louisville, let alone the No. 1 overall recruit.
With Kinney committing to Kansas, the Jayhawks have a significant opportunity to recruit Stokes to their program. The Jawhawks are one of Stokes' top options, as well as Kentucky, Oregon, and the Cardinals. Louisville cannot let Kasas swipe both Kinney and Stokes from them, as that would reveal a lot to not just 2026 recruits but also to 2027 recruits and beyond.
It will be a battle to try to earn Stokes' commitment, but Louisville was once the dominant frontrunner, and Kelsey and company have to try to regain that lead.
The domino effect is real in college basketball and recruiting, and with Kinney committing to Kansas, the Jayhawks have already landed multiple elite recruits after, and are now all-in on Stokes. The Cardinals are still looking for their first recruit, and Stokes has a massive opportunity to not only start that domino effect for Louisville but also to play in front of his hometown.
The buzz around his recruiting process is that Kentucky and Kansas have taken the lead, and Oregon and Louisville are slightly behind. The month of October is going to be massive for his recruiting process as his mom revealed that he would like to commit before his senior season, making his commitment possible sooner rather than later.
The Cardinals have an uphill battle to earn his commitment, but it is clear that if Louisville misses out on both Kinney and Stokes, then the fans will be crushed and incredibly disappointed with the 2026 recruiting class.
Related: Louisville must land this 5-star recruit or Cardinals will face major consequences
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.