LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas freshman Tyran Stokes has been named to the 20-member Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.
Stokes is vying to become the second Kansas player to win the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, joining Jalen Wilson who was the 2023 recipient. The Julius Erving award began in 2015 and is named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 17-year professional basketball player.
In Kansas’ three exhibition games, Stokes led KU in scoring at 18.7 points per contest and rebounding with a 7.0 per game average. From Louisville, Kentucky, Stokes had 27 points and eight rebounds against No. 2 Duke on Oct. 25.
Earlier this month, Stokes was named the Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year and was one of 10 selections by the coaches on the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Additionally, his name appears on numerous preseason All-America teams and national player of the year watch lists heading into the 2026-27 season.
Stokes is Kansas’ second-consecutive No. 1 national recruit, joining Darryn Peterson from last year. A 2026 McDonald’s All-American, Stokes averaged 31.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 4.0 steals in leading Rainier Beach to a 29-1 record and the Washington 3A state title. Stokes is the fourth No. 1 national recruit to play for head coach Bill Self at Kansas, joining Peterson, Andrew Wiggins (2013) and Josh Jackson (2016).
For the Julius Erving Award and other Naismith Starting Five candidates, fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Friday, October 30. In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Julius Erving Award will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where winner will be selected. The selection committee for the Julius Erving Award is composed of top men’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2027 Julius Erving Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s and Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards (Point Guard), Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards (Center).
Kansas will open the 2026-27 regular season on Monday, November 2, against the Fordham Rams. Tipoff from Allen Fieldhouse is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the game can be seen on ESPN+.
2026-27 Julius Erving Award Candidates (listed alphabetically by school)
Amari Allen - Alabama
Ivan Kharchenkov - Arizona
Billy Richmond III - Arkansas
Bruce Branch III - BYU
Dame Sarr - Duke
Thomas Haugh - Florida
Davis Fogle - Gonzaga
Andrej Stojakovic - Illinois
TYRAN STOKES - KANSAS
Milan Momcilovic - Kentucky
Shelton Henderson - Miami
Coen Carr - Michigan State
Pryce Sandfort - Nebraska
Anthony Thompson - Ohio State
Tounde Yessoufou - St. John’s
Aiden Tobiason - Syracuse
Juke Harris - Tennessee
Nikola Kusturica - UCLA
Colben Landrew - UConn