Kansas and Kentucky are two of college basketball's biggest brands with two of the sport's largest budgets -- and both still desperately need to add high-end talent in advance of next season to position themselves as legitimate Final Four contenders.

While choosing to take his recruitment deeper into the calendar than most high school prospects tend to do, Stokes, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2026, found himself with lucrative offers from each school in recent weeks and was reportedly seriously considering both. Ultimately, though, the 6-foot-7 forward did what he was long expected to do and, on Tuesday, announced a commitment to Kansas, where his addition has pushed the Jayhawks up to No. 25 in Version 13 of the 2026-27 CBS Sports Preseason Top 25 And 1 college basketball rankings.

Before his announcement, Stokes was considered the best prospect available in a market that's becoming smaller by the day. He averaged 22.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists on the Nike EYBL circuit last year and has won three gold medals with USA Basketball. He'll now team with fellow five-star prospect Taylen Kinney and give Hall of Fame coach Bill Self a talented core in what will be his 24th season at KU.

Stokes wasn't the only notable player to select a new school on Tuesday. Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop also did it and picked Gonzaga over St. John's in a development that pushed the Zags up to No. 8 in the Top 25 And 1.  A 7-1 center, Diop averaged 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks at ASU this past season.