Bill Self’s new-look Kansas Jayhawks were clicking for the majority part of the Hawks 80-62 victory over Pittsburgh State on Friday. It marks the university’s 58th consecutive Late Night at the Phog win at Allen Fieldhouse, and sets the stage for what is another season with high expectations for one of college basketball’s blue bloods.
The biggest storyline, of course, was star freshman forward Tyran Stokes, who showed every bit of potential and reason why he is widely considered to be the top NBA prospect come the draft in June of 2027.
Projected No. 1 pick Tyran Stokes in an exhibition against Pitt State:
14 PTS | 4-9 FG | 6-9 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 18 MIN pic.twitter.com/aKg567qmsF
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) October 17, 2026
Stokes finished with 14 points on 4-9 from the field and 6-9 from the free-throw stripe. He tacked on 4 rebounds and 2 assists in just 18 minutes of play. So for reference, the five-star prospect basically produced a point per minute when on the court in his first real college-level action.
He wasn’t the only one to impress.
KU dominates Pittburgh State en route to 58th consecutive Late Night at Phog win
Returning senior Tre White led the team with 16 points off the bench. The two-way guard hit 4-for-7 three-point attempts, as well as grabbing 8 boards and nabbing one steal in 18 minutes. He, along with Melvin Council Jr., is one of the two returning veteran players for Self by way of injunctions provided by separate judges, granting each player another year of college eligibility…