Stokes - Simple Question ??

[megablue]

Is Stokes better, worse, or about the same as Dybansta and Boozer ?? I've only seen him in the McD All-Star game and could see he was talented, of course, but his talent level seemed below theirs to me. What are your thoughts on how good he is, comparatively, and can he be as impactful as they were this past season ?? Can he carry a highly-ranked team ??

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[Pensacola_Cat_Fan]

From what I have seen, he’s a step below those guys. Probably won’t be as consistent. I would put him behind those two and the kids from Arkansas and Kansas for sure. I think with Stoke’s intangibles, he can be at the level of Caleb Wilson. Probably won’t score 20/gm though.

 

[BookofMormon]

Is Stokes better, worse, or about the same as Dybansta and Boozer ?? I've only seen him in the McD All-Star game and could see he was talented, of course, but his talent level seemed below theirs to me. What are your thoughts on how good he is, comparatively, and can he be as impactful as they were this past season ??

Not even close. Vescenie was at the Nike Hoops Summit and said he doesn't see any OAD's in this class. There will be some, but this class is nothing like the current that is leaving. That said, I think the entire scene next year will have a drop off so it's all relative. There are no Mara/Londonberg's this year.

 

[philstat]

There’s absolutely zero chance he performs the same as them, zero, Boozer was the NCAA POTY and AJ averaged 25ppg, not a snowball’s chance in hell Stokes matches either of those guys! Haggerty of A&M would absolutely blow him out of the water in the SEC this year if he ends up at Kentucky.

 

[megablue]

Not even close. Vescenie was at the Nike Hoops Summit and said he doesn't see any OAD's in this class. There will be some, but this class is nothing like the current that is leaving. That said, I think the entire scene next year will have a drop off so it's all relative. There are no Mara/Londonberg's this year.

The step up Mara made this season for Michigan was pretty amazing !! Maybe Moreno can do something similar, hopefully.

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[Mike-D]

By far the best in his HS class.

As a sophomore, averaged around 13 and 5 at prolific prep. AJ averaged 21 and 9 that year on the same team.

This year, Stokes is averaging about 31, 13 and 6.

I would imagine he will be pretty close to the same tier in college.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

I could see Stokes being as good easily

 

[UKreturntogreatness]

Barkley said this years' class has no one close to comparable to Boozer or Flagg. From what I have seen I would lower my expectations on Stokes.

 

[megablue]

By far the best in his HS class.

As a sophomore, averaged around 13 and 5 at prolific prep. AJ averaged 21 and 9 that year on the same team.

This year, Stokes is averaging about 31, 13 and 6.

I would imagine he will be pretty close to the same tier in college.

Thanks for those metrics. I am just trying to decide if it's earth-shattering if Stokes goes elsewhere.

 

[UK BasketballFan]

Stokes is an awesome passer plus he weighs 230 lbs.

 

[cornbreadnmilk]

Guy is a straight out stud.

 

[philstat]

Thanks for those metrics. I am just trying to decide if it's earth-shattering if Stokes goes elsewhere.

It’s only earth shattering due to Pope absolutely shitting himself in recruiting, zero impact players, KW was severely overrated prior to Kentucky, he will be absolutely owned by elite SFs this coming season, mark it down, someone like Haggerty will drop 30 on his ***.

 

[cornbreadnmilk]

It’s only earth shattering due to Pope absolutely shitting himself in recruiting, zero impact players, KW was severely overrated prior to Kentucky, he will be absolutely owned by elite SFs this coming season, mark it down, someone like Haggerty will drop 30 on his ***.

Haggerty is a selfish POS so sure he gets his. Stokes actually passes the ball.

 

[megablue]

Stokes is an awesome passer plus he weighs 230 lbs.

YES ... I definitely was impressed with his passing, as some were describing him as a "point forward" ... nothing wrong with that type of ability, for sure !!

 

[Mike-D]

Thanks for those metrics. I am just trying to decide if it's earth-shattering if Stokes goes elsewhere.

Being that we only have like 2 players, yes.

Also, if you get a guy like that, maybe boosters chip in more money to help finalize the roster. At this point, he could be Pope's Jamal Mashburn. We could really use the momentum regardless.

 

[JwUKFan11]

From what I have seen, he’s a step below those guys. Probably won’t be as consistent. I would put him behind those two and the kids from Arkansas and Kansas for sure. I think with Stoke’s intangibles, he can be at the level of Caleb Wilson. Probably won’t score 20/gm though.

It's insane to put him behind Toure if that is what you are saying here. You must have only watched All Star games or something. Toure is a typical Cal recruit that will be athletic but cannot shoot and will not be first round talent.

 

[Jamal Mercerr]

I’m not a huge Boozer guy. Stokes is better in my opinion.

AJ Dybantsa is on a different level.

 

[Cats_2010]

Popes year 3 will likely not be very good with or without stokes.

Next year will be about as fun as Eddie Suttons last year.

 

[philstat]

Haggerty is a selfish POS so sure he gets his. Stokes actually passes the ball.

This I agree with, though we don’t have a single volume scorer on the roster atm.

 

[mash_24]

He’s different than the frosh from this past year. He handles it better than anyone we had on our roster last year. Pope needs to tell him the ball is gonna be in his hands. Get 3 and D guys to surround him. But Pope isn’t gonna land him.

 

[JwUKFan11]

By far the best in his HS class.

As a sophomore, averaged around 13 and 5 at prolific prep. AJ averaged 21 and 9 that year on the same team.

This year, Stokes is averaging about 31, 13 and 6.

I would imagine he will be pretty close to the same tier in college.

I think Stokes is great but he's not better than AJ. People forget that 2 years ago when Flagg was coming into college, AJ was considered the #1 player regardless of class with NBA scouts/executives saying they would take AJ over everyone else if they were all in a draft. Obviously Flagg broke that narrative with his play.

 

[Titpwhahi2014]

Probably a notch below but could duplicate Yaxel’s production. Which would be just fine by me.

 

[megablue]

It’s only earth shattering due to Pope absolutely shitting himself in recruiting, zero impact players, KW was severely overrated prior to Kentucky, he will be absolutely owned by elite SFs this coming season, mark it down, someone like Haggerty will drop 30 on his ***.

I am hopefully looking for major improvement by Kam Williams, as we certainly need him to be more consistent and impactful in his minutes. I only saw rare glimpses this last season.

 

[Dr.LutherSan]

To be fair, the 2025 class was one of the best in YEARS. Six of the All-Americans this seasons were freshman.

 

[FitchandMurray29]

Worse.

He’s a 3 that wins with sheer power and turning on an explosiveness switch he has.

I just don’t have great 3s that are sub 6’8 that win with power as a frame of reference in the NBA or top college the last 5 years or so. Makes him a unique projection imo.

His great play on the AAU circuit for years even playing above his age range and then how the US team all chose to defer to him late in that game are great indicators for him being a dude

 

[megablue]

Probably a notch below but could duplicate Yaxel’s production. Which would be just fine by me.

I can agree. That would be fine with me, too.

 

[BookofMormon]

Barkley said this years' class has no one close to comparable to Boozer or Flagg. From what I have seen I would lower my expectations on Stokes.

He's not even being mocked 1. Not sure he'd be top 10 in this draft. Very raw product. Don't get your hopes up too much. He's not a savior, but will be a good piece.

https://www.nbadraft.net/players/tyran-stokes/

 

[MidseasonTweak]

It’s only earth shattering due to Pope absolutely shitting himself in recruiting, zero impact players, KW was severely overrated prior to Kentucky, he will be absolutely owned by elite SFs this coming season, mark it down, someone like Haggerty will drop 30 on his ***.

I never found KW to be overrated

 

[megablue]

Worse.

He’s a 3 that wins with sheer power and turning on an explosiveness switch he has.

I just don’t have great 3s that are sub 6’8 that win with power as a frame of reference in the NBA or top college the last 5 years or so. Makes him a unique projection imo.

His great play on the AAU circuit for years even playing above his age range and then how the US team all chose to defer to him late in that game are great indicators for him being a dude

Thanks for the reply. Reading it made me think of Charles Barkley type of style and productivity. Nothing wrong with that ... !!

 

[FitchandMurray29]

He’s different than the frosh from this past year. He handles it better than anyone we had on our roster last year. Pope needs to tell him the ball is gonna be in his hands. Get 3 and D guys to surround him. But Pope isn’t gonna land him.

It sounds ridiculous but stylistically I could see some LeBron. He’s worse or lesser at pretty much every size, skill, ability in comparison but how NBA teams built their roster around LeBron with 3 and D guys would make a lot of sense as a template to follow.

 

[philstat]

I am hopefully looking for major improvement by Kam Williams, as we certainly need him to be more consistent and impactful in his minutes. I only saw rare glimpses this last season.

I don’t ever see KW being anything at an elite level, I just don’t, he came in with a lot of hype and looked like **** for the most part this past season, he’s not an explosive athlete, not an elite driver to the basket, not a lockdown defender, he can’t do jack **** but shoot an occasional shot with moderate success.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Is Stokes better, worse, or about the same as Dybansta and Boozer ?? I've only seen him in the McD All-Star game and could see he was talented, of course, but his talent level seemed below theirs to me. What are your thoughts on how good he is, comparatively, and can he be as impactful as they were this past season ?? Can he carry a highly-ranked team ??

AJ Dybantsa College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

AJ Dybantsa - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

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Cameron Boozer College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Cameron Boozer - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

Tier below, the entire class is well below last years. He is still a great prospect and would be a great get.

 

[megablue]

It sounds ridiculous but stylistically I could see some LeBron. He’s worse or lesser at pretty much every size, skill, ability in comparison but how NBA teams built their roster around LeBron with 3 and D guys would make a lot of sense as a template to follow.

What do we know about Stokes' personality and temperament ... do players enjoy playing with him and does he help them elevate their game performance ... I would think everyone would like his passing ??

 

[Mike-D]

I think Stokes is great but he's not better than AJ. People forget that 2 years ago when Flagg was coming into college, AJ was considered the #1 player regardless of class with NBA scouts/executives saying they would take AJ over everyone else if they were all in a draft. Obviously Flagg broke that narrative with his play.

Well, I never said he was, but he also doesn't have to be.

 

[NociHTTP]

Popes year 3 will likely not be very good with or without stokes.

Next year will be about as fun as Eddie Suttons last year.

That's it, cancel the season!

 

[megablue]

I never found KW to be overrated

I don't know about the media experts, but I sensed most on the board were expecting bigger things from him this past season. People here were pretty high on him. I didn't know what to really expect, but I thought he would be a good shooter.

 

[FitchandMurray29]

What do we know about Stokes' personality and temperament ... do players enjoy playing with him and does he help them elevate their game performance ... I would think everyone would like his passing ??

The rumors on that have never been positive. Getting kicked out of a high school as the best prospect in the country is probably a less than ideal indicator.

 

[BookofMormon]

What do we know about Stokes' personality and temperament ... do players enjoy playing with him and does he help them elevate their game performance ... I would think everyone would like his passing ??

Polarizing - team player one day, getting into fights the next. Loose cannon-ish.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Stokes is an awesome passer plus he weighs 230 lbs.

This is the key and what does it for me, especially the way Pope likes to utilize a big at the top of the key, hitting cutters. He has a decent enough shot to keep the defense honest, to where he can be very effective at that spot. If he wasn’t a great passer, I wouldn’t be as high on him. I like that he’s 230 lbs also.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

I’m not a huge Boozer guy. Stokes is better in my opinion.

AJ Dybantsa is on a different level.

This! Put Boozer in a different uniform and he doesn’t perform anywhere close to what he did last season. He got away with a lottttt of BS. Walks constantly, runs over the defender, never fouls on defense, etc. Typical duke BS.

EDIT: I’ll add to this. He’s the prototypical dominant duke guy in college. Gets to the league and isn’t very effective. Flagg is twice the player. IMO.