Tyran Stokes earns Terrence Clarke MVP at SLAM Summer Classic
Tyran Stokes started with a bang at the SLAM Summer Classic Volume 7 in New York City, then he finished with one, too, earning MVP honors under the bright lights of historic Rucker Park.
One of 14 standout boys recruits in attendance, Stokes finished with a game-high 27 points to bring home the trophy, throwing down ridiculous dunks of the between-the-legs, off-the-glass and windmill variety. Ranked No. 1 in the class, the Louisville native left no doubt about best-player-in-2026 honors.
He’s in a tier of his own.
You can see the Kentucky target’s extended highlights in SLAM’s mic’d up segment with Stokes, knocking down shots and blowing by defenders for tough dunks — beyond the dancing, singing and talking trash, all in good fun in the all-star event.
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) August 20, 2025
The coolest part of it all? The SLAM Summer Classic MVP award is named after the late Terrence Clarke, who died in a tragic car accident following his one-and-done season at Kentucky. Will Stokes follow in the former Wildcat’s footsteps to Lexington with the trophy in T-Clarke’s honor? Mark Pope certainly hopes so.
Stokes was joined by five other recruits holding Kentucky offers, including five-star guards Jordan Smith Jr., Deron Rippey Jr. and Brandon McCoy Jr., five-star wing Christian Collins and four-star wing Qayden Samuels.
14 of the best girls in 2026 participated in the prestigious event, too, including 2026 five-star post Olivia Vukosa and five-star guard Trinity Jones, along with 2027 five-star guard Ivanna Wilson Manyacka, who all hold offers from the Kenny Brooks and the Wildcats.
Leading up to the event, Stokes put on a show in the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 7 Dunk Contest, converting on an attempt from the free-throw line — something that shouldn’t be possible for an athlete his size at 6-7, 225 pounds.
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But that’s what top-ranked prospects do.
Stokes down to five schools?
Right after putting on a show in New York City, the five-star wing shared a not-so-subtle tweet indicating he’s ready to take the next step forward in his recruitment, potentially cutting his list down to five schools.
Thing is, he didn’t share school names or logos — only colored hearts. Those included two red, one blue, one green and one white.
We know Louisville and Kentucky are the first two, followed by Oregon and Gonzaga, maybe? The second red heart is the interesting one because he’s taken an official visit to Kansas, but also has a trip scheduled to USC, while Arkansas is also rumored to be making a push.
Either way, it’s clear the process is quickly coming to an end. His mother, Keiara Stokes, previously told KSR+ that a decision was expected sooner rather than later.
“I think that it will be wrapped up before the school season begins,” she said. “That’s really on Tyran. It’s his experience. The most key factor is getting him to the next level.”
A few more months to get it done, Pope. Time to lock up the No. 1 player in the country.
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