Tyran Stokes explains what he's looking for in a school: "I don't like ducking smoke."

All eyes are on Tyran Stokes, the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect and Kentucky‘s top target for 2026. He’s taken official visits to UK, Louisville and Kansas with additional trips to Oregon, Gonzaga and USC also on the books.

From there, it’ll be time to make a decision, his mother, Keiara Stokes, telling KSR+ in July, “I think that it will be wrapped up before the school season begins” — meaning the fall ahead of the early signing period in November.

“It’s his experience. The most key factor is getting him to the next level,” she said at the time.

Returning home to Louisville for a back-to-school drive on Saturday, Stokes gave a brief update on his recruitment and what he’s looking for in a college when the time comes for a decision in the next few months.

Among his top factors? A school that won’t be afraid to duck the smoke, taking on the best of the best. Iron sharpens iron, and when you’re the No. 1 player in the country, you want a challenge.

“Definitely development, one,” Stokes explained. “A good foundation, someone who has fans and puts their all into the school. Not just someone who says, ‘Oh, we have a good football team or a good basketball team.’ I want to go somewhere where I can have a good time actually experiencing college — go to a nice football game, have a nice baseball team to go to. Just experience school.

“And a school that’s not going to duck the smoke. That’s it. I don’t like ducking smoke, so I want everybody on the schedule. If I could get North Carolina, Duke, anybody on the schedule, that’s all I want.”

Louisville’s Pat Kelsey shared a similar quote back in July to explain his program’s scheduling approach after earning a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament in his first season with the Cardinals — strength of schedule a major talking point at the time as a good team in a horrific conference. If competing in the ACC was the issue, he was going to give the selection committee more to work with next time around, taking on Kentucky, Arkansas, Indiana, Memphis, Tennessee, Baylor and Cincinnati in the non-conference.

“What I do want to do is make sure that when we get there, and the selection committee is looking at us, they know one thing: Louisville didn’t duck the smoke,” Kelsey said. “We’re not ducking the smoke. We’re not. You can’t sharpen your teeth eating oatmeal. Whether it ends up being the best strategy in the world, I don’t know. But that’s what we decided. Bring it.”

Louisville fans are, understandably, taking a victory lap with the comments — assuming the smoke-ducking line and ACC name drops were direct nods to Kelsey and the Cardinals.

But may I remind you that Mark Pope shared an identical line back in March?

“You don’t come to Kentucky if you’re trying to run from the smoke,” he said when talking about March Madness opponents and the Wildcats’ potential path.

That aligns with his scheduling approach in 2025-26, despite coming off a historic SEC season that saw a record-shattering 13 teams in the league make the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky scheduled preseason No. 1 Purdue and Georgetown for exhibition games in October — plus Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Indiana and St. John’s to make up the top non-conference foes.

Oh, and did I mention Kentucky plays North Carolina in the 2026 CBS Sports Classic and could take on Duke in the SEC/ACC Challenge when Stokes is in school?

Cats aren’t ducking any smoke, either.

“Pope was in the NBA, so he knows what the NBA wants and is looking for,” Keiara Stokes told KSR+. “Him not being a superstar in the NBA, he knows how to be a role player. That’s a key factor in staying in your position in the NBA.”

“They would love for him to be the hometown favorite and come back,” Stokes added of the Cardinals. “Kelsey has great energy. I actually call him ‘Cuban Coffee’ because he brings the energy. Louisville has always been a developmental program, so I see them getting him prepared for the next level as well.”

Will it be a UK vs. UL finish for the five-star forward? We now know what he’s looking for as he transitions into commitment mode.