The 2026-27 college basketball season is less than a week in, but that hasn’t stopped basketball experts from forecasting who will end up becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.

Kansas basketball freshman Tyran Stokes is a player who has found his name at the top of many early mock drafts. He now finds himself at the top of ESPN’s 2027 NBA Draft big board rankings that were revealed Thursday by NBA Draft analyst and writer Jeremy Woo.

Stokes opened at No. 1 in Woo’s early 2027 NBA mock draft this summer and that hasn’t changed after a pair of stellar performances by the freshman in preseason play and an encouraging opening night against Fordham this week.

Here’s what Woo had to say about placing Stokes at the top of his big board rankings.

“Stokes starts the season with a significant opportunity to establish himself at No. 1, with Kansas' success largely dependent on how quickly he adjusts to college. He's a bona fide do-it-all perimeter talent who can take over games on offense and defense, profiling as the type of big, modern playmaker the NBA covets. Stokes can create advantages for teammates as a passer and attack mismatches with his handle and physicality, but his decision-making and jump shooting are still a work in progress.”

As many other basketball prognosticators have done, Woo mentions that Stoke’s mental game could play a role in where he ultimately ends up in the 2027 draft.

“NBA evaluators are looking for better efficiency, consistency and maturity from Stokes, whose emotions can at times impede his competitive success. A step forward in those areas could move him toward stardom and solidify his path to hearing his name called at the top. Although there's no consensus right now at No. 1, Stokes' skill set gives him an edge as the college season gets underway.”

Thus far into his college career, Stokes has shown no reason why he can’t be the first pick in the 2027 NBA Draft next summer. He’s the best player on the floor night in and night out, and head coach Bill Self has praised him for his work ethic and coachability.

“What’s surprised me about him is his basketball IQ is ridiculously high," Self said at Big 12 Media Days. “The other thing is when he’s playing at his highest level, he’s a passer first, scorer second – and guys love playing with him. And I think it’s not a surprise, but I think to some people it could be a surprise – there’s nobody on our team that’s more coachable. I coach him hard, and he comes back for more every day.”

If Stoke is ultimately taken No. 1 in the NBA draft, he will become just the third player in Kansas basketball history to do so along with Danny Manning (1988) and Andrew Wiggins (2014).