"The show ain't even start yet": Notre Dame's Tyran Stokes shares charged-up message following loss to Harvard-Westlake

Tyran Stokes' Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) fell just short in the Mission League championship game, losing 67-64 to Harvard-Westlake on Wednesday night. Despite the loss, five-star sophomore Tyran Stokes delivered an electrifying performance and sent a strong message after the game.

Stokes reshared an Instagram post from Vincent Torres, which featured multiple snaps of him in action. The original caption read:

“Welcome to the Stokes Show.”

Stokes then added his own fired-up response:

“The show ain’t even start yet.”

Tyran Stokes via Instagram

The 6-foot-7 power forward finished with 13 points, including a clutch basket with 1:35 left that put Notre Dame ahead 62-60. However, Harvard-Westlake’s Khaman Maluach drilled a 3-pointer to give the Wolverines a 63-62 lead. They held on in the final seconds, pushing the final score to 67-74 to win the game.

The narrow victory also extended the Wolverines' winning streak to 18 games and improved to 27-1 on the season.

Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 ranked 2026 class recruit, transferred to Notre Dame only last year. Earlier, he used to play for Prolific Prep Napa California, averaging 12.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists. The 17-year-old shared his thoughts with Sports Illustrated on his transfer from Prolific Prep:

"At Prolific (Prep), it was basketball, basketball, basketball. At here, (Notre Dame), I get to enjoy, you know, time with myself," he said.

Harvard-Westlake has outscored opponents by an average of 20.9 points in their last 17 games, but Notre Dame pushed them to the brink. The loss ended the Knights’ six-game winning streak, dropping them to 22-6 on the year.

Is Tyran Stokes going for the Louisville Cardinals?

Tyran Stokes is yet to make a final decision on his collegiate future, but all signs point towards Louisville as the frontrunner. According to On3’s recruiting prediction machine, the Cardinals have a 66.8% chance of landing the Class of 2026 forward. Kentucky is a distant second at 1.9%, followed by Xavier at 1.6%.

Other programs, including Oregon, Texas A&M and Arizona State, hold less than a 1.5% chance. Stokes, a Louisville native, has fueled speculation about his potential commitment. In October, he posted a photo on Instagram wearing a Louisville jersey with the caption:

"Home?¿"

The post sparked excitement among fans, hinting that staying close to home could be a major factor in his decision. With interest from 19 schools, including North Carolina, Michigan, Texas Tech and UCF, Stokes has plenty of options.

However, if his social media post is any indication, Louisville might be really close to securing one of the top prospects in the 2026 class.