Evaluating Tyran Stokes, Tre White, and Malachi Moreno in the Champions Classic

November 14th, 2026

by Alan Lu

This time around, I decided to watch Tyran Stokes and Kansas take on Kentucky in a highly anticipated State Farm Champions Classic game, with thanks to YouTube via ESPN.   This game did not disappoint, as Tyran Stokes played really well to help lead his team to a decisive victory.  Well, from a prospect level, it didn’t disappoint. On the other hand, Kentucky wasn’t quite as competitive as hoped in this game, but the good thing is that Stokes played very well. Without further ado, here are my thoughts on how Stokes and various prospects fared on this day.

Tyran Stokes had a good showing to help lead Kansas to a win over Kentucky. He is an athletic, skilled forward that put forth a very solid all-around performance. In addition to showcasing strong playmaking skills and good athletic gifts, Stokes showed impressive shooting skills in this game.

Stokes showed a knack for making spot-up threes off the catch, as he thrived at making them off dribble handoffs, and also can move off the ball to knock them down. He also excels at scoring on hustle plays, as he can score on layups and dunks.  He also can use a spin move to score on strong drives to the hoop.  However, he would sometimes take tough shots, which would lead to misses, and he also had a couple of his shots blocked when posting up.

He also did a great job as a facilitator in this game.  Stokes can push the ball quickly up the floor, and he can make an array of passes, as he can make them off the dribble and find teammates on the move.

He also rebounded the ball very well.  Stokes also played adequate defense.  He was able to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he also blocked a dunk due to possessing good length, athleticism, and instincts. However, sometimes he would play too aggressively, as he would bite on pump fakes and get beat off the dribble, which would lead his team to allow scores.

Overall, Stokes played very well, as he thrived at making plays on both ends of the floor. He is a high upside prospect that has definite star potential for the NBA level, and he is an early season contender for the top pick of the 2027 draft.

Tre White had a terrific showing to lead Kansas to a double-digit win over Kentucky.  He showed a knack for making threes, as he can do so off the catch and dribble, and can use a ball fake to catch defenders off guard.  He did a great job of scoring on the move, as he was excellent at doing so off cuts and in transition. Sometimes, he would score on a high-flying dunk or would drive to the hoop to score in traffic.  Plus, he also rebounded fairly well.

After being granted a fifth-year to play in college, Tre White has been absolutely terrific for Kansas.  He is a high floor prospect whose versatility, skills, and polish could enable him to be a solid role player in the NBA.

Malachi Moreno also played well in his team’s tough loss to Kansas. The sophomore Kentucky center especially thrived out of the post, where he would use his size, strength, and shooting touch to consistently get deep position and score from down low.  He also was quite active on the offensive boards, and he also passed the ball well, as he would consistently find teammates on the move to get them the basketball. He also would set firm screens to help get them open driving lanes.

Plus, he also rebounded the ball very well. Moreno also managed to rotate to block a shot when defending in the post. Overall, Moreno has improved considerably compared to last season, which could help translate into improving his draft stock.  He’s added a reliable post game to his arsenal, and while he’ll need to add a reliable outside jumper, his improved offense and scoring skills will likely enable him to be a lock to go in the first round in 2027.

Zoom Diallo also played very well in his team’s loss to Kansas.  He is a 6-6 guard that excelled as a shooter and scorer on offense. He showed that he can make threes both off the catch and dribble, and showcased a reliable pull-up jumper from the mid-range.  He also would score on speedy drives to the hoop.

He also was able to block a shot, and he would contest shots to force misses.  On the downside, he was not able to pick up an assist, and he also didn’t grab many rebounds in this game.  Overall, Diallo is an athletic, skilled guard that showed off very good scoring skills, and he could be an intriguing option for NBA teams to consider in the late first to the second round range of the 2027 draft.

Trey Kaufman-Renn also had a solid showing in his team’s win over Kentucky. He was terrific on offense, as he showed his full scoring and playmaking skills on display.  He made a three early on, and he also showed deft shooting touch by making shots out of the post. He also excelled at scoring on the move, and he can use spins and pump fakes to get past defenders.

Plus, he also passed the ball very well.  He would find consistently cutters to notch assists, and he is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass.

He also helped out on the boards.  He also would jump on loose balls to get steals.  However, his lack of size made it difficult for him to defend in the post, and sometimes he would get overpowered to allow scores.

Overall, Kaufman-Renn has shown to be quite a polished offensive player, though he’ll need to trust his outside shot more.  He is off to a very good start this year, and he could end up being a good rotation player in the NBA.

Ousmane N’Diaye showed a knack for throwing down dunks to score on motion plays, and Christian Reeves also excelled at scoring on motion plays.  Sometimes N’Diaye would have lapses that would lead his team to allow scores though, and Reeves would sometimes get beat off the dribble when attempting to rotate that would also allow his team to allow scores. N’Diaye is an athletic big man that needs to continue to refine his skills, and Reeves is a strong, mobile big man that also needs to continue to refine his skills, but both could end up being solid backup centers in the NBA.

Milan Momcilovic didn’t have a great game in his team’s loss to Kansas. After having a terrific season last year for Iowa State, he didn’t shoot well in this particular game. Momcilovic was able to use a crafty pump fake to score off of a roll in traffic.  He also moved off the ball to get it in order to make a corner three smoothly. 

He also did a good job of passing the ball and setting screens.  He also was quite active on the boards.  On the other hand, he didn’t shoot well, and he struggled defensively, as he had some trouble staying in front of his man and would also occasionally give up too much space to shooters.

Overall, Momcilovic didn’t have a great game, but it’s early in the season, and he still projects to be the best sharpshooter or one of the best sharpshooters in the 2027 draft.  He has a reliable skill and that is his jump shot, and if he plays up to his strengths, he could likely end up being a solid role player similar to Boston Celtics’ Sam Hauser in the NBA.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Stokes and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.