5-Star Recruit Tounde Yessoufou Finalizes Top 10 Schools

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward recently finalized his list of top 10 schools.

St. Joseph's Tounde Yessoufou (24) dunks the ball during the first round of the Capitol City Classic at Willamette University on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Salem, Ore. / Kevin Neri/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY

Tounde Yessoufou, a five-star recruit and the 20th ranked player in 247Sports' composite rankings, recently finalized his list of top 10 schools on July 24th. The list includes big-time programs such as UConn and Kentucky alongside Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Kansas, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, and Washington. He's had official visits with Arizona, USC, and Washington.

Yessoufou was one of the most productive players at EYBL17U. He averaged 21.8 points per game, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while ranking in the 96th percentile in points per possession. He's a dominant athlete who is strong, quick, and an explosive vertical athlete. He pairs this athleticism with ball-handling, finishing craft, and touch on the offensive end while racking up steals and blocks on the defensive end.

He's an exceptional finisher with his combination of vertical explosion, craft, and touch. He shot 65.6% at the rim in EYBL, including 64.9% on layups. Yessoufou can be a play finisher in transition or on cuts and create his own shot at the rim on post-ups and drives.

His touch on layups also extends to floaters, hook shots, and midrange jumpers. He shot 44.4% on midrange jumpers and 60% combined on floaters/hook shots with Team WhyNot at EYBL. This also translated to his free-throw shooting as he shot 85.1% at the line. This excellent overall touch bodes well for his perimeter shooting potential, which Yessoufou needs to develop.

Yessoufou also needs to work on his decision-making. He posted a 0.67 assist-to-turnover rate at EYBL and a 0.64 rate in his junior year.

Both his perimeter shooting and decision-making are things to watch out for in his senior year with St. Joseph, but Yessoufou remains a dominant player and one of the best recruits in the nation thanks to his intersection of tools, touch, and production. It'll be interesting to see where he ends up deciding to go to college.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.