Tounde Yessoufou Leaves Baylor for St. John’s After NBA Draft Withdrawal
Baylor freshman wing Tounde Yessoufou has withdrawn from the 2026 NBA draft on the final day to do so and committed to head coach Rick Pitino and St. John’s out of the transfer portal, according to Shams Charania.
Yessoufou received All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in his first season in Waco, averaging 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He shot 29% from beyond the arc, 47% from the field and 75% from the charity stripe. The Benin native set the all-time Baylor freshman records with 605 points scored, 226 field goals made and 486 field goals attempted.
Yessoufou was projected by most mock drafts as a second-round selection or late first-round pick. All signs indicated that Yessoufou planned to stay in the draft until the final moments, where news broke late last night that he would be returning to college and transferring elsewhere.
Baylor’s other NBA Draft hopeful, Cameron Carr, continues to shoot up draft boards and has been projected as high as No. 10 overall. The Bears return Isaac Williams IV and added Kayden Mingo (Penn State) and Dylan Mingo (five-star freshman) this offseason to bolster the backcourt.
