By SAM LANCE & CHARLIE PARENT
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Tounde Yessoufou, a five-star wing in the Class of 2025 from Santa Maria (Calif.), had a packed June, visiting Arizona and setting visits with other top-tier programs across the country.
The 6-foot-7 Team Why Not product was in Tucson on June 18, being shown around by Tommy Lloyd and staff.
“It was a great experience with great people out there,” he said. “Coach Tommy [Lloyd] welcomed me really well. I feel comfortable out there and communicating with them wasn’t awkward at all. It was really amazing. He [Lloyd] likes the way I play hard and wants me to keep doing what I do.”
Yessoufou will also visit Baylor on August 31, and plans to see Kentucky, Tennessee, Kansas and UConn in September, though those dates have not been set.
He broke down his options to ZAGSBLOG:
Baylor: “They’re a great team out there. They’ve been winning for a long time, they play freshman and like you see in the draft they develop players really well.”
Kansas: “Everybody loves the Jayhawks out there. I hear it’s a great campus and great atmosphere to be in. I’m looking forward to doing the visit with them.”
Tennessee: “I like the way they play hard defensively and offensively. They push the ball forward and keep running the floor, so I like that.”
UConn: “Back-to-back champions is amazing [to see]. Coach [Hurley] has been doing a great job out there and I’m looking forward to visiting the campus and building our relationship. I’ve talked to him [Hurley] a few times and we’re hopping on a Zoom call today [Monday]. They tell me to keep playing hard and [they] love what I do.”
USC and UCLA have also been in touch with the California-based forward.
USC: “Eric Musselman is a great coach. He’s shown everybody since Arkansas that and putting players into the NBA as one-and-dones. I’ve been to a few practices, I like how he coaches them and builds their confidence. The staff has been amazing as well.”
UCLA: “Coach Mick [Cronin] is one of the great coaches out there, he’s doing an amazing job.”
Yessoufou plans to narrow his schools down, and eventually aims to commit sometime between November to January, he says.
He is originally from Benin, a neighboring country of Nigeria, and came to the United States three years ago. Being an only child, the decision was naturally tough, but he took a jump on “a great opportunity for me and my family.”
Now, he’s chasing his 10-year-old dream on the highest level.
“Nobody in my family ever played basketball,” he said. “I just saw it and then I loved it and decided to put my heart into it.”
He flew his mother out to watch him play at Peach Jam, the first time she’s ever seen her son play basketball.
“It was a great experience,” he said.
In terms of his play style, Yessoufou attacks downhill and demands attention on the interior.
“I can attack the basket and bring power on offense and defense,” he said. “Basically anything the coaches want me to do, I’ll do it. I can shoot it a little bit, but my main thing is getting other teams in foul trouble.”
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