Back on April 10, Baylor true freshman Tounde Yessoufou entered the NBA Draft. Yessoufou was a projected first-round pick for most the season, but as the Bears continued to struggle — and Yessoufou struggled to consistently knock down a three — his stock started to fall.
While he waited until nearly the last minute — the transfer portal window closes on April 21 at 11:59 p.m. ET — Yessoufou will now have all options on the table. Not only is Yessoufou in the 2026 NBA Draft, but he also entered the transfer portal with a do-not-contact tag.
Yessoufou can go through the NBA Combine to test his draft grade from May 10-17 and then there will be a 10-day window that Yessoufou would have to withdraw from the draft. As far as we know, Yessoufou never hired an agent, and that would preserve his collegiate eligibility.
While Baylor went 17-17 on the season, Yessoufou proved he could score in bunches. Cameron Carr was the main player for the Bears this season and led Baylor in scoring, but Yessoufou was right behind him. The five-star freshman averaged 17.8 points per game. He averaged 5.9 rebounds and led the Bears, averaging two steals per game.
For the season, he was named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention for his play on the court. Yessoufou set a Baylor freshman record, scoring 605 points this season. He is also the Baylor freshman holder for field goals made (226) and field goal attempts (486). He only trails VJ Edgecombe in steals for a freshman in a single year.
One team has the early momentum for Yessoufou
With Yessoufou entering the transfer portal, he immediately becomes one of the top players available. According to On3’s Joe Tipton, UCLA has emerged as one team in contention for the rising sophomore,
The Bruins are coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance and Mick Cronnin is looking to add talent to his roster. Yessoufou will be a coveted prospect if he chooses to remain in college and take another season to boost his draft stock.
Replacing Yessoufou
With Baylor losing Yessoufou, it will lose its top three scorers. Carr also left for the NBA and Obi Agbim graduated. As of now, Baylor signed guards Kayden Mingo and Brett Decker Jr. Mingo is a point guard, who can attack the rim. Decker Jr. is one of the best three-point shooters in the nation.
The Bears have other players they plan on recruiting in hopes of having an NCAA Tournament team next year.
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