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McDonald’s All American West forward Tounde Yessoufou (24) Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

College basketball's most impactful freshman

Originally posted on Baylor Bears on SI
By Joshua Abraham | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 4:57 PM ET

With the college football season now in full throttle, many may have forgotten that the college basketball season is right around the corner. With teams armed with new coaches, new transfers, and a strong class of incoming freshman talent, the 2025-2026 season looks to be a good one.

When looking specifically at Baylor, Scott Drew is back again for his 23rd season with the Bears, and is looking to yet again make another push for a strong postseason. Under Drew, Baylor has been a multi-decade powerhouse in the college basketball world, having made it to the postseason 13 times, and even won a national championship during the 2020-2021 season. Safe to say, that with Drew as the captain of the ship, Baylor is always going to be a threat.

With all of the on-court success, has also come success off the court, specifically when it comes to recruiting. Drew has recruited and sent his fair share of players to the NBA, such as but not limited to VJ Edgecomb, Ja'Kobe Walter, and Davion Mitchell, to name a few. All of the players listed were highly ranked players coming out of high school who saw the vision and development offered by Baylor and Scott Drew. With that being said, Drew might have found the next name to potentially add to that list: Tounde Yessoufou, a small forward out of Santa Maria, California.

Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

Yessoufou was ranked as the No. 14 overall prospect coming out of high school, the No. 2 overall small forward, and the No. 3 overall player out of the state of California. As a senior in high school, Yessoufou averaged close to 28 points per game and was electric for St. Joseph High School.

Given his status as a highly ranked recruit in a star-studded recruiting year, including generational names like Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer, sports media outlets and journalists have taken note of Yessoufou's potential and his ability to be a game-changer while at Baylor. In a recent article published by College Hoops Today with Jon Rothstein, Rothstein listed his 15 impact freshmen who would be able to come in and make an immediate impact at their respective universities, with Yessoufou being one of the names listed.

Rothstein wrote the following regarding Yessoufou: "Much like Keyonte George, Ja’Kobe Walter, and V.J. Edgecombe, the 6-6 Yessoufou will arrive in Waco with legitimate one-and-done potential. A physical wing with a tremendous motor, Scott Drew needs major mileage out of Yessoufou as the Bears don’t return a single player from last season’s team that lost to Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament."

Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Only time will tell if Yessoufou will be able to live up to the hype he has been receiving. However, between the development and coaching of Scott Drew, his pedigree for sending talented freshmen to the NBA, and Yessoufou's raw ability, I foresee him being the next great Baylor wing, whose potential could be limitless.

This article first appeared on Baylor Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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