Does Calipari have Razorbacks in lead for explosive 5-star prospect?

One source told us weeks ago he believes Calipari and the Razorbacks are in the lead to eventually gain a commitment from Toure.

When combined with another source believing that UConn coach Dan Hurley may be prioritizing another wing from the 2026 class ahead of Toure it could leave an impression that in fact Arkansas does lead for the bouncy wing's services.

A couple of other sources have indicated UConn is still very much in the hunt for Toure. Providence is also considered among the top 2 or 3 programs in the mix for him.

The fact that Calipari already has a commitment from 2026 5-star wing and in-state stud JaShawn "JJ" Andrews (6-6, Little Rock Christian Academy, ESPN national No. 12, 5-star prospect, pledged to Calipari and Arkansas in May) does not raise c oncerns about loading up on too many players with similar positional value.

Just last season, true freshmen wings Karter Knox and Billy Richmond III, both 5-star recruits from the class of 2024, were instrumental in helping drive the Hoop Hogs to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. They were just a whisker away from advancing to the Elite Eight. Both benefitted with noticeable in-season jumps in their development and production while raising their NBA profiles and exposure.

Over a long career spanning more than four decades as a Division 1 head coach, Calipari has successfully recruited multiple players who are similar position-wise, and it's been a proven formula that translated to winning at a high level on the court while not detracting from individual players pursuing their NBA dreams.

Interestingly, Toure and Andrews teamed up not that long ago, playing on the same squad for multiple days during 5-on-5 competition at the prestigious NBPA Top 100 Camp in June in Orlando, Fla. Courtside evaluating their performances as teammates during that event were Calipari and his Arkansas coaching staff.

Toure is an explosive with a big-motor, a playmaker in both open court and halfcourt, and a locked-in competitor who was the top high school player in Connecticut in 2024-25 (he was named his state's Gatorade Player of the Year, as was Andrews last season).

Toure averaged 25.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 6.13% from the field, including a respectable 34.3% from 3, and 74.2% from the free throw line in '24-25.

He was also honored with his second consecutive MaxPreps Connecticut Player of the Year award.

Toure has starred on the Adidas 3SSB spring-and-summer grassroots circuit in 2025, averaging 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.6 "stocks" (steals and blocks as each averaged 1.3 in each of those two categories).

Arkansas assistant coach Chuck Martin was courtside for all of Toure's Adidas 3SSB games in the spring and summer. He also attended Toure's games during a scholastic lie-eval event in June in Philadelphia.

While playing for Guinea's junior national team in the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup, averaging 23.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 57.4% from the field and 70.8% from the free throw line.

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