Former Baylor University guard Tounde Yessoufou officially withdrew his name from the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, and committed to play for St. John's University next season, according to national media reports.
The decision came just before the official NCAA deadline of 10:59 p. m.
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CT for players to maintain their college eligibility for the 2026-27 season.
The highly sought-after freshman entered the transfer portal in April with a do-not-contact tag while simultaneously testing the NBA Draft waters.
Some analysts projected him as a potential first-round selection.
By choosing to return to college under St. John's head coach Rick Pitino, the Benin native is now widely projected as a potential lottery pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.
Record-Breaking Season at Baylor
During his historic single season in Waco, Yessoufou functioned as Baylor's second-leading scorer by averaging 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game.
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According to tracking data, he shot 46.5 percent from the field, 29.3 percent from three-point range, and 74.6 percent from the free-throw line.
He broke Baylor freshman program records for total points (605), field goals made (226), and field goals attempted (486).
The commitment delivers a significant recruiting blow to UCLA, which had gained early momentum to land the five-star prospect according to initial reports from Joe Tipton of On3.
The Bruins missed out on all three of their top portal targets with star potential, as Matt Able committed to North Carolina and John Blackwell chose Duke, leaving UCLA with 11 scholarship players and an unfilled hole on the wing.
Yessoufou will instead join a St. John's Red Storm roster coming off a Big East championship and a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
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Meanwhile, Baylor head coach Scott Drew has already rebuilt his roster by securing four transfer commitments, including former Penn State guard Kayden Mingo and former Liberty guard Brett Decker.
