Who is Tounde Yessoufou? All we know about the 4-star guard who received an offer from Kentucky’s Mark Pope

By Aman Sharma

Modified Jul 24, 2024 14:33 GMT

Tounde Yessoufou, a rising star in the basketball world, has garnered attention as a 4-star combo guard. On July 23rd, he received an offer from Kentucky's head coach, Mark Pope, who had been recruiting him for months. The offer came after Yessoufou's standout performance at the Peach Jam.

On the Nike EYBL circuit with Team WhyNot, Yessoufou has been a star player, averaging 21.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game at Peach Jam. On Tuesday, the player announced that Pope had offered him a place on the Kentucky Wildcats.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 210 pounds, the Santa Maria (CA) St. Joseph wing is ranked No. 19 overall in the 2025 class by the On3 Industry Ranking.

“They just love the way that I play hard,” Yessoufou told KSR+. “I can do everything, defensively and offensively. They like that I play really hard and how tough I am with my mind. They really like that. They would love me, obviously, to be on their team.”

Tounde Yessoufou was born on May 15, 2006, in Benin. He moved to the U.S. to play basketball before his freshman year. His friend, Candace Kpetikou, who played for St. Joseph High School's girls' team, inspired him to enroll at St. Joseph. He lived with his host parents Robert and Carre Boniface to ease the transition.

In his debut season, the power forward made a significant impact, scoring 20 points in his first game and breaking a backboard with a dunk. He averaged 26.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 2.1 steals per game, leading his team to a 27-4 record and the CIF Central Section Open Division title game. His performance earned him the Mountain League MVP and the Santa Maria Times All-Area MVP honors.

During his sophomore year, Yessoufou continued to excel, averaging 27.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game, leading St. Joseph to a 28-7 record and a CIF Central Section Division I title.

Tounde Yessoufou aspiring for McDonald’s All-American

While Kentucky has extended an offer to four-star guard Tounde Yessoufou, his decision remains uncertain as he evaluates the season, particularly with a new coach leading the team.

“For me, it’s definitely the relationship with the coaches, seeing how they play the game, and if it’s fast,” Yessoufou told On3. “It matters to me a lot just to see how they play their threes and those types of players. I want to be able to watch their practice and see how intense it is. I want to see, oh, I can see myself right there.”

Though there was an option for Yessoufou to join the 2024 class, he chose to remain in the 2025 class to pursue his dream of becoming a McDonald’s All-American.

“I’m going to stay in 2025, enjoy my last high school year, and be able to get to the McDonald’s All-American Game if I get selected,” he said. [H/T On3]

Tounde Yessoufou aims to bring recognition to Santa Maria, California, where he lives.

“Nobody knows them,” he said. “I feel like I’d be the number one that could tap into that All-Star, McDonald’s All-American stuff.” [H/T On3]

Tounde Yessoufou planned to visit Kentucky in early August, but the UK staff requested he delay it to make it his final official visit. He has already visited Southern California and Arizona and plans to visit Baylor, UConn, Tennessee and Kansas, with a commitment decision expected in November.