We’ve seen what new Kentucky coach Mark Pope can do when working on the fly, compiling a considerable roster from college hoops transfers and leftovers in the wake of the departure of John Calipari. But we still don’t find out if he has what it takes to help Kentucky recruit top players in the country to pledge to Kentucky. However, one test scenario is still running: Tounde Yessoufou, a prep wing from California
Yessoufou, a four-star prospect and one of the best wing players in the country, is ranked No. 25 overall by ESPN. He is ranked No. 38 nationally at 24/7 and No. 16 at On3 Sports. You know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
He’s a great player, and according to the hiring website League Ready, Pope and the new UK staff are working hard to sign Yessoufou.”2025 Top-25 recruit Tounde Yessoufou tells @LeagueRDY he’s hearing the most from these schools:” reads a post on Twitter/X from 24/7 High School Hoops. Kentucky Tennessee Arizona Texas UCLA Stanford USC.
“Yessoufou is a strong, athletic forward who has excelled throughout the first two sessions on the @NikeEYB. A name to keep an eye on
After the first two sessions, Yessoufou—a strong, powerful forward—has emerged as one of the @NikeEYB’s best players. A moniker…
Kentucky Recruiting Lure to Be Tested With Mark Pope
Regarding the future of Yessoufou and recruiting in general, Pope will be a name to keep an eye on. He has a grace period going into this season, but it will end very quickly. Kentucky is not featured on any major website, including ESPN, CBS, and On3 Sports, in the early 25 rankings.
That by itself is not an indictment. And unlike Calipari, who far too frequently won recruiting fights but struggled to turn talent into teams that would actually make a winning team, Pope does not need to have Kentucky recruiting highlighted with every elite prospect in the country. However, he will have to outbid other elite programs for the athletes he believes best suit his playing style.
Yessoufou could be one.
Yessoufou told On3, “I play really hard, especially on defense.” “I push it, get rebounds, and lock people up to keep myself going. As an offensive player, my goal is to attack the hoop, draw fouls on the opposing team, and make my free throws. Reading the game has been my biggest improvement this year. Recognize when to slow down and when to push it.
According to NBA Draft Room, Toune is a big-bodied, strong small forward who is difficult to control when he drives to the basket. He plays with significant size and strength. He now scores the majority of his points in the lane, punishing opponents along the way with his size and strength.
Tounde Yessoufou Will Be Hotly Contested
Yessoufou has yet to visit Kentucky, and has not had an offer from the team. Though he has had only one official visit, to Washington last year, there will be plenty of competition. Yessoufou said he has a visit lined up with Arizona and has been in close contact with coaches at Kansas.
Former Arkansas coach Eric Musselman—whose departure was the first domino in Calipari leaving Lexington to go to Fayetteville—is in contact with Yessoufou as well, now hoping to keep him in-state at Southern California.
According to the On3 site KSR, the expectation is that assistant coach Jason Hart, a respected NBA veteran who attended Inglewood High School and will assist with Yessoufou’s recruitment.
The website stated, “We can expect Kentucky assistant coach Jason Hart—who is from California and has been a coach in the area for more than ten years—to lead the charge in this recruitment.”
Veteran sports writer Sean Deveney works for Heavy.com, covering the NBA, NFL, and MLB. With over 20 years of NBA coverage experience, including 17 years as the lead NBA correspondent for Sporting News, he has been writing for Heavy since 2019. A writer of seven nonfiction books, Deveney is the author of “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.”Additional details regarding Sean Deveney
