Baylor guard Tounde Yessoufou withdraws from NBA Draft and commits to St. John's

Baylor guard Tounde Yessoufou withdrew from the NBA Draft and committed to St. John’s shortly after the NCAA withdrawal deadline. He was viewed as a potential late first-round pick and had been expected to remain in the draft until early this week. His decision centered on choosing Rick Pitino and the Red Storm. Yessoufou averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game for Baylor, shooting 46.5% overall, while his outside shooting was 29.3%. He previously produced 15 points and nine rebounds against St. John’s. At St. John’s, he will join EuroLeague point guard Quinn Ellis and returning junior Ian Jackson, adding speed, size, and athleticism. St. John’s will aim to build on recent Big East success and make a deeper NCAA Tournament run.

"Tounde Yessoufou will create a dynamic backcourt for the Red Storm with EuroLeague point guard Quinn Ellis and returning junior Ian Jackson as Rick Pitino added speed, size, and athleticism to a position group that struggled at time last season. St. John's had been linked to Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic throughout the NBA Draft process, but it always held Yessoufou in a higher regard for how he would fit on the roster with the team's playing style."

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