Baylor 5-star Tounde Yessoufou acknowledges tough transition as NBA Draft stock slips
Baylor Bears Five-star freshman Tounde Yessoufou entered the season with lottery expectations. Seven games in, his flashes are clear, but so are the hurdles. And to his credit, he isn’t running from that reality.
“I ain’t gonna lie, it’s been tough a little bit,” Yessoufou said when asked about adjusting to the collegiate game. “But I just feel like my teammates and my coaches keep pouring into me and [I need to] just let the game come into me, that’s the biggest adjustment.”
Five-star freshman Tounde Yessoufou on adjusting to the collegiate game🐻🏀⤵️
— Baylor Bears on SicEm365 (@SicEm365) December 5, 2025
"I ain’t gonna lie, it’s been tough a little bit. But I just feel like my teammates and my coaches keep pouring into me and [I need to] just let the game come into me — that’s the biggest adjustment." pic.twitter.com/0glon7pyu1
That adjustment is exactly what NBA evaluators have been watching closely. Before the season, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projected Yessoufou as a top-10 candidate and compared him to Washington Wizards guard Cam Whitmore. The praise came with a caveat.
“Yessoufou’s physical traits and mentality point to a high floor,” Wasserman wrote. “He will have to show progress with his handle and shotmaking to sell NBA teams on a high ceiling.”
Through seven games, those concerns remain front-and-center.
Strong Production, But Efficiency Holds Him Back
On the surface, Yessoufou’s numbers look solid: 17.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, with the steals ranking third in the Big 12. His motor translates. His athleticism pops. His defensive activity suggests pro-ready instincts. Those were never the questions. The issue is efficiency.
Yessoufou is shooting 45.8 percent from the field and just 26.5 percent from three on nearly five attempts per game. Even the field goal percentage is somewhat misleading. He has shot 50 percent or better in only three contests and two of those came against UT Rio Grande Valley and Sacramento State, where he finished 62.5 and 73.3 percent, respectively. Remove those two outliers while keeping the San Diego State game included, and he’s shooting 35.4 percent from the field.
Did a Tounde Yessoufou video earlier, too. I love, love, love the Baylor wing's motor and activity. Love his energy, love how physical he is.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) November 29, 2025
Man, do I have some half-court offensive polish questions on the passing, where he starts his gathers from, and way more. pic.twitter.com/K3KpplI1r5
That leaves him under 40 percent from both the field and three-point range, while also being a 76.7 percent free-throw shooter who doesn’t consistently draw fouls. For a projected one-and-done wing whose draft case hinges on scoring upside, that profile is a red flag.
Draft Stock Reflects the Slow Start
The early returns are already shifting opinions. After entering the cycle with lottery buzz, his placement in updated draft boards has dipped:
- Sports Illustrated: 17th
- The Athletic: 20th
- ESPN: No longer listed among Freshman of the Year contenders
The message is consistent: NBA teams still buy the tools, but the polish is lagging. The biggest developmental gap is processing speed. Yessoufou is still learning how quickly defenses rotate, how to create advantages against high-major athletes, and how to find quality shots in structured offense.
Why Conference Play Will Define His Path
Nothing is lost. Not even close. But the scouting runway shortens once Big 12 play begins. That stretch will reveal whether Yessoufou can stabilize his shot selection, tighten his handle, and translate physical dominance into efficient production against elite defenders.
Some evaluators will gamble on the intangibles alone. Others need to see scoring craft catch up to the athleticism. Either way, the next two months will determine whether Yessoufou is truly one-and-done or if another year in college is the path to unlocking the player his tools promise.
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Jalon Dixon is a sports journalist with a passion for covering basketball at every level. He has written extensively on men’s and women’s college basketball, as well as the NBA, building a reputation for clear analysis and thoughtful storytelling. His work focuses on the players, programs, and trends shaping the sport, offering readers insight that goes beyond the box score. Whether breaking down a key matchup or highlighting emerging talent, Jalon’s goal is to provide balanced coverage that connects fans to the game’s strategy, culture, and ongoing evolution.