The next Anthony Edwards of College Basketball?

Although the college basketball season is still a couple of months away, that has not stopped incoming freshmen from continuing to generate buzz. The Big 12 will have some exciting freshmen joining its ranks this upcoming season, but none have been generating the hype that incoming Baylor Bear Tounde Yessoufou has generated. Yessoufou is 6 foot 6 small forward out of Santa Maria, California, where he played his high school basketball at St. Joseph High School. Yessoufoue ranked as the No. 2 small forward in the country and the No. 14 overall recruit in the class of 2025, and was the crown jewel of Scott Drew's incoming recruiting class for the Baylor Bears.

Tounde Yessoufou showcased his unrelenting style of play at Damian Lillard’s Formula Zero Elite Camp.

The rising Baylor freshman has made noticeable strides with his perimeter shooting over the past 12 months. https://t.co/sElLRHIW8S pic.twitter.com/QABQ5kcUts
— Jacob Myers (@League_Him) August 17, 2025

When looking at the track record of developing freshmen under Scott Drew, names like Ja'Kobe Walter, Davion Mitchell, and VJ Edgecomb jump off the page, with Tounde Yessoufou looking to be the next great Baylor forward. Yessoufou fits the mold of the past Bears who are now in the league, a big-bodied, physical player who can get into the paint and score a tough bucket. While his physicality is certainly one of his best attributes, Yessoufou has been working on his game, and as evidenced by the clip above, it comes in the form of his outside shooting.

Yessoufou is already quite a polished player before playing a single minute of collegiate basketball. Whether he produces in the midrange or with his playmaking and rebounding abilities, Yessoufou already holds an incredibly well-rounded skillset. However, one area of his game that scouts are looking to see develop is his outside shot, which has been the cause of some hesitation. However, as evidenced by the clip above, Yessoufou has been working on diversifying his game, and the development of his three-point shot is critical to his prolonged success not only at the collegiate level, but in the modern NBA.

McDonald’s All American West forward Tounde Yessoufou (24) dunks the ball during the Sprite Jam Fest at Barclay's Center. | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

Scott Drew is known for developing his players, and with a talent as college-ready as Yessoufou, any amount of time at Baylor will only continue to enhance his capabilities and could potentially help this iteration of the Baylor Bears make a deep run in March.

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