Will Mark Pope and Kentucky get involved with Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou?

Mark Pope still has a ton of work to do in the transfer portal as the Kentucky Wildcats look to build a really good roster for next season. The Wildcats have landed two players via the transfer portal, but the staff has a lot more to add. Kentucky is also still looking for its star player in the portal, and perhaps he just entered the transfer portal.

There was a big portal entrance on the final night of the portal being open, as Tounde Yessoufou will be hitting the portal. Yessoufou is currently in the NBA Draft, and the most recent NBA Mock Draft from Bleacher Report has him going 30th overall. This means there is a world where he could stay in the draft.

Last season for the Baylor Bears, as a true freshman he averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and two steals per game. He shot 46.5% from the field and 29.3% from three. The way I look at Yessoufou is like an Otega Oweh with much higher NBA upside.

Yessoufou hit the portal with a do-not-contact tag, so he or his agent will reach out to the schools that he would want to transfer to. Right when Yessoufou hit the portal, a team emerged as an early favorite, and that was the UCLA Bruins. Coach Pope might have to battle Mick Cronin for this elite player in the transfer portal.

I do expect Kentucky to get its name in the running, and the Wildcats' missing on some of their top options in the portal means Kentucky has a ton of NIL money to throw at an elite player like Tounde Yessoufou. Pairing Yessoufou with Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins would give Kentucky a really good lineup, but Pope would need to add some players to the frontcourt.

Best game of the season for Baylor freshman Tounde Yessoufou

Tounde had:
37 Points
6 Rebounds
3 Assists
12/19 FGM
5/8 3PM
8/8 FT
40 Minutes

While his shot hasn't come along much this season, this by far his most encouraging performance, used his strength to create… pic.twitter.com/frlORR6Tdn
— Arman Jovic (@PDTScouting) February 11, 2026

Some are starting to get really concerned with the outlook for next season with the Kentucky Wildcats, but landing a player like Yessoufou could really start to turn things in the right direction for the staff.

Kentucky will likely make a run at this star slasher, but the NBA is going to be a concern. Yessoufou has a real shot to be a first-round pick, so his staying in the Draft could be a concern for the Wildcats. Yessoufou has until May 27th to pull his name out of the draft, so the Wildcats might have to wait for a while to know if he will be keeping his college eligibility.

If we hear today or soon that Pope and the staff are making a hard push after Yessoufou, this would be a very good sign for next season.

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