NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top-3 teams for 5-star F Tounde Yessoufou

One of the best players in the entire 2025 NCAA Basketball recruiting class is Tounde Yessofou, a consensus 5-star prospect. He's a 6'6 forward out from California, known for his freakish athleticism and two-way potential. He's a capable combo forward who can play both the 3 and 4-spots and projects to be a quality scorer at the college level.

Throughout the offseason, Yessoufou's recruitment has been in the spotlight, with numerous teams in the mix. But now, only three teams remain. With a decision possibly coming soon, which stands out as the best potential fit? Here's a closer look at how he'd fit with each of the remaining contenders.

Arizona State Sun Devils

The Sun Devils have seemingly gotten into the 5-star recruiting mix out of nowhere, having landed both Joson Sanon and Jayden Quiantance this offseason. With senior transfer BJ Freeman leaving after this year, there's wide open room for someone like Yessoufou to come in and have a big impact. That's assuming Coach Bobby Hurley isn't still on the hot seat, coming off a few rough seasons.

Baylor Bears

Ever since Baylor won the national title, they've been landing and succeeding with five-star talent. The latest is VJ Edgecombe, a 5-star wing prospect. Assuming he's a "one and done" player, the Bears could easily replace him with Yessoufou as the next starting small forward. With Coach Scott Drew set to be around for the long haul, they make plenty of sense for him.

USC Trojans

Of the three remaining programs, USC offers the chance for Yessoufou to stay close to home in California. New coach Eric Musselman has a history with five-stars going to the pros early, including Anthony Black and Nick Smith. He has a roster filled with seniors, including wings, Desmond Claude, Saint Thomas, and Chibuzo Agbo.

Even though Musselman will add his fair share of transfers next season, Yessoufou shouldn't have any issues carving out a nice role for himself in the future. Plus, he can be a big name in Los Angeles to upgrade his profile.