Overview
- Late Thursday, Yessoufou removed his name from the 2026 NBA Draft and announced he will transfer from Baylor to St. John’s to play for coach Rick Pitino.
- As a freshman at Baylor he averaged 17.8 points and 5.9 rebounds and was widely viewed as a borderline late first-round pick before choosing to return to school.
- Multiple outlets reported St. John’s offered a large NIL package reportedly around $6 million, though that figure is unconfirmed and Yessoufou publicly said money was not his reason for the move.
- Pitino welcomed the guard and said the staff expects to add one more scholarship player soon while remaining active in pursuing other portal targets such as Milan Momcilovic.
- The decision highlights how the transfer portal and big NIL offers are reshaping roster building and how prospects weigh immediate pro pay versus another college year to improve their draft standing.