RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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AMES, IA - FEBRUARY 7: Tounde Yessoufou #24 of the Baylor Bears drives the ball as Tamin Lipsey #3 of the Iowa State Cyclones defends in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 7, 2026 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 72-69 over the Baylor Bears. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rick Pitino once again proved he can develop pro-ready talent at St. John’s by sending Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell, and Bryce Hopkins into the Association in last June’s NBA draft and ending an 11-year draftless drought for the team. It appears Pitino and the Red Storm won’t have to wait any more than one year to have one of their own stars selected in the NBA draft.
Bleacher Report draft expert Jonathan Wasserman projected that Red Storm guard Tounde Yessoufou would be selected with the 27th overall pick by the Boston Celtics in his first 2027 NBA mock draft released Tuesday.
Yessoufou played at Baylor for his freshman year and transferred to St. John’s in late May after withdrawing from the 2026 NBA draft. The 6-foot-5 guard from Benin flashed his volcanic bucket-getting potential and imposing physicality with the Bears, ranking second on the team in scoring and rebounding with 17.8 points and 5.9 boards per game.
“Tounde Yessoufou was in the first-round discussion all season last year for his impressive physical tools, scoring production and two-way energy,” Wasserman wrote in his appraisal of Yessoufou’s game.
However, three-point shooting inconsistency and ball movement limitations prevented the former McDonald’s All-American from becoming a first-round lock. He opted to return to college basketball to sharpen his game and elevate his draft stock in a weaker 2027 class.
“A lack of playmaking just put more pressure on him to become a reliable shooter. He clearly has shotmaking skill, considering he made 53 threes and shot 47.3 percent on two-point jumpers,” Wasserman wrote, “Even moderate improvement to his three-point consistency should anchor Yessoufou in the 2027 first-round mix.”
If Yessoufou indeed becomes a first-round pick in next year’s NBA draft, he would become the second first-round selection in the Rick Pitino era after Zuby Ejiofor was taken with the 23rd overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2026 NBA draft.
The 14th-ranked player in the 2025 high school recruiting class is expected to start alongside Quinn Ellis, Ian Jackson, Babacar Sane, and Ruben Prey for the Red Storm, who are hoping to win their third-consecutive Big East title and return to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
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