Tounde Yessoufou is visiting Kentucky for Big Blue Madness
Big Blue Madness is always one of the top recruiting events annually for the Kentucky Wildcats, and we’ve got another big-time visitor confirmed for this year’s event.
According to @HSTopRecruiting, 5-star forward Tounde Yessoufou will take an official visit to Kentucky for Big Blue Madness. KSR’s Jacob Poloacheck and our own Chris Beasmore have confirmed the news.
A 6-foot-5, 211-pound big man out of California, Yessoufou plays for St. Joseph High School in Santa Maria. He’s currently ranked 20th overall and sixth among power forwards by 247 Sports Composite in the class of 2025.
Back in July, Yessoufou released his top 10, which featured Kentucky, UConn, Kansas, Baylor, Tennessee, and UCLA, among others. He’s already made official visits to USC, Arizona, and Washington, which are also among his finalists. He is officially visiting Tennessee on September 14th.
There was a time when Yessoufou was a reclass candidate for 2024, but he opted to stay in 2025 in hopes of becoming a McDonald’s All-American.
Yessoufou, who is a native of the West African nation of Benin, says he’s enjoyed being recruited by new Kentucky head coach Mark Pope.
“My relationship has been really good with Kentucky,” Yessoufou told On3’s Joe Tipton in July. “Mark Pope, every time he comes to my practice, he is a funny guy. He tells me to keep going and to play hard. His energy is unique, he is the type of coach that can push you hard to develop yourself both on and off the court. His message to me is that he wants me to play for him because I am a great person and how hard I play. He says he enjoys watching me play every time. He always gives me advice to stay mentally strong out there, even if things don’t go my way, to stick to the plan and move on to the next play. It really matters to me that a coach can tell me what I need to hear, the truth.”
For what it’s worth, On3’s Jamie Shaw recently predicted Yessoufou to stay close to home and play for USC. This will be a recruitment where new Kentucky assistant Jason Hart will play a significant role in with his ties to the West Coast.
