If you want to win an NCAA title then you usually need a good coach, a great resume…and a McDonald’s All-American. Only 2 championship teams from 1979-2020 did not have such a player (2002 Maryland/2014 UConn), and while UConn won a title in 2023 without 1 they added McDonald’s All-American Stephon Castle before winning a 2nd title in 2024. The rosters for this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game were announced yesterday after selecting the 24 best players in the nation from a list of several hundred nominees. If you do not think these guys can make an immediate impact in the fall, just ask Coach Jon Scheyer how he likes having 2024 honoree Cooper Flagg at Duke! Unlike most years when 1 school stands out as the big winner with the most All-Americans, there are 2 different programs tied for the lead with 3 each (Duke/UConn) and 4 players who have not yet committed to a college. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Tounde Yessoufou about being named a McDonald’s All-American and the shocking thing he did in his high school debut.
You were born/raised in Benin: how big is basketball in your native country? It is not that big. Soccer is the biggest sport, which was my main sport growing up.
You moved to the US for high school and had a dazzling freshman debut with 20 PTS: what was the reaction after you ended the game in the 3rd quarter with a dunk that broke the backboard (www.instagram.com/newschannel312/p/CW9Ogf5jlT2)?! I was super-shocked.
Last year in the SoCal Open quarterfinals you scored 26 PTS including a game-winning buzzer-beater in a 1-PT win over Sierra Canyon (www.instagram.com/ballislife/reel/C36zXNWLvtZ): where does that rank among the highlights of your career so far? I would put it in the top-2…but hopefully we will win a state title this year and that will become my #1!
You received offers from several great schools including ASU/Kentucky/USC but signed with Baylor last October: what was the biggest factor in your decision? It was where I wanted to go because I can focus and be locked in on my dreams. Coach Scott Drew has been there for 22 years so I feel that I can trust him, and it felt like home once I stepped onto campus.
Coach Drew’s team is currently 13-6 with 12 games left in the regular season: how far do you think the Bears will go this March? I want them to go as far as possible and win it all. He has some good plays set up for the whole team.
Baylor has a couple of senior starters in Jeremy Roach/Jayden Nunn, and FR VJ Edgecombe is projected to be 1-and-done: do you think there will be a lot of pressure for you to produce as a freshman? I do not take it as pressure: it will just be an honor to share the court with all my future teammates (such as Robert Wright III). My goal is to win as many championships as I can.
Yesterday you were named a McDonald’s All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It means that my hard work has been acknowledged by people. I am the 1st kid from Benin to become a McDonald’s All-American and I also proudly represent my school and community of Santa Maria.
1 of your fellow McDonald’s All-Americans is Koa Peat, who has not yet committed to a school but has Baylor on his short list: how hard are you trying to get him to join you in Waco this fall? Right after I committed to Baylor I texted him and told him that he should come join me. He is a talented player so we would be unbeatable in the Big 12.
You are listed at 6’5”: what position do you play now, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? I will play anywhere my coach puts me. I am mostly a combo guard but can play on the wing and just go out and hoop.
You are currently the 4th-best scorer in California high school history and are about 100 PTS behind all-time leader DeMarcus Nelson with a handful of games left in your regular season: I know that your priority is winning state and sectional titles…but what would it mean to you to break the record, and do you think that you will do it? It would be an honor to break that record because it has been around for more than 20 years. I think I will do it, and it would mean a lot…but a state championship means more than anything else for me. Records are meant to be broken but championships are forever. I am super-happy to help put my school/city on the map.
