As Kentucky Basketball looks to land a big fish for next season’s roster, another option is reportedly off the board, as Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou will remain in the 2026 NBA Draft, according to Recruit News.

Yessoufou recently entered the transfer portal after declaring for the draft. While Kentucky was thought to be in the mix, he still expected to stay in the draft. Even if he did pull a surprise and return to college, UCLA was seen as the favorite for the all-time leading scorer in California high school history.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound wing was a 5-star recruit in the class of 2025 who Kentucky was strongly in the mix for at one point, but faded down the stretch and didn’t even make his final list.

In his lone season with the Bears, Yessoufou averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 29.3% from 3-point range.

We already know Otega Oweh is unlikely to return next season, while Tyran Stokes is expected to pick Kansas on Tuesday, so seeing Yessoufou also go off the board in a span of about 24 hours is a tough development for Mark Pope and Co. It would also explain why he’s suddenly visiting 2027 recruits who could potentially reclass for next season.

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