Why Tounde Yessoufou Will Be Big East Player of the Year for St. John’s Basketball

The St. John’s Red Storm are getting set for the start of the season, and the team will be hopeful to take another step forward. While they do have a ton of eligibility concerns for some key players, they do have some excellent talent that will be available.

St. John’s had a very strong third season under head coach Rick Pitino, and the program continues to head in the right direction. Last season, the Red Storm were able to reach the 30-win plateau once again and brought home their second straight Big East title.

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In the NCAA Tournament, they received a tough placement by the committee, but were able to reach the Sweet 16 and gave the Duke Blue Devils a run for their money. Unfortunately, the team came up just short, but it was a step in the right direction once again.

This offseason, Pitino once again got into the transfer portal to try and improve the roster with some proven and elite talent. While the eligibility status of some of those players will be a concern, the talent is still there for St. John’s to be one of the best teams in the country.

A main reason for their potential success is going to be sophomore guard Tounde Yessoufou.

Yessoufou Could be Big East Player of the Year

Mar 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Tounde Yessoufou (24) dunks the ball ahead of Utah Utes guard Obomate Abbey (21) during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While there is some good talent not only on the Red Storm but in the rest of the Big East, Yessoufou will be entering the campaign as one of the conference’s best players.

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Coming off a really impressive freshman campaign with the Baylor Bears, Yessoufou was widely regarded as one of the best players to enter the portal.

Last season, he averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. On both ends of the court, Yessoufou can be a disruptor, and he figures to fit in well with what Pitino will be trying…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-tounde-yessoufou-big-east-160356069.html

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Publish date : 2026-09-20 16:03:00

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