St. John's Basketball Star Lands on Julius Irving Award Watch List

The St. John's Red Storm have a lot of talent on their men's basketball roster heading into the 2026-27 season.

One player that people are going to be keeping a close eye on is Tounde Yessoufou. The talented wing is entering his first season with the Red Storm after playing his freshman year with the Baylor Bears.

Originally, Yessoufou put his name into the 2026 NBA Draft, but withdrew right ahead of the deadline. Upon withdrawing, he announced that he would be transferring to St. John's, where he has reportedly received a massive NIL deal for his commitment.

Landing him was a massive win for the Red Storm because Yessoufou is one of the most talented wings in the country. That is evidenced by the fact that he was named to the Preseason Julius Irving Small Forward of the Year Watch List. He is one of 20 players who were selected.

Tounde Yessoufou is one of the best small forwards in nation

Yessoufou is joined by one other Big East player: Colben Landrew of the UConn Huskies. There are a lot of great small forwards around the nation this season, and that list will change throughout the campaign with players being able to play their way onto and off it.

St. John's fans are hoping that Yessoufou remains one of the top small forwards because it means the team is having a lot of success. Playing for head coach Rick Pitino is the perfect setting for Yessoufou to realize his potential as a two-way star.

Offensively, he is already an established scoring threat. He averaged 17.8 points per game as a freshman, dominating opponents with his athleticism and size while driving to the basket. Scoring that much without being much of a threat from 3-point range, making only 29.3% of his attempts, makes his scoring prowess all the more impressive.

Congrats to Tounde Yessoufou on being selected as one of the 20 players named to the Preseason Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Watch List!
: https://t.co/eXGUibUkeIpic.twitter.com/KLW75jgBoB

- St. John's Men's Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) October 28, 2026

He also made an impact on the glass, averaging 5.9 rebounds per game. While he has work to do as an individual defender, an area Pitino should help him thrive, Yessoufou did make an impact in the passing lanes defensively.

He averaged 2.0 steals per game, with his 67 total swipes being second all-time for a freshman in Baylor history, behind only VJ Edgecomb, who had 68 the season prior.

One of the top-ranked transfers in the country this past cycle, Yessoufou is looking to elevate his performance to another level in Queens. Surrounded by a lot of talented players, including fellow award watch list member Quinn Ellis at point guard, this Red Storm team can be dangerous this season.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/st-johns as St. John's Basketball Star Lands on Julius Irving Award Watch List.