It wasn’t at the stroke of midnight, but it didn’t matter.
After weeks of recruiting and trying to solidify its roster, St. John’s landed its top target going through the NBA Draft process as Baylor guard Tounde Yessoufou has withdrawn from the draft process and committed to the Red Storm.
He made his decision official shortly after the midnight deadline for NCAA players to withdraw from the draft and maintain their eligibility.
Yessoufou was considered a potential late first round pick and was believed to be remaining in the draft until early this week.
When he decided to withdraw, his choice was simple – Rick Pitino and the Johnnies.
The former 5-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American was a bright spot in a disappointing season for Baylor, averaging 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game on 46.5-percent shooting. His struggles came from the outside, connecting at just 29.3-percent.
In a game against St. John’s in November, he went for 15 points and nine rebounds.
Tounde Yessoufou will create a dynamic backcourt for the Red Storm with EuroLeague point guard Quinn Ellis and returning junior Ian Jackson as Rick Pitino added speed, size, and athleticism to a position group that struggled at time last season.
 St. John’s had been linked to Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic throughout the NBA Draft process, but it always held Yessoufou in a higher regard for how he would fit on the roster with the team’s playing style.
His athleticism has proven to translate to Pitino’s system that has resulted in back-to-back Big East Players of the Year as well as consecutive outright Big East regular season and tournament championships.
Now, St. John’s will try to continue its unprecedented success in the conference and make a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament next spring.
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