Never too early to recruit: Wildcats already checking out Class of 2025 and 2026 players

When he moved from Benin two years ago to begin high school and elevate his basketball skills in the United States, Tounde Yessoufou picked the California central coastal town of Santa Maria because a couple of friends were there.

Still just a rising high school junior, the five-star 6-foot-6 wing now is already getting tugged at by elite programs all over the country for his next stop, including Arizona.

The Wildcats gave Yessoufou what is believed to be their first scholarship offer for a class of 2025 player last December, and Yessoufou said during the Nike EYBL Mesa session over the weekend that he’s also had offers from Arkansas and UCLA, among others.

Even before receiving UA’s offer, Yessoufou said he had developed a relationship with UA coaches and learned about their many international players, which included one who left Africa because of basketball (Christian Koloko of Cameroon). Yessoufou said he also spoke to former Gonzaga star Rui Hachimura and several other players about Lloyd, who was a longtime Zags assistant before taking over the Wildcats two years ago.

“We’ve already talked about how I can fit in this program and they have some amazing coaches and some good international students like me, so I’m pretty excited to look forward,” Yessoufou said. “I hear that (Lloyd is) an amazing coach.”

Yessoufou said he plans to visit Arizona at some point but is focusing on the club-ball season now, where he’s likely to attract even more attention.

Yessoufou, a combo forward who already has a well-developed frame for his age, averaged 27.8 points last season while picking up his second straight Santa Maria Times All-Area MVP. He has followed that by playing well on the high-level EYBL circuit this spring.

Yessoufou is averaging 14.4 points and 6.5 rebounds over eight EYBL games while playing for Team Why Not U17. Over the weekend at Mesa’s Legacy Park, Yessoufou averaged 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 51.4% and getting to the free-throw line an average of nearly five times per game — then hitting free throws at a 78.9% rate.

“My game is (playing) awfully hard, attacking the rim, being able to create my own shot — and making free throws,” Yessoufou said.

While Lloyd and assistant coaches Riccardo Fois and Steve Robinson were able to keep an eye on Yessoufou and UA class of 2024 commits Carter Bryant and Jamari Williams, they also had a chance to zero in on several other younger possible targets for the years ahead.

Among them:

Cameron Holmes

Info: 6-5 shooting guard, Goodyear Millennium, class of 2026.

The younger brother of NBA Draft prospect DaRon Holmes, who was once a UA recruiting target before heading to Dayton, Cameron averaged 8.8 points and 2.3 rebounds while helping Arizona Unity U16 to a 3-1 record in Mesa. He hit a game-winning 3-pointer to lift Unity past Team Why Not U16 on Saturday.

Helping lead Millennium to the Class 5A title game as a freshman last season, Holmes said he averaged 16.3 rebounds, six assists and six assists, with the goal of averaging a triple-double as a sophomore next season.

“I’m trying to follow my brother’s footsteps,” Holmes said. “it was very nerve racking going out there as a freshman, (learning how) you going to be vocal with your team, so I just had to get used to that.”

Holmes said he’s already hearing of interest from UA, ASU, UCLA and Kentucky, among others and that visiting the Wildcats is “one of my goals.”

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Elijah Williams

Info: 6-6 small forward, Scottsdale Christian Academy, class of 2026

The son of Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams, Elijah has continued to make a name for himself along with Holmes and fellow 2026 standout Brandon McCoy of Los Angeles on Arizona Unity U16.

McCoy averaged 18.3 points and 6.8 rebounds over four Mesa games, while Williams averaged 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds.

Williams already knows UA assistant coach Riccardo Fois, who served as the Suns’ player development director before joining the Wildcats in 2021, and says he’s open to Arizona along with a lot of other possibilities.

“I’m still pretty young and a lot can happen in the four years,” Williams said. “So I’m just working on getting better.”

Saying he roots for the Suns like a normal fan, Elijah said he’s benefited from his father’s knowledge and being so close to the NBA.

“I just have a lot more benefits with what my dad does and insights to get better,” Williams said, adding that he’s learned from NBA players not to take “anything for granted, just using everything as a tool, a building block to get better.”

Will Riley

Info: 6-9 forward, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, class of 2025

Growing up outside of Toronto, Riley took an opportunity to play in the Philadelphia area at The Phelps School and said the move has paid off.

“It was a big change, a lot more competitive and a lot more advanced than I was used to,” Riley said. “A lot more schoolwork and a pretty good team.”

Joining UPlay Canada on the EYBL circuit this spring, Riley is now excelling against even better competition. He averaged 22.0 points and 4.1 rebounds a game in Mesa, and overall in EBYL play this spring, he’s averaging 22.7 points while shooting 59.9% overall and 42.4% from 3-point range.

“I feel like I’m playing a lot better over the last few weeks,” Riley said. “I feel like I’m getting more recruited now than I was a week or two ago.”

Riley said he’s now hearing from UCLA, Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Notre Dame and Washington, while Arizona texted him and watched him over the weekend. So far, he said Washington has offered him a scholarship, along with Seton Hall, Oregon and NJIT.