Senior forward Abdou Toure announced his commitment to Arkansas on Friday, which led to Razor Dance Coach John Calipari as the second-place top 35 recruits in the 2026 247Sports Comprehensive Ranking.
Abdou Toure chooses Arkansas over Providence, UConn
According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi, Toure chose Razorbacks instead of finalists Providence and UConn. He officially visited Arkansas, Providence, and informal trips to the Eskikien campus.
Toure is West Haven, Connecticut.
But Tour is eager to play for Calipari.
“Coach Cal and his history are the main reasons why I chose Arkansas,” Toure told ESPN. “The way he treats players and how he takes care of all the players and his energy is different.”
Break In: 4⭐️AbdouToure is the 31st player in the next SC in the 2026 class and he promises to play in Arkansas. pic.twitter.com/jeo0auv6a0
– SportsCenter Next (@scnext) October 3, 2025
Congratulations to Abdou Toure of Notre Dame West Haven for his official commitment to Arkansas!
From exciting games packed with gyms to leading state championship runs, Abdu now takes his talent to the next level. The CIAC basketball community is a proud moment! 🏀… pic.twitter.com/esql3ifcwv– CIAC Sports (@ciacsports) October 3, 2025
“He always serves his players. He’s the type of coach I can have open conversations with, he’s prepared the NBA for the players. I looked at the practice and they’re very intense,” Duree said.
Calipari’s track record in making NBA draft picks is a factor in Toure, which is Borzello and Biancardi.
He added: “Coach Cal is the coach of the player. He really cared about and loved his players.” “He gave me real feedback. He said I needed to have a higher release point on the 3-pointer.
Toure led Notre Dame High School to a back-to-back championship
Toure is the 6-foot-6-foot wing of Notre Dame High School (Connecticut) and is the highest-ranked player in the Constitutional State. He also ranks 31st in the next SC.
While playing for BABC on the Adidas 3SSB track this year, Tour averaged 15.4 points and 5.1 rebounds, including 28 points against the Wildcats in July.
Toure helped Notre Dame win the CIAC I Division I championship in a row and is currently aiming for three consecutive championships. He scored 27 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, winning the championship against St. Bernard last year.
“I feel relieved,” Toure said. “I’m going to go back and win the state championship. You know, three times. Back to back.”
In addition, Toure was named the 2024-25 Player of the Year for the second consecutive season after averaging 25.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
He already has a school career scoring record (1,477) and a single-game scoring record (49).
Toure shot 61.3% from the floor, 34.3% from three-pointers, and 74.2% from the foul line. He was also named Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Last summer, Arkansas assistant and recruitment coordinator Chuck Martin also traveled to Istanbul, Turkey to watch the Toure game in Guinea, which is below 17 times in the FIBA World Cup.
During the World Cup, he averaged 23 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks while shooting 70.1% from the field and 31.6% outside the arc.
Toure is Calipari’s second commitment in the 2026 class, after five-star small forward Jashawn Andrews chose Razorbacks in May.
