<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
</head>
<body>
<h1 style="direction: ltr; text-align: right; text-indent: 0px; line-height: 30.666664px; text-transform: none; margin: 0.25in 0in 4pt; font-family: "Aptos Display", sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(15, 71, 97);">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 13.8px;"><b>BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 16, 2026</b></span></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; color: black;"><b>Baylor MBB’s Yessoufou’s Showings Against Ranked Opponents Lands Him on Big 12 Starting Five</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; color: black; background-color: white;"><b><i>Freshman snags fourth weekly conference honor of career</i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>For more information contact:
</b>Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720, </span><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(150, 96, 125);"><u><a href="mailto:josie_hutton@baylor.edu" data-outlook-id="015396d1-8b35-4822-bff6-b3ee0b3ff42f" style="color: rgb(150, 96, 125); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">josie_hutton@baylor.edu</a></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b> </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>IRVING, Texas –</b> Baylor men’s basketball Tounde Yessoufou was recognized on the Big 12 Starting Five for his performances against No. 22 BYU at home and No. 24 Louisville
in a neutral-site game in Fort Worth, the conference announced on Monday, Feb. 16.</span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Through the two games, Yessoufou was third in the Big 12 in scoring average of 26.5, posting 57 total points. The freshman guard put up double-figures in both games, with a
career best 37 against No. 22 BYU. His 37 points were the most by any Baylor player against a ranked team in program history, which contributed to career highs in field goals (12), field goals attempted (19) and threes (5).</span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Yessoufou played all but four minutes across the two games and found five steals in the week. The Cotonou, Benin native is the only Division I freshman this season to be averaging
at least 15.0 points and 2.0 steals per game. </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For the season, the freshman is averaging 18.4 points per game, 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals on a 47.9-clip from the field and 31.9-percent from deep. </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Baylor takes on Kansas State on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. CT at Bramlage Coliseum on ESPN2.</span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>BIG 12 STARTING FIVE – FEB. 16</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">AJ Dybantsa, BYU (newcomer)</span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Rob Wright III, BYU</span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Emanuel Sharp, Houston</span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">JT Toppin, Texas Tech (player)</span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i> - BaylorBears</i></span><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: black;"><i><u>.com</u> -</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<div style="direction: ltr; font-family: Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br>
</div>
<div id="ms-outlook-mobile-signature">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(15, 92, 26);"><b>Josie Hutton</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (MBB, FB, MTEN) </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;">C: (254) 709-7720</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;"> <img src="cid:67D33727-E4A9-4D29-9472-41A398FBDDB5" alt="BU.png" id="id-67D33727-E4A9-4D29-9472-41A398FBDDB5" width="129" height="34" style="width: 129px; height: 34px; max-width: 100%; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;"><br>
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;"><br>
</span></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>