It’s a pretty cool opportunity to be recruited by college basketball coaches, having them attend your games, whether it be AAU or during high school boys basketball season.
But to have Division I national championship coaches come to your high school gym to see you work out? Well, that’s an entirely different level, but that's what has happened for Notre Dame-West Haven rising senior Abdou Toure.
UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley, associate coach Kimani Young and assistant Luke Murray made the trip to West Haven to watch one of Toure’s workouts about a month or so ago, Notre Dame-West Haven coach Jason Shea said. The Huskies offered a scholarship to Toure, a 6-foot-6 small forward and a 5-star recruit ranked 24th in the 247 Composite rankings for the Class of 2026, in January. It is one of 19 scholarship offers Toure has received.
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“They (the UConn coaches) are good people. (Hurley) is chill, a funny guy. We were having conversations, laughing. It was a good time,” said Toure from Italy, where he is playing in the Adidas Eurocamp for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club AAU outfit. “It’s a big deal and a great opportunity to showcase my talent in a workout.”
Adidas Eurocamp May 31-June 2. BABC’26 @Alexegbuonu22 & @AbdouToure36 on worlds biggest stage at this age level . https://t.co/t6ENjsRATE
— BABC™ (@thebabc) May 26, 2025
The 200-pound Toure — he said he has put on a few pounds of muscle since Notre Dame’s season ended in March — said the staff offered “shooting tips and defensive tips, tips how to get better shots” during his workout in front of the two-time national championship staff.
“It was mainly a lot of shooting, a lot of catch-and-shoot type drills. … Not too many guys in the country finish better,” Shea said. “For me, I got to talk basketball with (Hurley). He coached in the same tournament (Kingdom of the Sun in Ocala, Florida) that we played in (last December).”
Shea said Pittsburgh also came the same day UConn did to see the workout. Pitt has also offered Toure.
After UConn offered, no other college made one for the remainder of Toure’s junior season, which resulted in a second-straight CIAC Division I championship. Offers already made included Arkansas and Alabama out of the SEC. Since March, Florida State and Mississippi State offers have increased the total to 19 and Shea said he hears from the other blue blood NCAA programs.
“I spoke to North Carolina, Tennessee. Kansas has been calling,” Toure said. “They are calling to see ‘if we should get involved. Is there an opportunity for us here?’ Anybody in the country is going to want him.”
Both Toure and Shea said they will meet to set up official visits soon. There is no specific number or timetable.
“I’m excited. It’s my future,” Toure said. “I want to go where I can play my game, be myself and win.”
Toure said that he is staying for his senior year at Notre Dame.
“Yes, I’m staying,” Toure said. “It’s not that hard to stay at a place you love.”
Shea said Toure is “significantly better” since the season ended, adding he is “really is getting better shooting the ball” and is stronger. “I think his basketball understanding has increased more.”
Toure, the two-time GametimeCT Player of the Year, said the Euro Camp in Italy is offering the opportunity to play against international competition, which he did last year in Poland and in Turkey in the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024. He scored a career-high 50 points in his finale.
He has played AAU this season in California and Omaha, Nebraska this spring. Within days after he returns home next week, Toure will be at the Top 100 Camp in Rock Hill, South Carolina, June 9-13.
Then Notre Dame will be playing in the Philly Live in Philadelphia on consecutive weekends, June 20-21 and June 27-28. That will include Landon Krygier, Toure’s teammate who recently committed to Sacred Heart University. Normally, most of the Division I coaches are represented there.
“I enjoy every second of it,” Toure said.
“It’s a little tiring traveling every other weekend, but you have to make sacrifices to get better,” Toure added.
Notre Dame has quite the non-conference schedule for the 2025-26 season: two games in the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Florida and three games in the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, both in December. Also, in the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts next January, Shea said it should be a Saturday night game against Grayson High School out of Georgia and top prospect Caleb Holt. Those schedules won't become official until the fall.
“It is tiring for him constantly traveling and constantly being under the microscope, but he handles it well,” Shea said.