By Connor Rourke
@conrou24
Abdou Toure did not need long to announce himself during his second appearance on one of high school basketball’s biggest stages. The 6-foot-6 Notre Dame (West Haven, CT) wing played with a physical edge and an emotional presence that helped define the Green Knights’ gritty performance against Inglewood High School (CA) at the 2026 Panini Hoophall Classic inside Blake Arena at Springfield College.
Matched up against elite competition and headlined by dynamic scorer Jason Crowe Jr. (48 points on the night), Toure set the tone early with his defense. In the opening quarter, he rejected Crowe on an elbow jumper, sending a clear message on the defensive end. Moments later, Toure ignited the crowd with a thunderous finish off a teammates lob, followed almost immediately by a posterizing slam that brought both the Notre Dame bench and the Blake Arena crowd to its feet.
Notre Dame trailed 13–22 after the first quarter and struggled at times against Inglewood’s full-court pressure, but Toure remained composed and poised. During a second-quarter timeout, he was seen firing up his teammates, urging them to stay locked into their game plan and continue trusting one another. The response was immediate.
Toure started the second quarter by muscling in an offensive rebound and converting an and-one. On the defensive end, he continued to erase shots at the rim, rejecting Crowe on a layup and swatting away another attempt moments later. Offensively, he soared again for a lob dunk and later delivered a beautiful “hockey assist” on a press break, advancing the ball to set up an easy basket. Just before halftime, Toure capped the surge with a fast-break slam with two seconds remaining, putting the exclamation point to a huge run that cut the deficit to just one point heading into the break.
While teammate Landon Krygier caught fire offensively, Toure remained the backbone on both ends of the floor in the third. . He finished a fast-break layup over a defender, met Crowe at the rim yet again, then turned his rejection into instant offense with a transition finish. He also showcased his vision, firing an outlet pass to Krygier for an easy bucket as Notre Dame seized momentum.
By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the game was tied and every possession carried weight. Toure embraced the moment. He calmly knocked down both free throws on a key trip to the line, assisted Krygier once more, and powered through contact to finish at the rim. On the defensive end, he deflected a pass that led to a crucial steal, then slipped behind the defense for a backdoor dunk that put Notre Dame up six with three minutes to play.
When the game tightened late, Toure delivered again. With 27.3 seconds remaining, he attacked the basket and converted an and-one to regain the lead, showcasing the confidence and fearlessness that define his game. Though he narrowly missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer, his impact had already been etched into the contest.
“I feel good about our performance, but we didn’t come out with the win so we didn’t fully see what we were trying to do,” Toure said. “But I feel good about our performance.”
Toure finished the game with 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting, while anchoring the defense with six blocks and three steals.
Beyond the stat sheet, Toure’s performance reflected the character that has made him a respected leader within the Notre Dame program. Off the court, the Arkansas commit volunteers as a coach for young kids in his hometown area, giving back to the game that helped shape him. His leadership and humility have not gone unnoticed by those closest to the program.
“He’s a leader, he’s unselfish,” head coach Jason Shea said. “He’s been a guy from the beginning to go to freshman and JV games even when he’s a varsity player, and gets water for the guys. He’s willing to help guys out all the time. He’s a completely humble guy.”
At the Hoophall Classic, Toure showed yet again why he is regarded as one of the nation’s premier wings. He led with his voice and his effort. In a game defined by momentum swings, Abdou Toure stood at the center of it all, reinforcing that he belongs on the biggest stages, both now and at the next level.