Iowa basketball: Hawkeyes sign Manhattan transfer forward Seydou Traore.
College football and basketball are in their offseasons, but despite the fact that the transfer portal is technically closed to new entries, portal season continues. The Iowa Hawkeyes are still busy on both fronts, as the football team continues to hunt for more depth at a few critical spots and the men’s basketball team attempts to fill some roster vacancies after many departures between the portal and graduation.
Fran McCaffery and crew have already welcomed Morehead State guard Drew Thelwell from the portal, and on Monday, they hosted Manhattan forward transfer Seydou Traore. The New York native made his decision in less than 24 hours, announcing his commitment to the Hawkeyes on Tuesday.
Traore, a 6’7″ forward, brings plenty of athleticism to Iowa. In his rookie season with the Manhattan Jaspers, he averaged 11.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.
Given his height, Traore is an intriguing addition to this Iowa squad, which has lost big Ben Krikke to graduation, Patrick McCaffery to the gateway, and is still on the verge of losing Payton Sandfort to the NBA. He is not a real Krikke replacement because he is not a center and lacks the same jumper that Krikke provided to the team.
Instead, Traore seems to be a solid McCaffery replacement with a little more to give in terms of defense and rebounding. That should be good news for Iowa supporters who have long wished for more defensive energy.
Traore, like incoming freshman Chris Tadjo, can bring it on the defensive end of the court and on the boards because to his exceptional agility and speed. That should complement the abilities of Owen Freeman, forwards Ladji Dembele, and newcomer Cooper Koch.
