Hawkeye Beacon can confirm that on Thursday, Iowa sophomore forward Seydou Traore will officially enter the transfer portal.
Traore, a 6'7", 220-pound transfer from Manhattan, had an up and down season in Iowa City. Over the course of the season, he averaged 5.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, and 1.4 apg while shooting 43.6% from the field and 26.5% from three-point range. As a freshman at Manhattan, Traore started 27 of 28 games for the Jaspers and averaged 11.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, and 2.8 blocks/steals per game in 2023-24.
Due to Iowa's dismissal of Fran McCaffery as head coach, Traore and all other members of the current roster are able to enter the transfer portal within a 30-day window of the move. In addition to that, the standard transfer portal also opened for men's basketball on March 25.
Traore played in 27 games for Iowa this season and started the final 12 games of the year. Brought to Iowa to add some much-needed athleticism and dynamism to the lineup, Traore struggled to make a consistent impact this season.
"I feel like I bring a lot defensively, just being active out there, trying to guard the best player," Traore said this season, in the midst of his minimal minutes. "I think the team just needs me to be out there and stay mentally strong for them."
Injuries hampered the start of Traore's season, as he was able to play in just six of Iowa's first 12 games of the year. Even when he was healthy, though, it was difficult for Traore to carve out a regular role in Iowa's rotation, as he routinely played under 20 minutes per game. That trend persisted when he entered the starting lineup at the end of the season as well; he played 20+ minutes in just four of his 12 starts.
Traore's best game as a Hawkeye may have been early in the season, when he had 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go with six assists and three rebounds in Iowa's blowout win over New Hampshire. His athleticism and playmaking skills were on full display in that game. In Big Ten play Traore went for double figures in scoring four times, most recently for 15 points in Iowa's 91-84 loss to Michigan State a few weeks ago.
Traore will have two years of eligibility remaining and is the eighth scholarship player to enter the portal following the departure of McCaffery. Stay tuned to Hawkeye Beacon to follow along with transfer portal coverage.
