IOWA CITY -- Two months ago, Fran McCaffery and Iowa landed Seydou Traore out of the transfer portal via Manhattan. Coming out of the MAAC, Traore was one of the most proficient rebounding freshman in the country (8.2 per game) and was a significant addition to the Iowa frontcourt with his athleticism and defensive prowess.
Traore made his first visit with the media as a Hawkeye at Monday's open practice.
As a four-star transfer prospect, Traore had a slew of schools offering him out of Manhattan. He ultimately chose the Hawkeyes over schools like Georgetown, Clemson, Florida State, Minnesota, Oregon, San Diego State, Xavier and others that expressed interest.
"It came down to the conversations that Fran and I had," Traore said on Monday. "He was straightforward about the fact that I could come to a team and actually help and play. That, and I could go to a team that has had players in my position that became great -- like Keegan and Kris Murray. I want to elevate my game and help [Iowa] win."
Traore said McCaffery and the rest of the staff -- most specifically, Tristan Spurlock -- have helped him acclimate and grow as a player already.
"What's crazy is that Coach Spurlock and I kind of have similar games," he said. "It's been great to be in the gym with him before lifts -- working on my game and situations that I might face in game."
Iowa's struggles with rebounding and defense in recent years made landing a player like Traore a necessity for the program, and he's already paying dividends on that front .
"I've been able to step up and bring that so far," he said. "Really it's about bringing that same fire every day, whether it's in practice or in games. I want to bring that competitive edge that will win a lot of games this year. That all starts in practice."
"Seydou is skilled, versatile and already played a year," McCaffery added. "I feel really good about him. He can pretty much play 2-4. He had a really good freshman year. He can put it on the deck, he passes it well, he's long and bouncy. He's going to be really good for us for a long time."
Largely known for that nasty dunking ability, Traore hopes to add to his game this season as well. That improvement almost has to start on the three-point line, after he shot a miserable 25.6% there last season.
"That was definitely awful, the way I shot the ball," he said. "I know I'm like a 35-and-up percent shooter from three. I know I can really hit those shots. It'll show a lot this year. I've been in the gym staying consistent."
Traore feels like he's a smarter, more seasoned player this time around as well.
"I feel like I wasn't in rhythm a lot," he said. "Mainly, I was just rushing my shot. That's just freshman mistakes. I sat back and realized I still needed a lot more improving. This season, it's going to a lot prettier than 25."
"He's a better shooter than his numbers showed," McCaffery added. "I think you'll see that improve."
A significant part of that seasoning came at the hands of playing against some of the best programs the country has to offer, as the Jaspers faced the likes of Kansas and UConn in their non-conference schedule last season.
"That was definitely a blessing," he said. "I learned a lot from those games as a freshman. I feel like that's going to carry over here."
