Meet the WVU Basketball Team: Physical Paint Presence Seydou Traore

WVU basketball head coach Ross Hodge brought in some Big 12 experience with senior forward Seydou Traore from the transfer portal.

Traore comes to WVU after one season at Utah, where he started 31 games last season. He’s coming off a season scoring nine points, 3.4 rebounds and two assists per game.

As a senior, Traore joins the deepest forward room on any team in his collegiate career. However, he is undersized for the position at 6-foot-6, granted he’s 220 pounds.

While he’s shorter than many forwards, Traore makes up for it with three-point shooting on the offensive end but also can be explosive when attacking the rim. He shot 33.3% from three last year with a season-high five made threes against San Jose State.

What makes Traore a good fit for Hodge is how he also limits defenders with his defensive effort. He was second on Utah last season for steals and led the MAAC in blocked shots as a freshman at Manhattan in the 2023-24 season.

Traore is also used to big performances at Hope Coliseum, as he had a season-high 17 points in an upset win in Morgantown over the Mountaineers.

After starting most games throughout his career, Traore should be expected to be a bench rotation player for the Mountaineers. But this doesn’t mean he will be a non-factor, as his defensive abilities and physicality will be key for his contributions as a Mountaineer.

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