Yohan Traore’s freshman season with the Auburn Tigers fell far short of expectations.
The 6-foot-10 forward announced Tuesday on his Instagram account he’s entering the NCAA transfer portal.
Traore, who originally hails from Tours, France, averaged only 9.8 minutes per game last season, with 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
“A heartfelt thanks to coach (Bruce) Pearl for recruiting me and giving me the opportunity to play at Auburn,” Traore posted. “To my teammates, thank you for always being by my side, you guys have become family to me. … but the time has come for me to enter the transfer portal and take that next step as a basketball player.”
As a high school senior playing for Dream City Christian in Glendale, Arizona, Traore was the No. 19 prospect in the class of 2022, according to Rivals.com. That put him only two spots behind Alabama Crimson Tide freshman star Brandon Miller.
But at Auburn, Traore fell out of the rotation by the end of December and did not score a point after Jan. 21.
Auburn finished 21-13 this season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s second round before falling to No. 1 seed Houston.
Given Traore’s raw talent and size, he should find plenty of teams interested in giving him a shot.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.