Forward Aboubacar Traore Officially Signs with Louisville

Traore is the seventh newcomer to be officially announced by the Cardinals.

Mar 21, 2024; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Long Beach State 49ers guard Aboubacar Traore (25) / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program has officially signed former Long Beach State forward Aboubacar Traore, the program announced Wednesday.

Nicknamed "Kader," Traore is the seventh of 13 newcomers for the 2024-25 season to be officially announced by the Cardinals, and third today following center Aly Khalifa and guard Koren Johnson. Guard Reyne Scott, center James Scott, guard/forward Terrence Edwards Jr. and guard J'Vonne Hadley were all officially signed on Tuesday.

"We are getting one of the best rebounders in the country," head coach Pat Kelsey said in a statement. "'Kader' is, not-so-quietly, one of the most productive players in college basketball. He's come up big in pressure situations, be it extensive high-level international competition or leading his previous team to an improbable NCAA Tournament run. Kader's versatility is what makes him so special. He's tough enough to guard a five but athletic enough to defend a point guard and has a great feel for the game."

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound small forward was one of the best players in the Big West Conference this past season. Playing in all 36 games with 31 starts, Traore put up 12.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, a team-best 4.5 assists, a team-best 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, while also shooting 51.7 percent from the floor.

Not only did Traore earn First-Team All-Big West honors this past season, he was also named the conference's Best Hustle Player. He then won the Big West Tournament MVP after averaging 13.0 points and 10.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game to help the Beach win the conference tournament and clinch their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2012.

A native of Côte D’Ivoire in West Africa, Traore has had a productive three-year career at Long Beach State. In 101 appearances and 88 games, he has totaled 1,033 points, 853 rebounds and 318 assists.

Not long after the end of Louisville's disastrous 2023-24 campaign, one which resulted in the firing of second-year head coach Kenny Payne, the Cardinals' roster began to flip. All 12 of Louisville's scholarship players entered the portal, with only walk-on guard Aidan McCool in line to return.

Fortunately, Kelsey has done a fantastic job of roster construction since his hiring on Mar. 28, bringing in 12 Division I transfers and one high school prospect. Their transfer portal class ranks No. 1 in the nation, according to On3.

(Photo of Aboubacar Traore: Rob Gray - USA TODAY Sports)

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