Should San Diego State target Xavier forward in the transfer portal?
Rebounding, normally an area of strength for San Diego State, took a step backward this past season. As the Aztecs navigate the available options in the college basketball transfer portal, rebounding is likely high up on the wish list of head coach Brian Dutcher and staff.
San Diego State finished the season in seventh place among Mountain West Conference teams in rebounding margin. The Aztecs allowed their opponents to outrebound them over the course of the season by less than a rebound per game. Boise State, New Mexico, Colorado State and Utah State were the top four rebounding teams in the conference by no surprise. The Broncos outrebounded their opponents by more than seven rebounds per game, nearly twice as much as second-place New Mexico.
With rebounding in mind, a recent name to pop up in the transfer portal may be of interest to San Diego State. Xavier’s Lassina Traore entered the portal last week with one season of eligibility remaining.
Born in the Ivory Coast, the 6-foot-10, 245-pound Traore completed his high school basketball career at Victory Rock Prep in Bradenton, Florida. An unranked recruit, Traore enrolled at St. Louis for his freshman season. He played in 19 games for the Billikens, averaging two points and three rebounds per game across eight minutes per game.
Traore then transferred to Long Beach State and made his mark in the Big West. He averaged a double-double in each season with the Beach, leading the conference in rebounding both seasons. He was top 20 nationally in rebounding both seasons and is a standout on the offensive and defensive boards. He led the way for Long Beach State during their NCAA tournament berth in 2023-24 before reentering the transfer portal.
Traore elected to play his final season for Sean Miller at Xavier before dealing with a season-ending knee injury prior to this year. With a medical waiver, Traore is back in the transfer portal to once again try and find a home for his final season at the collegiate level.
San Diego State continues to put together what should be as strong of a roster as any in the Mountain West. New Mexico, Colorado State and UNLV have all had head coaching turnover this offseason while Utah State and Boise State have dealt with several graduations to top players. Assuming the return of Magoon Gwath, San Diego State’s frontcourt includes Pharoah Compton, Miles Heide, Jeremiah Oden, Thokbor Majak and incoming freshman Tae Simmons in addition to Gwath.
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-770033d1c5c4820fdbde4ecf2452e810.jpg "Bodie De Silva")
Bodie DeSilva has been covering sports in San Diego for more than a decade. He previously covered San Diego State athletics for Scout/Fox Sports.