The Iowa Men's Basketball program has lost its ninth player to the transfer portal after former Head Coach Fran McCaffery was fired. McCaffery was dismissed following a 17-16 (8-13 Big Ten) season where the Hawkeyes did not make the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.
Ten Iowa Hawkeyes entered the portal, and three top prospects decommitted from the program after McCaffery was let go. After entering the portal on March 19, Freshman Cooper Koch returned.
New Iowa Head Coach Ben McCollum continues to rebuild the roster after multiple players have entered the portal. On Thursday, another Hawkeye left the program.
Iowa forward Seydou Traore has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) April 3, 2025
The only scholarship players from last year's roster that are currently a Hawkeye are Cooper Koch and Carter Kingsbury. https://t.co/sQOZjjmy9N
On Thursday afternoon, 247 Sports' David Eickholt confirmed Traore is leaving the Iowa Men's Basketball program. That leaves Iowa with two scholarship players (Cooper Koch and Carter Kingsbury) from last season.
Before joining the Hawkeyes, Traore was an All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rookie team honoree at Manhattan College in New York. He averaged 11.9 points and .1 rebounds per game in his freshman season.
After transferring to Iowa, Traore was a key reserve player for Fran McCaffery during his career. In 27 games last season, Traore averaged 5.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in 16.6 minutes.
Traore shot 43.6 percent from the floor and 26.5 percent from three-point range during his sophomore season.
His highest-scoring game for the Hawkeyes (20) was against Iona in February 2024.
Traore was a solid reserve for McCaffery and the Hawkeyes, but decided to leave the program after McCollum became the head coach. The Hawkeyes are continuing to rebuild after the McCaffery firing and bringing in McCollum as his replacement.