Iowa Hawkeyes Lose Talented Guard To Transfer Portal

The Iowa Hawkeyes are losing a talented guard who never got much playing time in Iowa City to the transfer portal.

Mar 13, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes forward Seydou Traore (7) celebrates after a play during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Guard Seydou Traore is getting set to play for his third school in three seasons. After spending this past season under now-former head coach Fran McCaffery with the Iowa Hawkeyes, news is coming out that Traore is once again hitting the transfer portal.

This, according to college basketball reporter Jeff Goodman.

Iowa’s Seydou Traore will entered the portal, his agency @weave told @thefieldof68.

Traore started 12 games for the Hawkeyes this past season. Had 15 against Michigan State, 14 against Maryland.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 3, 2025

Traore has got to be a tough player for new head coach Ben McCollum to see go, because he is brimming with potential. He's a former unranked recruit out of The Bronx who enrolled at Manhattan out of High School.

He averaged 11.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.5 steals for the Jaspers as a freshman in 32.4 minutes per game. His output at Manhattan made him an intruiging name on the transfer portal for the Hawkeyes and he did flash some potential this season at the big-time college basketball level.

Traore played in 27 games for McCaffery's Hawkeyes and started in 12. He averaged just 16.6 minutes per contest, though, while averaging 5.9 points, three rebounds and 1.4 assists per games.

He profiles as a do-everything athlete who will perhaps be looking for more playing time to show off his skillset as a junior. McCollum has done a lot already to purge the McCaffery Hawkeyes and remake the program in his own image in just a week or two of actually being the head coach.

Several players have followed McCollum from Drake to Iowa City — including reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the year Bennett Stirtz and two important assistant coaches — so perhaps Traore saw the writing on the wall for himself as it relates to the 2025-26 season.