What LSU Basketball is Getting in 2022 Center Yohan Traore

The future of LSU basketball continues to look extremely bright as the Tigers added big man Yohan Traore to the 2022 class over the weekend.

A 6-foot-10 center out of Glendale, Arizona, Traore continues the recent trend of Will Wade and company being able to secure a true modern big to its program's future. A gifted scorer who can really protect the rim, Traore has really emerged over the last year and is only getting better.

Not only his offensive game really polished for a player his size (with still room to grow), Traore is truly a gifted rim protector and athlete. He has enough mobility to switch on smaller defenders, something that Wade has said he's looking for when recruiting every player to the LSU program.

What also stands out is his frame as Traore is already very built which allows him to be a bit more physical on both ends of the floor.

But his 7-foot-3 wingspan really allows him to affect shots at the rim and in the painted area. With Darius Days and potentially Tari Eason set to leave the program after this season, putting Traore alongside Efton Reid could be a twin towers effect that is truly hard to gameplan against in 2022.

We reached out to SI All-American basketball recruiting director Jason Jordan to gain a little more perspective on what the Tigers are getting in Traore:

"Yohan was one of the best bigs I saw all summer, potentially the best. He’s super fluid on the offensive end, extremely agile and runs the floor well. Defensively he times blocks well and is masterful at switching on the perimeter and recovering. His exceptional footwork made life difficult for opposing bigs, out-maneuvering them to consistently set himself up for high percentage shots. Yohan has mixed bag offensively with great hands and a high motor. He was the best big on the Adidas 3SSB, and has only been in the U.S. for roughly a year. His ceiling is scary. Major score for Will Wade."

With a ton to like about LSU's newest big man, it'll be interesting to see how he fits next Reid as well as some of the other forward pieces in Alex Fudge, Julian Phillips, Devin Ree and Mwani Wilkinson who make up the front court as likely returners.