Mady Traore's Injury Was Beginning of Husky Downturn

In the injury pandemic that has squeezed the life out of this University of Washington basketball team, Mady Traore was the first to go down.

He tore a tendon in his left foot in practice, had surgery and was done before the season began.

On Wednesday night, the big man from France wore a white shirt and purple sweat pants as he fed teammates for warm-up shots before once more grabbing a seat on the bench -- he's one of four players out for the year -- and watching the Huskies lose to Penn State 63-60 at Alaska Airlines Arena.

It's not difficult to imagine how different the Huskies (12-13 overall, 4-10 Big Ten) might have been had this 6-foot-11, 195-pound big man been able to play this season.

"You guys have probably seen him," UW coach Danny Sprinkle said. "It's frustrating for me to watch, to see a seven-footer and our most athletic player, and he's out there making 10 threes in a row at times."

Jacob Ognacevic and Mady Traore were among the injured for the UW basketball team early on. | Dave Sizer photo

Rather than team with 6-foot-10 freshman standout Hannes Steinbach, who's likely one and done with an NBA career beckoning, Traore instead will replace him.

He'll have a surgical screw removed from his foot in a few weeks and begin his rehabilitation in order to rejoin the UW for next season.

While he's a well-traveled player, having spent time at Maryland, New Mexico State and a Texas junior college, Traore has two or three years of eligibility remaining with the Huskies because he's been a hard-luck guy, according to Sprinkle.

Traore began his college career at New Mexico State and played in just seven games, starting one, before the program was shut down in-season because of a sexual assault and hazing scandal perpetrated by some of his teammates.

At Maryland in 2023-24, he played 12 games, starting four, and had that season abruptly shut down because of a knee injury.

Mady Traore and Jacob Ognacevic sat together as injured teammates. | Dave Sizer photo

In the past four years, Traore has played a full season only for Frank Phillips College, a two-year school in Borger, Texas, appearing in 34 games in which he averaged 13.2 points and 8.4 rebounds an outing for a 25-9 team.

Sprinkle says this big man is capable of playing all three positions up front, but is probably best suited for the 4 position, or power forward, where Steinbach currently plays.

Traore could team next season with 6-foot-11, 250-pound senior center Franck Kepnang, should the latter decided to pursue a seventh season of eligibility because of his past multiple knee injuries.

Traore and Kepnang could be a formidable twosome up front for the 2026-27 season. They should have done that this winter.

"He's a guy who would have benefitted us with his length and athleticism and being able to give Franck a rest here and there," Sprinkle said.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: