The West Virginia Mountaineers made a huge splash in the transfer portal within the first week of it opening, adding multiple four-star transfers to the roster – including two with experience starting at the Power 5 level.
But the last week has been quiet, and folks are getting antsy as they await head coach Ross Hodge's final moves in the portal. And while Hodge is also focused on adding some more talented freshmen from the high school ranks, he's in hot pursuit of another power conference starter who could be a real game-changer for the Mountaineers.
West Virginia Mountaineers pursuing Utah transfer Seydou Traore
Utah starting forward Seydou Traore entered the transfer portal late, and the Mountaineers are among numerous Power 5 teams that have been in contact with Traore.
Utah transfer Seydou Traore has received interest from the following programs, he tells TPR:
— The Portal Report (@ThePortalReport) April 21, 2026
Louisville
West Virginia
LSU
Kansas State
Seton Hall
UConn
Oklahoma pic.twitter.com/bT1JzfIWFB
Traore averaged 9.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game game last season for the Utes, starting in all 31 games for the program. During a road game at West Virginia this past season, Traore finished with 17 points and six rebounds to help lead the Utes to a 61-56 win.
Prior to joining the Utes, he played for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he started 12 games and made 27 appearances, averaging 5.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He began his career at Manhattan, where he started 27 games as a freshman and averaged 11.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest.
If the Mountaineers could add Traore, it would be the third player with starting experience at the Power 5 level Hodge adds to the roster through the portal, For a roster that looked at times last season like it just didn't have the talent needed to consistently compete against upper-tier Big 12 teams, that type of experience could go a long way.
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