The West Virginia Mountaineers have already made some big-time additions in the transfer portal this offseason, but they still have spots to fill on their roster entering next season. And they still have some big targets on their list.
And it looks like the Mountaineers might be closing on one of those targets with th latest news to drop on Thursday. That's because West Virginia has reportedly landed in the top three finalists to land the services of Utah forward Seydou Traore, according to Adam Zagoria of the New York Times. The other two finalists are UConn and Seton Hall.
Utah transfer Seydou Traore @iamseydou35
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 30, 2026
is down to West Virginia, UConn and Seton Hall, per source
The 6-foot-6 Bronx native averaged 9.0 ppg and 3.4 rpg pic.twitter.com/zgSIAuJ60S
West Virginia Mountaineers among finalists to land Utah starter Seydou Traore
Traore made 28 appearances and 27 starts for the Utes last season, averaging 9.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per contest. In Utah's lone game against the Mountaineers last season, he recorded 17 points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists, and two blocks to help lead Utah to a 61-56 win.
Traore previously starred at Iowa during the 2024-2025 season, making 27 appearances in 12 starts for the Hawkeyes. He got his start at Manhattan, starting as a true freshman and averaging 11.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. If the current NCAA 5-for-5 rule ends up passing, which is looking increasingly likely, the Mountaineers could end up keeping Traore around for two seasons.
With the biggest gaps on the roster still at the forward positions and the need for a starting small forward in the rotation, it's likely that Hodge is planning on a spot in the starting rotation for Traore if he makes the decision to come to Morgantown.
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