NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 25 in 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
4. Aboubacar Traore (Long Beach State)
Traore is a guard originally from Cote d’Ivoire who has settled in nicely in America while playing at Long Beach State. His journey with the Beach began three seasons ago and he’s been a solid contributor and starter in this lineup for nearly the entire time. This past season was certainly the most productive of Traore’s young career, but it also stood out for the success his program experienced by season’s end.
The junior averaged 12.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, helping take Long Beach State to a decent 5th place finish in the Big West. Traore’s impact all over the court earned him First Team All-Big West honors, sitting among the league’s best in rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. More importantly, Traore was a major part of the surge at the end of the season, helping the Beach win the Big West Tournament.
Early in the season, Traore hit double figures in upset wins at DePaul and Michigan, and played solidly in a December win at USC. Things didn’t go as smoothly during league play, though he did have a 23-point, 22-rebound game at Cal State Fullerton and scored 30 at Cal Poly. In March, Traore really showed up, with a triple-double in the first round of the Big West Tournament two days before winning Tournament MVP and leading the Beach to the Big Dance.