Long Beach State transfer Aboubacar Traore commits to Louisville
It didn’t take long for Louisville to add another commitment, but it’s no surprise with the way Pat Kelsey has came right in and took off with the new resources here. Aboubacar Traore has committed to Louisville and Kelsey this afternoon, one of the most versatile players in the entire portal.
It’s been a guard frenzy for Pat Kelsey so far and he’s still looking to add to that unit, but Traore is essentially a power forward in a big guard’s body. Traore averaged 12 points per game, along with eight rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks. He does most of his offensive damage inside the paint, as he shot 61% from the field there. He’s relentless in his pursuit to the rim, which allows him to not only score, but also draw nearby defenders to the ball so he can be a playmaker. His only weakness on the offensive end is shooting three’s, which he doesn’t do very much of at all. However, that shouldn’t be an issue with the supporting cast around him.
Traore stands at 6’5, but plays like he’s 6’10 on both sides of the ball. He’s the right combination of speed, size, strength, just an elite athlete. As impactful as he is on the offensive end, he’s arguably better on the defensive end with versatility to switch from guards to forwards on a nightly basis.
Traore has the ability to blocks shots all over the court and make up ground quickly with his sheer ability. This past season, he was one of the most effective help defenders in the country, and that will translate well to the ACC. Another two-way player that Pat Kelsey has picked up, which shows he’s serious about defense just as much as he is about putting up points.
It sounded crazy at first, but not only is Pat Kelsey putting together a team that could very well make a tournament appearance next season, his team in year one might not have too many weaknesses either with the way he’s knocked the recruiting aspect completely out of the park. It’s far too early to tell or make predictions, but this seriously has the potential to be a match made in heaven with Louisville and Kelsey.
The Yum! Center is going to be rocking next season, and every new commitment garners more excitement from a fan base that so desperately needs it again.
Like Pat Kelsey said “the ReviVille has begun”.