Top 10 player in the 2022 recruiting class will attend KU basketball’s Late Night
Top 10-rated high school prospect Yohan Traore will attend Friday’s Late Night in the Phog as part of a weekend men’s basketball recruiting visit to Kansas, Zagsblog.com reported Monday.
Traore, a 6-foot-11, 227-pound senior forward from Dream City Christian High School in Glendale, Arizona, who is ranked No. 4 in the Class of 2022 by Rivals.com and No. 9 by 247sports.com, is considering KU, Michigan, Texas Tech, LSU, UCLA, Utah, Tennessee, Louisville, Memphis, Oklahoma State, and the NBL
He earned first-team all-Adidas Circuit honors this past summer after averaging 19.5 points (on 65.2% shooting), 4.4 rebounds and 1,4 blocks a game for Dream Vision of California.
“Yohan Traore moves all the way up to No. 9 from No. 67 (in rankings) because of his dominance on the Adidas Circuit this July,” Brandon Jenkins of 247sports.com wrote of Traore, who is originally from France.
“Matching up against like-size, Traore outdueled each opponent with the combination of his elite footwork and polished skillset. His strengths give him a high floor in the game as he will be expected to continue his level of production heading into the high school season,” Jenkins added.
Some recruiting analysts have expressed surprise at Traore scheduling an official visit to KU since the Jayhawks did not make his most recent top 10 list.
“Traore is a skilled, efficient, and productive big man with a good natural frame,” 247sports.com’s Jenkins assessed. “His efficiency comes in how he generally plays within himself offensively and does what is asked of him on the floor. Traore displays a natural shooting touch not only inside but out to 15 feet and he always looks to dunk everything he possibly can while operating inside or in the dunker spot. He also has great hands, is a solid rebounder, and runs the floor with purpose. Traore has the size, mobility, and skill as a big man that high major guards would love to play with.”
Of Traore, Tristan Freeman of bustingbrackets.com wrote: “Traore is capable of playing both the power forward and center positions and is a two-way prospect. Traore is a shot-blocker and rim protector, while also comfortable being out on the perimeter to deal with guards.
“His offense is currently mostly dunks and putbacks but Traore can shoot the ball a bit, extending his range to around 15 feet. That’ll be important if he’s going to play at the four-spot. The athleticism and raw potential puts him around five-star status, although recruiting services currently differ on where Traore stands in the top-100.”
Of his future, Traore told On3.com: “The professional option is very interesting because you’re going to learn a lot (as in) how to be disciplined, play the right way and you get to play against pros. So you’re going to get a lot of experience. It can be a good thing. But it can also be a bad thing because you can get lost. Sometimes people go pro just to get money, but that’s not good. If you go pro, you have to be ready. It’s not going to be easy. But it’s definitely one of my options.”
Late Night in the Phog will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Allen Fieldhouse. Doors open for KU students at 4:30 p.m. and to the general public at 5 p.m. Admission is free.
