Inside the commitment: Yohan Traore's outlook

Auburn received a commitment from five-star big man Yohan Traore March 31, giving the Tigers their second highest rated commitment to Jabari Smith.

Traore chose Auburn over Texas Tech, Gonzaga, and Michigan, and On3 has Traore ranked as the No. 6 player in the country. While his rating varies from site to site, Traore has top 10 potential and it could be on display with the role Auburn should have for him.

The 6-10, 225-pound big man from Dream City Christian Academy in California can play either front court position and has versatile defensive potential and three-level scoring abilities on offense.

The 411

Auburn is losing potential No. 1 pick Jabari Smith. Walker Kessler could also be on his way out, but Auburn is reloading with the best prospect still available according to On3’s Top Basketball Recruits in 2022.

Yohan Traore is an interesting prospect. He has great size and mobility for someone his age. He even has a plus wingspan (7-3) and still plays with a lot of strength.

Despite his size and tendency to bully smaller defenders on backdowns, Traore still plays a lot like a big guard. He has a blossoming handle that pops off the screen at times, can shoot from three, has solid vision/passing, and thrives in transition. 

Traore, originally from France, averaged 25 points and 14 rebounds per game during last summer’s 3SSB AAU Circuit. 

Traore offers Auburn an almost instant reload for some of the production the Tigers are losing with Smith. However, Traore can play the 4 or the 5 in college. He’ll also be valuable no matter what Walker Kessler’s decision is, but his top end pro potential comes as a 4 with his handle and size/strength creating the most mismatches there.

Traore isn’t an elite shot blocker and isn’t always a high-energy rebounder. He also has the potential to defend multiple positions, so his best fit defensively is also at the forward position.

Traore still needs to fine tune some things and improve some small issues. If he does, he has the chance to come in and play himself into a lottery pick in Auburn’s system and be a great player for the Tigers.

Recruitment recap

Traore was originally committed to LSU and then decommitted when Will Wade was fired. Auburn seemed to be Traore’s second choice during his first recruitment, and he decommitted from LSU March 22 before committing to Auburn on March 31.

Traore reportedly took an unofficial visit to Auburn between the decommitment and the commitment. The visit, plus his initial interest, made Traore’s second recruitment a quick affair.

The five-star big man is the third member of Auburn’s 2022 recruiting class, behind point guard Tre Donaldson and combo guard Chance Westry.

Program fit

Yohan Traore is a great fit for Auburn thanks to his ability to stretch the court and attack the basket from the 4 or the 5, his potential defensive versatility, and his ability to play in transition.

One of the things that will make Traore a good fit at Auburn is the speed he can play with. Traore plays like someone who was a guard and had a big growth spurt. The big man is always looking to run the court. He can also fill multiple roles in transition. Whether it’s rim runner, ball handler, passer, or a trailing guard looking for a three, Traore is capable.

With his ability to use his size and strength to get position, Traore’s floor running also gives him good positioning early in possessions. Even when his team does not pursue the transition opportunity. He also displays good vision and passing.

Based on his high school film, Traore might currently fit the role of a small ball five best for Auburn. He can stretch the floor and take advantage of slower centers off the dribble and in transition.

However, Traore mentioned seeing the progress Jabari Smith made at Auburn during his original recruitment. Auburn might be pitching him on the 4, and Traore’s top end potential comes if his can transition his skill set into playing the four and still be bigger and more versatile than most of his matchups.

With his blossoming handle, Traore at the 4 is a good idea. Especially if he locks in defensively and adds another versatile defender to the roster, making room for Kessler or another dominant shot blocker to play in the paint. 

Scoring ability

Traore has all the potential in the world as a big guard and a defensive stopper with his size and mobility, but he also already stands out immediately on offense with his three level scoring.

Traore’s handle plays a large role in this. You can tell he is a former guard with the way he handles the ball. He attempts moves (most of the time successfully) that most bigs—even those with good handles—don’t try. 

The moves in Traore’s bag might not be as refined and precise as someone like Jabari Smith’s, but Traore will do things other bigs don’t. Like cross his defender, do a dribbling spin move in transition, etc. Traore’s handle is raw but very promising. As he gets in the gym, it’ll refine into a skill that has the potential to be elite for his size.

Traore can grab and go on defensive rebounds, help break defensive presses, take his man off the dribble, and create space for his own jumpers. 

Shooting

Traore is a capable shooter who can face up defenders from all three levels, but it starts on the inside. He has a decent post-game that mostly consists of him using his size and strength, but he also finishes well with both hands around the rim and is good in set offense from plays like the pick and roll and positions like the dunker spot.

Traore’s shooting also extends to the midrange. He probably won’t score 25 points in a game from deep in the midrange like Jabari Smith would, but you’ll see Traore hunt some similar looks. He’s good at turnaround fadeaways in the post and catch and shoot opportunities in the high post/midrange. It’s not an area i see talked about much for Traore, but I expect him to be effective from there day one.

Again, Traore isn’t Smith when it comes to pure shooting, but he’ll knock down threes as well. Traore will be enough of a threat to force defenses to play up on him on the perimeter, and he also has the abolity to get hot from three. With his handle and interior scoring, Traore can easily blow-by defenses overplaying his shooting ability. This is why Traore is valuable in set offense and still an option for isolation scoring.

SEC Readiness 

Traore’s size paired with his ability to handle and shoot make him ready to start on an SEC team already. He won’t have any problems finding success in transition or half court offense at Auburn thanks to his ability to rim run, play in the dunker spot, or win isolation battles.

If Traore refines his handle more, he could have a dominant scoring season for Auburn.

However, defense is an area where Traore can improve his play. It’s not that he has bad instincts either, so I think it will be an easy fix if he locks in. Traore can defend multiple positions with his size, strength, and mobility. He can also play as a weak side shot blocker and rebound, but he doesn’t always go all out on that end and isn’t an elite force around the rim on defense.

Him coming to Auburn should correct some of that, as we know Bruce Pearl values defense and Traore making some minor tweaks would boost his stock heavily, but I expect those improvements to come in areas such as pick and roll defense and other assignments regarding switching, which Traore is already a plus in.

Final word on Traore

Auburn needed a replacement in the front court and it got one of the best available.

Traore has all of the fixings needed to be dominant in college on day one. If he locks in and plays hard, it will be obvious from the jump.

The big man can already score with the best of them in transition and in the half court, and an offseason with Bruce Pearl and company could elevate his defense to a similar level.