UC Santa Barbara, former Auburn forward Yohan Traore enters NCAA Transfer Portal

UC Santa Barbara forward Yohan Traore has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3 has learned. Traore began his career at Auburn.

A class of 2022 signee, Traore will have multiple years of eligibility to use at his next stop. He will presumably seek to move back up to the high-major level.

Traore averaged 14.5 points per game for the Gauchos, starting all 30 games he played and averaging nearly 29 minutes a night. Those were all major improvements from his freshman season at Auburn, where Traore played in 25 games but did not start.

Traore played high school basketball at Dream City (Ari.) Christian School, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 23 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

Traore received plenty of interest when he transferred almost a year ago

Traore heard from a lengthy list of teams since he entered the transfer portal, he told recruiting analyst Andrew Slater. A bitter rival is among them, as well.

Alabama has reached out to Traore after he entered the portal March 30. Memphis, LSU, Oklahoma, TCU, Arizona State, Cincinnati, NC State, Saint Louis, DePaul and UC Santa Barbara have also contacted the former four-star recruit.

Traore entered the portal after telling On3’s Joe Tipton about his intention to transfer. He appeared in 25 games for Auburn as a freshman, averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. He provided a statement to On3 regarding his plans to enter the portal.

“I am grateful to be a part of the Auburn Tiger community,” Traore said. “My time in Auburn has taught me lessons that extend far beyond the basketball court. I have given 100% to the University on and off of the court. A heartfelt thanks to Coach Pearl for recruiting me and giving me the opportunity to play at Auburn. I also want to thank the entire Auburn staff for giving me the opportunity to play under their leadership this past year. To my teammates, thank you for always being by my side, you guys have become family to me.

“Most importantly I would like to thank the Auburn community for embracing and supporting me throughout my time here. I will always remember and appreciate you, but the time has come for me to enter the transfer portal and take that next step as a basketball player. Thank you all for respecting my decision. WarDamnEagle!”