BYU’s Fousseyni Traore Might Be Short On Words, But He’s Long On Talent
Mar 4, 2022, 11:30 PM | Updated: 11:33 pm
Brigham Young Cougars cheer as they are winning in the final minutes of the second round of the 2022 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament against the Loyola Marymount Lions at the Orleans Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 4, 2022. BYU won 85-60. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
LAS VEGAS – BYU’s Fousseyni Traore looked uncertain and somewhat apprehensive about what he was doing on the stage with a mic in his face. But his comments to the media after the BYU’s 85-60 win over Loyola Marymount Friday night were on-point, even if they were brief.
“I would say it was just fun, you know? We just have to play and win. We have to win. That’s what we do,” was Traore’s response to a question from KSL Sports about his first taste of postseason basketball.
Fousseyni Traore shined in his first postseason experience
The freshman from Bamako, Mali, enjoyed a 15-point, 11-rebound performance in the rout for the Cougars as he continues to be a key cog for a team that is hoping to get off the NCAA Tournament bubble and realize their March Madness dreams. He was matched up against LMU’s star Eli Scott for most of the game and held his own despite Scott scoring a game-high 24-points.
#BYU Fousseyni Traoré on his first postseason experience:
“It’s fun, you know. I’m just here to play and win. We have to win.”#BYUHoops #GoCougs #KSLVegasMayhem pic.twitter.com/Ie5HLtqh1g
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 5, 2022
“Oh man, he’s a good player,” Fouss explained. “He’s strong, he’s smart, he knows what he’s doing. I tried to follow the game plan, which was to not let him catch the ball. I think I did a good job (on him).”
More importantly, Fouss and fellow forward Atiki Ally Atiki avoided foul trouble during the game, collecting five between the two of them. Traore explained that he is acutely aware of the importance of his being on the court and not tethered to the bench.
“I would say it’s very important because we only have two bigs. If I am in foul trouble, that wouldn’t be good for our team. We need to help each other. I told (Atiki) ‘just be smart and don’t foul out.'”
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Senior guard Alex Barcello, who paced BYU with 22 points in the win, sang Traore’s praises in the postgame press conference, echoing a familiar refrain he has used on multiple occasions.
“I think I’ve said it in every interview; he doesn’t know how good he is,” Barcello said. “I just love how he’s like a sponge, he just tries to absorb everything. When he steps out on the floor, whether it’s practice, shootaround, walk-through, film, you just always see him trying to learn and get better. I love it. I think the sky’s the limit for him and he’s got a really bright future.”
Traore summed things up as he, Barcello and the rest of their teammates prepare for a showdown against USF Saturday night.
“Now it’s go-time. You always have to try your best every day. It’s March. You have to show up every time and play hard.”
Next up for BYU basketball
Traore, Barcello and the rest of the Cougars will look to make it two wins in as many nights Saturday night when they face the fourth-seeded San Francisco Dons. Tip-off from The Orleans Arena is set for 8:30 pm on ESPN2 and you can listen to the action on KSLNewsradio with pregame coverage beginning at 7:30 pm.
