LAS CRUCES, N.M. – After making his debut on Wednesday night, big man Mady Traoré is officially the newest addition to the NM State men's basketball team, Head Coach Greg Heiar announced Friday.
 
Mady Traoré | F | Fr. | 6-11 | 195 | Fresnes, France | Believe Prep | Highlights
· The three-star recruit joins the Aggie program after most recently playing at Believe Prep under Head Coach Kevin Jackson in Rock Hill, S.C.
· Initially committed to play at NC State after receiving offers from several Power Five programs, including Arizona State, Auburn, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, LSU, Oregon, Pittsburgh, USC and Virginia Tech.
· The lengthy big man was once considered a "Top150" recruit according to 247Sports after coming to the United States from France early in his high school career.
· Will add immediate depth and athleticism to the post area for the Aggies.
· Scored five points in 12 minutes of action in his first game with NM State on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

What they're saying about Traoré
NM State Head Coach Greg Heiar | "We are really excited to add Mady this semester, he is a great young man with high character, legit size, length, athletic ability and he is very light on his feet for his size. What really impresses us is his work ethic, basketball IQ and feel for the game. I love what type of teammate he is and his willingness to adapt to the situation he is in will help our team win. Mady is very skilled and can score inside and out. We really love how he is able to switch onto guards but he is also a high-level rim protector as well. When watching him on video, I thought he had a lot of young Pascal Siakam tendencies. This was a great Christmas gift. He's only going to keep getting better every day because of his love for the game and mental makeup."