Memphis basketball to host 7-footer Mady Traore on an official visit for UNC exhibition

Memphis basketball will have Mady Traore, a 7-foot big man, on an official visit Tuesday when the Tigers host North Carolina as part of the Hoops for St. Jude Tip Off Classic.

Penny Hardaway’s team will face the Tar Heels (6 p.m., ESPNU). Memphis’ women’s basketball team is also set to take on defending national champion South Carolina (8:30 p.m., ESPN+). All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Traore, originally from France, began his career at New Mexico State, where he became eligible in January 2023. He spent the 2023-24 season at Maryland. He played sparingly at both stops, getting into just 19 total games. In 12 games at Maryland, Traore averaged 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

Traore will play for Frank Phillips College (Texas) this season. His performance at the recent Oklahoma Jamboree has resulted in scholarship offers from Memphis, George Mason and UC Santa Barbara. Plainsmen head coach Hunter Jenkins said he has fielded calls regarding Traore from a number of other programs, including Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Kansas State, Tulsa and Utah State.

Hardaway has one player (guard Daniel Vieira-Tuck) committed for next season.

Jenkins said Traore did not get much attention upon entering the transfer portal after last season due to academic issues. But, he added Traore — who was a 3-star recruit out of National Christian Academy (Maryland) — is already back on track in the classroom.

Traore dealt with injuries at Maryland, which hampered his production, according to Jenkins.

“He’s like a five (or a) four,” said Jenkins. “He didn’t make many threes at Maryland, but he played really good (at the Oklahoma Jamboree). We played six scrimmage games and he made at least one (3-pointer) in every game.

“He’s like a modern, five-out kind of big. Can play on the perimeter. Can pass. Can dribble it. He has a 7-4 wingspan, and he moves well enough that he can get switched onto some guards and guard them.”

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Memphis, Jenkins said, has been recruiting Traore since the middle of August. Assistants Mike Davis and Nolan Smith, as well as Jermaine Johnson, have been involved in the process.

After facing North Carolina, the Tigers will meet Alabama in an exhibition game at the Rocket City Classic in Huntsville, Alabama (7 p.m., Oct. 28). The regular season tips off against Missouri (Nov. 4) at FedExForum.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball to host 7-footer Mady Traore for UNC exhibition