Husky MBB Adds Two Big Men, Brings 2025 Recruiting Class To Four
December 03, 2024 | Men's Basketball
SEATTLE β Following the addition of talented big men Mady Traore and Niko Bundalo to Big Ten Athletic Scholarship Agreements, Washington head men's basketball coach Danny Sprinkle commented on each of UW's four signees.
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Traore will come to Montlake from Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas. The Paris, France, product played his true freshman season at New Mexico State before transferring to Maryland and ultimately to the JUCO ranks.
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"Mady is a 6-11 freak athlete," Sprinkle said. "We believe he is the best junior college prospect in the country. His quickness and jumping ability will allow us to use him in multiple positions on offense and defense. He can really handle the ball for his size and he will give us the ability to stretch the floor with his three point shooting ability.Β His length and speed is exactly what we need to give us versatility defensively."
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After making 19 appearances and five starts over his two seasons at NMSU and Maryland, Traore has enjoyed a breakout season at Frank Phillips, averaging 17.8 points on 64.6 percent shooting from the floor. Traore has also been efficient from the free throw line, converting 83.0 percent of his attempts.
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A product of Bishop Walsh High School in Maryland, Traore has pulled down 102 rebounds over 10 games, ranking sixth in the NJCAA at 10.2 rebounds per game. Standing at 7-0, Traore is averaging 3.2 blocks per game, including swatting seven shots against Ranger College.
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Meanwhile, Bundalo will come to UW as a highly touted high school prospect out of Prolific Prep in Napa, California. A consensus four-star prospect, Bundalo chose UW over offers from the nation's elite, such as North Carolina, UConn, Kentucky and fellow Big Ten powers Michigan State and Ohio State.
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"Niko is a very versatile fourΒ man who is going to be a tremendous Dawg," Sprinkle said. "His skill set for being 6-10 is unique. He is very long and is one of the best rebounders in the country. He can really rebound out of his area which is a unique skill. He is a good three point shooter and skilled on the perimeter which will stretch the floor and create some mismatches. He is still growing, his potential is limitless."
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Rated as the No. 25 player nationally by ESPN, Bundalo is a consensus top-10 forward in the country, ranking as high as No. 5 by ESPN and Rivals. He is the eighth-highest rated recruit in history to sign with UW, joining the likes of Isaiah Stewart, Markelle Fultz, Martell Webster, Spencer Hawes, Jaden McDaniels, Abdul Gaddy and Tony Wroten.
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Joining fellow UW high school signees JJ Mandaquit and Courtland Muldrew, Bundalo brings the Husky signing class to No. 10 in the nation per On3, the top class in the Big Ten.
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Mandaquit, hailing from Hilo, Hawaii, is the 46th-ranked prospect in the country per On3, sitting as the site's No. 3 overall point guard. Muldrew, a shooting guard out of Springdale, Arkansas, is ranked as high as No. 99 in the nation per 247Sports.
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"JJ is the best true point guard in the 2025 class in my mind," Sprinkle said. "He has a tremendous feel for the game and is an elite playmaker.Β He is such a great decision maker that he makes the game easy for his teammates.Β I also believe he is a very underrated scorer and shooter. There is a reason almost the entire country recruited him. Coach Bland did a tremendous job in the recruitment of JJ."
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Mandaquit chose U Dub over offers from BYU, USC, Virginia, Louisville, Tennessee and Cal, among others. The 6-1 point guard out of Utah Prep in Hurricane, Utah, won a Gold Medal with Team USA at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
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Like Mandaquit, Muldrew is a consensus four-star prospect out of prestigious Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. The 6-3 shooting guard committed to the Dawgs over offers from Oklahoma State, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Oklahoma, among others.
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"Courtland is a combo guard who can score in bunches and can score at all three levels,"Β Sprinkle said. "He has a college body and is very strong and athletic for his position, which is needed in the Big Ten. We saw him at the Top-100 camp and he had some tremendous games against the best of the best. Coach Slocum was outstanding in his recruiting process."
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Muldrew is one of a bevy of top-end prospects from Oak Hill Academy, including the likes of Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Jerry Stackhouse, Michael Beasley and Rajon Rondo.
Follow @UW_MBB onΒ X/TwitterΒ andΒ InstagramΒ for the latest updates on Husky basketball.
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Traore will come to Montlake from Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas. The Paris, France, product played his true freshman season at New Mexico State before transferring to Maryland and ultimately to the JUCO ranks.
Β
"Mady is a 6-11 freak athlete," Sprinkle said. "We believe he is the best junior college prospect in the country. His quickness and jumping ability will allow us to use him in multiple positions on offense and defense. He can really handle the ball for his size and he will give us the ability to stretch the floor with his three point shooting ability.Β His length and speed is exactly what we need to give us versatility defensively."
Β
After making 19 appearances and five starts over his two seasons at NMSU and Maryland, Traore has enjoyed a breakout season at Frank Phillips, averaging 17.8 points on 64.6 percent shooting from the floor. Traore has also been efficient from the free throw line, converting 83.0 percent of his attempts.
Β
A product of Bishop Walsh High School in Maryland, Traore has pulled down 102 rebounds over 10 games, ranking sixth in the NJCAA at 10.2 rebounds per game. Standing at 7-0, Traore is averaging 3.2 blocks per game, including swatting seven shots against Ranger College.
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Meanwhile, Bundalo will come to UW as a highly touted high school prospect out of Prolific Prep in Napa, California. A consensus four-star prospect, Bundalo chose UW over offers from the nation's elite, such as North Carolina, UConn, Kentucky and fellow Big Ten powers Michigan State and Ohio State.
Β
"Niko is a very versatile fourΒ man who is going to be a tremendous Dawg," Sprinkle said. "His skill set for being 6-10 is unique. He is very long and is one of the best rebounders in the country. He can really rebound out of his area which is a unique skill. He is a good three point shooter and skilled on the perimeter which will stretch the floor and create some mismatches. He is still growing, his potential is limitless."
Β
Rated as the No. 25 player nationally by ESPN, Bundalo is a consensus top-10 forward in the country, ranking as high as No. 5 by ESPN and Rivals. He is the eighth-highest rated recruit in history to sign with UW, joining the likes of Isaiah Stewart, Markelle Fultz, Martell Webster, Spencer Hawes, Jaden McDaniels, Abdul Gaddy and Tony Wroten.
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Joining fellow UW high school signees JJ Mandaquit and Courtland Muldrew, Bundalo brings the Husky signing class to No. 10 in the nation per On3, the top class in the Big Ten.
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Mandaquit, hailing from Hilo, Hawaii, is the 46th-ranked prospect in the country per On3, sitting as the site's No. 3 overall point guard. Muldrew, a shooting guard out of Springdale, Arkansas, is ranked as high as No. 99 in the nation per 247Sports.
Β
"JJ is the best true point guard in the 2025 class in my mind," Sprinkle said. "He has a tremendous feel for the game and is an elite playmaker.Β He is such a great decision maker that he makes the game easy for his teammates.Β I also believe he is a very underrated scorer and shooter. There is a reason almost the entire country recruited him. Coach Bland did a tremendous job in the recruitment of JJ."
Β
Mandaquit chose U Dub over offers from BYU, USC, Virginia, Louisville, Tennessee and Cal, among others. The 6-1 point guard out of Utah Prep in Hurricane, Utah, won a Gold Medal with Team USA at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
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Like Mandaquit, Muldrew is a consensus four-star prospect out of prestigious Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. The 6-3 shooting guard committed to the Dawgs over offers from Oklahoma State, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Oklahoma, among others.
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"Courtland is a combo guard who can score in bunches and can score at all three levels,"Β Sprinkle said. "He has a college body and is very strong and athletic for his position, which is needed in the Big Ten. We saw him at the Top-100 camp and he had some tremendous games against the best of the best. Coach Slocum was outstanding in his recruiting process."
Β
Muldrew is one of a bevy of top-end prospects from Oak Hill Academy, including the likes of Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Jerry Stackhouse, Michael Beasley and Rajon Rondo.
Follow @UW_MBB onΒ X/TwitterΒ andΒ InstagramΒ for the latest updates on Husky basketball.
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