Brad Underwood Scouts Nation's No. 1 Center and Key Illini Target

On Thursday, Brad Underwood was in person to see Arafan Diane – the country's top-ranked center in the class of 2026

Dec 29, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood acknowledges the fans before a game with the Chicago State Cougars at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Illinois coach Brad Underwood wasted no time taking advantage of this month's first live recruiting period (July 10-13), as he was in person to scout an important Illini target on Thursday – the first day coaches are allowed to by NCAA rules.

The figure drawing Underwood’s attention, along with that of a handful of other high-major coaches, is Arafan Diane, a 7-foot-1 center from Iowa in the class of 2026.

According to Joe Tipton of On3, Underwood was joined on the sidelines by John Calipari (Arkansas), Kelvin Sampson (Houston), Darian DeVries (Indiana) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State) to watch Diane compete.

Diane, who is the No. 15 recruit in the country and the top-rated center according to 247Sports, holds at least 20 offers thus far, including from Illinois – which offered Diane back in late June.

At 7-foot-1, Diane offers exceptional size and length, but what sets him apart is his combination of strength (260 pounds) and agility. He also has soft touch around the rim and has even shown some ability to extend his range out to the three-point arc.

Arafan Diane May be the fastest rising big in the country 👀🔥 he received offers from Offers from Indiana, Kansas, UConn, Houston, Purdue, Arizona, BYU, and Virginia all this week 👀😳@DianeArafan1 pic.twitter.com/nvmIaW45KR

— League Ready (@LeagueRDY) June 19, 2025

Still, it’s a bit surprising to see Underwood and his crew – who prize proven shooters – heavily pursuing Diane, whose perimeter stroke is anything but fully polished.

But given the success of Morez Johnson Jr. – a non-shooter himself – in his lone year in Champaign, there seems no reason Diane couldn't thrive and the Illini wouldn't benefit from incorporating another high-motor, strong-bodied big into their system.

And with the potential there for his shooting to develop, Diane could eventually turn into a dream player for Illinois if Underwood and staff managed to land him.

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