UConn, Dan Hurley Still In Play To Land No. 1-Ranked Center

Dan Hurley has built a roster that is in serious play to contend for a national championship during the 2025-26 season. However, it’s never too early to be planning beyond this season, and trying to land the next big names in the

One elite prospect is still deciding what program he’ll attend, and the UConn Huskies still have a chance at landing him.

Arafan Diane is down to his top 12 schools, one of which is UConn, per Joe Tipton of Rivals. The rising senior at Iowa United Prep (IA) is a four-star recruit and is ranked as the No. 1 center and No. 21 overall player in the 2026 class.

Rivals’ recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw noted Diane is very offensively skilled, able to score consistently over both shoulders, make reads out of the post, and utilized balance and footwork when his initial move was cut off.”

The Huskies may still be in play to land the recruit, but Hurley certainly has competition if he hopes to land the elite big man. The other schools Diane is still considering include Arkansas, Houston, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Oregon, Purdue, Virginia, and Washington.

One way Hurley could persuade the center to commit to UConn is to point to the recent success he’s had with similar centers.

Shaw’s analysis of Diane is very similar to another recent Huskies center who is finally succeeded at the next level.

Donovan Clingan was able to showcase his dominance in the paint on offense and his rim-protecting ability on defense, leading to him being the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

It will be interesting to see if Diane ends up deeming UConn as the best program for his development and commits to becoming a Huskie.

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