Defensive Anchor of the Future? Aliou Dioum Signs with West Virginia

Thursday morning, the West Virginia Mountaineers announced that class of 2026 forward Aliou Dioum (6'10", 220 lbs) has officially signed with the program.

"We are excited to have Aliou joining our program," head coach Ross Hodge said in a press release. "He has a high motor and passion for the game. Aliou has tremendous versatility and has a chance to be an elite defender. He continues to improve and has great upside as his best basketball is ahead of him. Aliou has a passion for his teammates and other people that aligns with what we want here at WVU."

Dioum picked the Mountaineers over finalists Illinois, Mississippi State, Syracuse, UNLV, and Wake Forest. He also held offers from the likes of Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Missouri, Ole Miss, and a few others.

According to ESPN, Dioum is the 15th-best center prospect in the country and is a consensus three-star recruit.

Our scouting report

Ballhandling: Dioum handles the ball extremely well for a guy his size. Every now and then, he'll go end-to-end with it, taking the rock all the way to the cup and under control. He's not an elite ball-handler, but for a center, he's much better than most, especially at his age.

Shooting: Has a really smooth form and can hit mid-range jumpers with consistency. Haven't seen him step out and shoot from deep, but he looks capable of doing it, even if it's down the road and is something he has to work at. He's confident shooting the ball, but is rock solid around the rim, as you would expect — a terrific lob threat.

Defense: His length impacts passes in the middle of the lane and forces ball handlers to think twice about where they are going with it. Has a ton of bounce and athleticism that allow him to make up for over-pursuing or misplaying an action, swatting shots away with ease.

Strength/speed: The first thing you'll notice is Dioum's thin frame. Obviously, he's going to need to add 20-30 pounds if he wants to become a serious candidate to play in the NBA, but that will take some time. He not only has to add that muscle, but also learn how to play with it. He runs the floor extremely well and is one of the fastest guys on the floor at all times.

Our scouting report

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