Houston Adds Another Potential NBA Draft Prospect in 2026 Recruiting Class

The Houston Cougars are off to another impressive start after reaching the NCAA title game last year.

Kelvin Sampson's team lost a few players from that squad, but returned key pieces and NBA Draft prospects Joseph Tugler and Milos Uzan. Additionally, the team added a few high-profile freshman who have already looked impressive for Houston.

Sitting at 4-0, the Cougars claimed the No. 2 spot in the most recent AP Poll and look to be in the mix to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament. With four realistic draft prospects on the roster, though, Sampson and company may need to replace a few players after the 2025-26 campaign.

Fortunatly for the Cougars, Houston received good news on that front earlier this week. On Wednesday, Iowa United Prep's Arafan Diane announced his commitment to Houston, giving Sampson and company another talented big man to work with.

Listed at 7-foot-1 and 290 pounds, Diane's remarkable size should make him a difficult matchup early in his college career. The talented prospect is rated the No. 16 overall player and No. 1 center in the 2026 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

In addition to his size and stature, Diane has a reported 7-foot-4 wingspan and displays decent touch for big man when shooting the ball. Joining the Cougars' roster, Diane could follow Tugler and Chris Cenac Jr.'s footsteps as the next Houston big man to be an NBA Draft prospect.

Tugler's length gives him immense defensive potential at the next level, while Cenac has shown why he was one of the top recruits in the 2025 class early in his time with the Cougars.

If both players are selected in the 2026 NBA Draft, the door should be open for Diane to earn significant minutes as a freshman, which could put him in 2027 draft conversations.

The Cougars followed the addition of Diane with a pledge from four-star point guard Ikenna Alozie. While Alozie's height may prevent him from being an NBA Draft prospect right away, he should be a good pick and roll partner for Diane.

Houston's newest commitment wasn't the only five-star prospect to announced his decision recently, either. A few days earlier, the Texas Longhorns landed a pledge from coveted combo guard Austin Goosby.

Goosby is rated the No. 18 overall prospect and No. 5 combo guard in the 2026 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. Like Diane, Goosby has the potential to be a high-profile prospect in the 2027 NBA Draft.

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