November 19. That was the day Arafan Diane knew he wanted to announce his commitment. It’s a monumental day in his life.
Diane was born on November 19, but the day means so much more than a birthday. It takes him back to getting on a plane four years ago, finally able to fly by himself after turning 14, and leaving his home country of Guinea to pursue his basketball career. Last year, on November 19, Houston called to offer him a scholarship.
So, it was important to Diane that November 19 be the day that he announced his commitment to the Houston Cougars.
Exactly one year after Diane was celebrating his offer from UH, it’s now UH’s turn to celebrate after landing the 7’1” center from Iowa United. For this story, GoCoogs spoke with Diane, Iowa United staff, college coaches, and others to learn more about the nation’s best high school big man and why he chose Houston.
Inside the Commitment
Diane had seen YouTube videos of UH basketball practice and was intrigued. But to truly understand the intensity, he knew he had to watch it in person. He got the opportunity to sit in on a UH practice during his official visit in late October, and he was blown away by the Cougars’ attitude, effort, and toughness.
“(Seeing it) live is very different,” Diane said. “I’ve never seen practice like that in my life. It’s a fight.”
The way every player, whether a freshman or a senior, attacked the glass with fire and purpose, battling to grab each rebound, especially stood out to Diane.
“Every guy is a dawg in Houston,” Diane said.
When GoCoogs.com basketball scouting editor Jayme Hollingsworth dove into the film, Diane’s rebounding prowess immediately stood out. Diane’s two-hand rebounding, a trait UH prioritizes when recruiting bigs, is in a class of its own. Balls that would be tips for almost any other player are two-handed rebounds for Diane. But it’s what Diane does after securing a board that most impressed Hollingsworth.
“Arafan does a good job of escape-dribbling after grabbing a rebound,” Hollingsworth said. “Most big guys wait for the point guard to come get the ball. He can make a few power dribbles and pass it ahead.”
As the top-ranked center in the class of 2026, Diane could have gone anywhere in the country. His combination of size, talent, and attitude led to more than 20 offers, including the last four national champions.
“Arafan is a specimen,” said Gabe Riche, Diane’s first head coach at Institut de Sport Dynastie. “How big he is with how soft of a touch he has around the rim is just incredible. It’s rare that you’ll see him miss that baby hook around the rim, and then he’ll step out (and) he’ll hit the mid-range, he’ll hit the three.”
One college coach described Diane as “the best 18-and-under center in the world” and says he possesses a college-ready skillset and has the game to be Houston’s featured big man on day one.
The highly coveted recruit took visits to storied programs with rich histories of success, including Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia. But after seeing how UH attacked every detail, big or small, it became clear to Diane that the Cougar culture was something he wanted to be part of.
Riche, who now serves as a coach with Iowa United, couldn’t imagine a better program than UH to get the most out of Diane.
“I think it’s the perfect fit,” Riche said. “Arafan works hard, and Coach Sampson is obviously known for that. So, I think that’s a match made in heaven. Both are going to give each other something unique that they need … I think Coach Sampson’s culture and work ethic is going to benefit Arafan with his conditioning and his body, and his defensive technique. All of that is going to help him get to the next level.”
Coaches at Iowa United believe Diane is the missing piece that Houston needs to finally capture the long elusive first national title. One of the first things they say is how much pride he takes in being a winner. Diane helped Guinea win the 2023 FIBA U16 African Championship and played a key role in Dynastie’s multiple championship runs during his time in Canada. The opportunity to continue to win at the highest level at UH, now a perennial national championship contender, appealed to Diane.
“Winning is important for me,” Diane said. “My goal is to win, win, win, win.”
The tight-knit bonds Diane built with K.C. Beard — his primary recruiter, who has spoken to Diane every day, including taking seven visits to see him in person — and with Kelvin Sampson and the rest of the coaching staff at UH were another major selling point. Described by one of his Iowa United coaches as a “sponge,” the opportunity to learn and develop under Sampson excites Diane.
“He’s the best coach in the country,” Diane said. “I’m going to (Houston) because he’s a great coach. A great, great coach (and) a very good person.”
Scouting Report
Under Sampson, UH has valued length, wingspan, and athleticism over height. Diane’s 7’4” wingspan helps make him a monster on the boards and a nightmare to shoot over. His size breaks the mold of the traditional big man UH has recruited. Diane is every bit of the 7-foot-1-inch he is listed at and appears even bigger in person.
Offensively, Diane possesses elite touch and is a threat to score at all three levels. He has always been a strong free-throw shooter, which suggests that his jumper, both from the mid-range and beyond the arc, can become a sustainable weapon for him as he continues to grow.
While his scoring gets a lot of attention, his passing is the most underrated part of his game.
“His touch is very impressive, but his court vision is what impressed me the most,” said Alexandre Victor, who has worked with Diane since he arrived in Canada at age 14 and now serves as the president of Iowa United. “He sees the floor. He sees the cutters. He sees the open man on the other side. He has that patience. You can’t really rush him.”
Both Diane and his coaches have said that defense is his biggest area for growth. While his size makes him a natural rim protector, it will take some time for Diane’s defense to reach the high standard required in Sampson’s scheme.
“He will learn Coach Sampson’s pick and roll defense on day one at Houston,” Hollingsworth said. “Right now, he would be best utilized in drop coverage, but he will have to learn how to blitz and recover in the Houston defensive scheme.”
Conditioning is another area Diane is intent on improving as he makes the jump to the next level. The way UH approaches offseason strength and conditioning stood out to Diane during his recruiting process. He has seen videos of the Cougars’ infamous early morning June workouts and is eager to take part in them next summer.
Hollingsworth is confident that Alan Bishop, UH basketball’s director of sports performance, will work his magic on Diane like he has with so many Cougars players in the past.
“When Arafan spends time with Coach Bishop, he will be in elite shape and will be a prototype big man,” Hollingsworth said. “His speed and agility will improve greatly after spending the summer with Coach Bishop.”
