2026 Four-Star Aliou Dioum Narrows His List to Six: Is Illinois Still in the Mix?

Despite the Illini offering Dioum less than a month ago, they clearly have done enough in his recruitment to be one of the programs he is heavily considering. According to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Dioum, from Scottsdale, Arizona (Bella Vista Prep), is the No. 145 prospect in the country. He has already taken a visit to Wake Forest and Loyola-Chicago, and he has one lined up with UNLV for late August.

Scouting Aliou Dioum

At 6-foot-10 and with great length, Dioum has excellent size and a frame that, while not yet filled out, seems primed to add some muscle. Underwood prizes his jump-shooting big men, and Dioum indeed has a smooth stroke. Although his confidence and consistency aren't full developed yet, Dioum’s form – which is the most telling sign of a shooter’s potential – is nearly picture perfect.

For his size, Dioum has an adequate handle and a top-notch face-up game. He can hit the midrange or put the ball on the deck and attack a defender, taking advantage of his size and nifty footwork. For the time being, Dioum isn’t a game-changing athlete, but his instincts and length allow him to send back shots, and he’s extremely active on the offensive glass.

How Dioum would fit at Illinois

If Dioum were to wind up in Champaign, strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher – who has been dominating headlines this summer – would surely help Dioum quickly pack on muscle while pushing his athleticism to new levels.

Still, it will likely take Dioum’s game some time to catch up. He is good at many things but not great at any – which is often the case for a rising senior in high school. He wouldn’t walk into an immediate role at Illinois, but his combination of shooting, touch around the basket and defensive presence would earn him back-end rotation consideration. In the long-term, though – and perhaps even after just one year as an Illini – Dioum could develop into an integral piece of the puzzle.

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